Bong-Soon Chang

The ratio of fused area of local bone inside cages at regions exposed to endplates was <50%, which is insufficient for physiologic load transmission. The authors recommend that additional bone should be grafted into the disc space or new bone bonding interbody spacer should be considered.

Although vertebral artery groove and foramen violations were relatively common on postoperative CT scans, none were detected intraoperatively or on postoperative radiographs. Most alarmingly, 1 vertebral artery injury was undetected intraoperatively. Since a vertebral injury can be potentially catastrophic, this study emphasizes the inherent dangers associated with placement of C1 and C2 screws and underscores the importance of careful postoperative evaluation and surgical technique when inserti

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: glass ceramics spacer generates chemical bonding to adjacent bones with high mechanical stability to produce a union with the end plate, and ultimately stability. PURPOSE: glass ceramics with a titanium cage that is widely used for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery in the clinical field. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: This is a prospective, stratified randomized, multicenter, single-blinded, comparator-controlled non-inferiority trial. PATIENT SAMPLE: The present study

The accuracy of diagnostic lumbar selective nerve root blocks is only moderate. To improve the accuracy, great care should be taken to avoid inadequate blocks and overflow, and to precisely interpret spot radiographs.

To evaluate the possibility of novel CaO-SiO2-B2O3 glass-ceramics (CS10B) as a new bone replacement material, we compared the biodegradation and osteoconduction properties of CS10B, hydroxyapatite (HA), and tricalcium phosphate (TCP). Porous CS10B implants were prepared by the polymer sponge method. L5-6 single-level posterolateral spinal fusions were performed on 30 New Zealand white male rabbits. The animals were divided into three groups by implant material: CS10B, HA, and TCP. Radiographs we

Patients' satisfaction was not as high as expected after fusion for LDD. Therefore, the decision for performing a lumbar fusion in those patients must be done more carefully, and it should be explained more precisely that chronic pain may persist after spinal surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective, stratified randomized, multicenter, 4-year follow-up study. OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical efficacy and safety of CaO-SiO2-P2O5-B2O3 glass ceramics (BGS-7) spacers in 1-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) at a 4-year follow-up. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: According to 1-year follow-up results, BGS-7 spacer showed similar fusion rates and clinical outcomes compared with titanium cage. A long-term follow-up study beyo

Screw placement is feasible in up to 93% of the occipital condyles. The lateral and the middle entry points are significantly better than the medial entry point. Selection between the middle and the lateral entry points should be individualized taking into account local anatomic variation. Because the medial angulation of these screws is highly variable, preoperative 3-dimensional CT evaluation and possibly even intraoperative navigation may be required.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe and compare the sagittal spinal alignment between patients with and without the ossification of the ligamentum flavum in the thoracic spine (TOLF). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although mechanical factors play an important role in the development of TOLF, limited evidence exists on the association of sagittal spinal alignment and TOLF in the literature. METHODS: The present study assessed the preopera