Project description:This is a review paper on the topic of genetic background of degenerative disc diseases in the lumbar spine. Lumbar disc diseases (LDDs), such as lumbar disc degeneration and lumbar disc herniation, are the main cause of low back pain. There are a lot of studies that tried to identify the causes of LDDs. The causes have been categorized into environmental factors and genetic factors. Recent studies revealed that LDDs are mainly caused by genetic factors. Numerous studies have been carried out using the genetic approach for LDDs. The history of these studies is divided into three periods: (1) era of epidemiological research using familial background and twins, (2) era of genomic research using DNA polymorphisms to identify susceptible genes for LDDs, and (3) era of functional research to determine how the genes cause LDDs. This review article was undertaken to present the history of genetic approach to LDDs and to discuss the current issues and future perspectives.
Project description:The aim of this article is to introduce a technique for lumbar intervertebral fusion that incorporates mobile microendoscopic discectomy (MMED) for lumbar degenerative disc disease. Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion is frequently performed to treat degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine; however, the scope of such surgery and vision is limited by what the naked eye can see through the expanding channel system. To expand the visual scope and reduce trauma, we perform lumbar intervertebral fusion with the aid of a MMED system that provides a wide field through freely tilting the surgical instrument and canals. We believe that this technique is a good option for treating lumbar degenerative disc disease that requires lumbar intervertebral fusion.
Project description:Interspinous spacer devices used in interspinous fixation surgery remove soft tissues in the lumbar spine, such as ligaments and muscles and may cause degenerative diseases in adjacent segments its stiffness is higher than that of the lumbar spine. Therefore, this study aimed to structurally and kinematically optimize a lumbar interspinous fixation device (LIFD) using a full lumbar finite element model that allows for minimally invasive surgery, after which the normal behavior of the lumbar spine is not affected. The proposed healthy and degenerative lumbar spine models reflect the physiological characteristics of the lumbar spine in the human body. The optimum number of spring turns and spring wire diameter in the LIFD were selected as 3 mm and 2 turns, respectively-from a dynamic range of motion (ROM) perspective rather than a structural maximum stress perspective-by applying a 7.5 N∙m extension moment and 500 N follower load to the LIFD-inserted lumbar spine model. As the spring wire diameter in the LIFD increased, the maximum stress generated in the LIFD increased, and the ROM decreased. Further, as the number of spring turns decreased, both the maximum stress and ROM of the LIFD increased. When the optimized LIFD was inserted into a degenerative lumbar spine model with a degenerative disc, the facet joint force of the L3-L4 lumbar segment was reduced by 56%-98% in extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. These results suggest that the optimized device can strengthen the stability of the lumbar spine that has undergone interspinous fixation surgery and reduce the risk of degenerative diseases at the adjacent lumbar segments.
Project description:The authors performed a retrospective controlled study of patients diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease who received surgical intervention (either total disc replacement [TDR]/Activ-L or anterior lumbar interbody fusion [ALIF]) at a single tertiary-care hospital from 2007-2010.To investigate the clinical outcomes after TDR in comparison with ALIF for surgical treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD).Analyzed data included intra-operative blood loss, time to return to work, and clinical outcomes as evaluated through the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain questionnaires pre-operatively and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperative follow-up.At the univariate analysis, patients submitted to TDR presented significantly lower VAS pain scores than patients who received ALIF starting at 6 weeks (P < .001) and continuing through one year postoperatively (P = .007). Patients submitted to TDR also presented significantly lower ODI disability scores at all time points. There was a significant difference in the number of days to return to work, with TDR patients returning to work on average 65 days sooner than ALIF patients (P = .011). There was no significant difference in the total blood loss between both groups.The results of this retrospective controlled study suggest that, in comparison with patients submitted to ALIF, patients submitted to TDR present quicker return to work, less back pain, and lower disability scores at 1 year follow-up.
Project description:Background Lumbar fusion (LF) is commonly performed to manage lumbar degenerative disc disease (LDDD) that has failed conservative measures. However, lumbar disc replacement (LDR) procedures are increasingly prevalent and designed to preserve motion in carefully selected patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), queried from 2010 to 2019 to identify patients undergoing single and double-level LF or LDR with a diagnosis of LDDD using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th (ICD-9) and 10th (ICD-10) revision diagnostic and procedure codes. Propensity score matching (PSM) with a ratio of 2:1 was performed. All cost estimates reflect reported hospital costs adjusted to December 2019 United States Dollars. Results A total of 1,129,121 LF cases (99.3%) and 8,049 LDR cases (0.7%) were identified, with 364,637 (32.3%) and 712 (8.8%) comprising two-level surgeries, respectively. 1,712 LDRs were performed in 2010 (1.27% of all), decreasing to 565 in 2013 (0.52%), and increased slightly to 870 in 2019 (0.74%). LDR patients were significantly more likely to be younger (mean age 41.2 vs. 57.1, P<0.001) and healthier (mean ECI 0.88 vs. 1.80, P<0.001). On matched analysis, LDR hospital costs were $4,529 less (P<0.001) and length of stay was 0.65 days shorter (P<0.001) than LF patients. LDR patients had lower rates of any complication (7.0% vs. 13.2%, P<0.001), neurologic complication (3.0% vs. 4.2%, P=0.006), and blood transfusion (3.1% vs. 8.1%, P<0.001) compared to LF patients. Conclusions The prevalence of LDR procedures decreased from 2010–2017 but began to increase again in 2018 and 2019. Single-level LDR was associated with reduced costs and length of stay (LOS), and lower rates of blood transfusion compared to LF in patients with LDDD.
Project description:ObjectiveLumbar Puncture (LP) is a common invasive procedure where cerebrospinal fluid is obtained for the diagnosis of neurological anomalies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of CSF analysis in patients admitted to pediatric wards.MethodsIn this retrospective descriptive study, records of the pediatric patients (aged <18 years) who were referred to our centers for lumbar puncture were evaluated. A checklist was prepared for all the patients where demographic data, findings of CSF and blood analysis and clinical presentations were recorded. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSSv22.ResultsIn this study a total number of 247 patients were included where 57.9% of the cases were of boys. 55.8% patients aged under 1 year and 62.3% of patients had a body temperature of 38 °C and above. 15.3% of the children were diagnosed with meningitis, 27.1% had febrile seizures, 9.3% had neonatal sepsis and for 48.2% cases other clinical diagnoses were made. There was a significant relationship between the diagnosis and the number of WBCs seen in CSF (P < 0.001). Also, there was a significant relationship between the diagnosis and amount of protein (P < 0.001) and glucose in CSF (P = 0.005). The age group and the type of fever and seizure were also significantly correlated, (P < 0.001).ConclusionLumbar puncture is an important procedure for the diagnosis of several neurological diseases. Further studies including neuroimaging and therapeutic measures are recommended in this regard.
Project description:Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples are commonly collected via lumbar puncture (LP) in both clinical and research settings for measurement of biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To determine the effects of LP on CSF AD biomarkers, we collected CSF samples at seven different time points after an LP in rhesus monkeys. We find that amyloid-beta (Aβ) and Tau levels increased significantly on day 1, peaked on day 3, and returned to baseline on day 10 after LP. The NFL levels increased significantly on day 5, peaked on day 10, and returned to baseline after day 30. The increased AD biomarker levels were mainly due to CSF outflow and deep intrathecal invasion during LP. Therefore, if LPs are repeated within a short period of time, prior LP can affect Aβ and Tau levels within 10 days and NFL levels within 30 days, which may lead to clinical misdiagnosis or incorrect scientific conclusions.
Project description:Degenerative disc disease is a continuous degeneration process of intervertebral discs. We performed a case-control study to investigate the association between 16 common SNPs of VDR and degenerative disc disease risk in a Chinese population. A total of 482 pairs of patients with degenerative disc disease and controls were collected between May 2014 and May 2016. The genotyping of VDR rs1544410, rs2239181, rs2107301, rs2239179, rs2189480, rs3819545, rs2239186, rs2254210, rs2238136, rs4760648, rs11168287, rS4328262, rS4334089, rs3890733, rs10783219 and rS7299460 was done in a 384-well plate format on the sequenom MassARRAY platform (Sequenom, San Diego, USA). We observed that the TC (OR=2.13, 95% CI=1.34-3.40) and CC (OR=2.73, 95% CI=1.75-4.28) genotypes of rs2239179 were associated with an increased risk of degenerative disc disease when compared with the TT genotype. However, there was no significant correlation between other fifth SNPs of VDR and degenerative disc disease risk. The haplotype analysis revealed that the rs2239179 had linkage disequilibrium with rs2107301 (D'=0.97, r2=0.25) and rs2238136 (D'=0.81, r2=0.15). The rs2239179 polymorphism was associated with drinking habit (Spearman correlation coefficient =0.09, P=0.006) in the risk of intervertebral disc disease. In conclusion, our study indicated that the VDR genetic polymorphism may contribute to the development of degenerative disc disease in the Chinese population.
Project description:BackgroundThe incidence of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is known through referral center databases that may be affected by referral, misclassification, and other biases. We sought to determine the community-based incidence and natural history of PPCM using the Rochester Epidemiology Project.Methods and resultsIncident cases of PPCM occurring between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2014, were identified in Olmsted County, Minnesota. A total of 15 PPCM cases were confirmed yielding an incidence of 20.3 cases per 100,000 live births in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Clinical information, disease characteristics, and outcomes were extracted from medical records in a 27-county region of the Rochester Epidemiology Project including Olmsted County and matched in a 1:2 ratio with pregnant women without PPCM. A total of 48 women were identified with PPCM in the expanded 27-county region. There was 1 death and no transplants over a median of 7.3 years of follow-up. Six of the 23 women with subsequent pregnancies developed recurrent PPCM, all of whom recovered. Migraine and anxiety were identified as novel possible risk factors for PPCM.ConclusionsThe population-based incidence of PPCM was 20.3 cases per 100,000 live births in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Cardiovascular outcomes were generally excellent in this community cohort.
Project description:BackgroundTo explore the independent association between lumbar endplate damage and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD).MethodsThis retrospective investigation was based out of a prospectively collected database from the Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University. Data from 192 DDD patients, collected between December 2018 and January 2022, were chosen for the final analysis. The average total endplate score (TEPS) of lumbar(L) 1-L4 was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and represents the extent of endplate damage. Osteoporosis severity was assessed via the L1-L4 BMD evidenced by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Other analyzed information included gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and osteophyte score (OSTS). Uni- and multivariate linear regression analyses were employed to evaluate the association between average TEPS and BMD of L1-L4. Moreover, the generalized additive model (GAM) was employed for non-linear association analysis.ResultsUpon gender, age, BMI, and OSTS adjustments, a strong independent inverse relationship was observed between average TEPS and BMD (β, -0.021; 95% CI, -0.035 to -0.007, P-value = 0.00449). In addition, the gender stratification analysis revealed a linear relationship in males, and a non-linear relationship in females. Specifically, there was a significantly stronger negative relationship between average TEPS and BMD in females, when the average TEPS was < 3.75 (β, -0.063; 95% CI, -0.114 to -0.013; P-value = 0.0157). However, at an average TEPS > 3.75, the relationship did not reach significance (β, 0.007; 95% CI, -0.012 to 0.027; P-value = 0.4592).ConclusionsThis study demonstrated the independent negative association between average TEPS and BMD values of L1-L4. Upon gender stratification, a linear relationship was observed in males, and a non-linear association in females. The findings reveal that patients with osteoporosis or endplate damage require more detailed examinations and treatment regimen.