Brent A. Felix, MD - Blog
Low-dose CT of the whole spine found more sensitive than conventional radiographs in monitoring AS
In patients with ankylosing spondylitis, low-dose CT of the whole spine delivered greater sensitivity than imaging with conventional radiographs, according to a study presented at the EULAR Annual Congress.
Loss of estrogen a risk factor for disc degeneration and lower back pain
'Oh, my aching back!' It's not an uncommon complaint heard from both men and women as they age and experience lumbar disc degeneration. Now a new study suggests that menopause is associated with severity of disc degeneration in the lumbar spine.
New class drug significantly reduces spine fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis
The results of a study presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017 press conference showed that, in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, 12 months treatment with romosozumab was associated with rapid and large reductions in their risk of a vertebral fracture compared to placebo.
Study explores image guidance based on MRI for spinal interstitial laser thermotherapy
Researchers retrospectively reviewed 13 patients who underwent implantation of 47 laser catheters with image guidance based on intraoperative MRI during spinal laser interstitial thermotherapy. Investigators measured discrepancy in millimeters between trajectories of the predicted placement to the actual placement to assess the accuracy of the image guidance. The median changes in thickness of the epidural tumor and change in the epidural spinal cord classification were also assessed.
Age no barrier for back surgery benefits
Seniors can benefit from herniated disc surgery, according to the results of a study conducted by Mattis A. Madsbu, a medical student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and colleagues at the Department of Neurosurgery at St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, Norway. Madsbu's supervisor was NTNU consultant neurosurgeon Sasha Gulati.
Presenter discusses factors that impact sagittal balance after TLIF
Inherent lordosis of the cage, an expandable nature, anterior position of the cage and compression of pedicle screws impacted the postoperative sagittal balance of patients who underwent transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, according to a presenter at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting.
Exercise good for the spine
A world-first study has shown that specific physical activity benefits the discs in our spines and may help to prevent and manage spinal pain.
Generating improvement in spinal cord injuries
A new therapy to treat spinal cord injuries in people who have lost all motor and sensory function below the injury site shows additional motor function improvement at 6-months and 9-months following treatment with 10 million AST-OPC1. The positive efficacy results from an ongoing research study were announced on Jan. 24 in a conference held by Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc., the biotechnology company that manufactures AST-OPC1
Location of spinal correction influences risk of proximal junctional kyphosis development
A new study reports that PJK risk following lumbar spinal fusion depends on the level of the spine fused. Specifically, the authors – who include members of the International Spine Study Group (ISSG) from multiple academic centers – found that fusing the lower portion of lumbar spine results in a decreased risk of PJK.
Spinal cord injury patients face many serious health problems besides paralysis
Spinal cord patients also are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease; pneumonia; life-threatening blood clots; bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction; constipation and other gastrointestinal problems; pressure ulcers; and chronic pain, according to a report published in the journal Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports.
