[Adjacent segment degeneration following spinal fusion of vertebral fractures in paraplegic patients]. / Anschlusssegmentdegenerationen nach Wirbelkörperfrakturen beim Querschnitt.

The effects of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after spinal fusion of vertebral fractures have previously not been demonstrated in patients with trauma-related paraplegia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ASD in patients with paraplegia caused by vertebral fractures and to observe whether there is a difference between unilateral or combined spinal fusion in long-term results regarding the degeneration of cranial or caudal adjacent spinal segments. A total of 111 paraplegic patients with an average age of 45 years who underwent spinal fusion of vertebral fractures were observed in a retrospective longitudinal study with a follow-up period of 4 years. Conventional X­ray images and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were used to assess the ASD in the adjacent free vertebral segments cranial and caudal to the spinal fusion using the following elements: ventral spondylophytes, intervertebral space, intervertebral disc signal in MRI, posterior spondylophytes, facet joint arthrosis, bone bridging and ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament. Additionally, the classification by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale and spinal cord independence measure version 3 score were surveyed. The 4­year incidence of radiographically detectable ASD was 3-12 % in this study. The majority of ASDs were observed in the cranial segments adjacent to the interbody fusion. The dorsoventral spinal fusion showed the least effects on the adjacent segments. In conclusion, a concept of prompt surgery using short dorsoventral segment fusion carried out by an interdisciplinary paralysis center is recommended. The role of natural degeneration processes and whether they are influenced by iatrogenic manipulation through the vertebral stabilization is unclear. For this reason it is important to further investigate strategies for ASD reduction in the future to ensure the best possible treatment success including the lowest degree of additional impairments for this special patient group.

Sphenopalatine ganglion blocks for the treatment of nicotine addiction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sphenopalatine ganglion block upon the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Seventeen patients completed a course of treatment which involved daily intranasal application of local anesthetic (bupivacaine or cocaine) or saline over the sphenopalatine ganglion. The reported numbers of daily symptoms of physical discomfort were recorded during the preprocedure period. Analysis of variance results indicated that patients in all three groups experienced a significant decline in the number of symptoms of physical discomfort over the six-day withdrawal period. Further findings provided evidence of significantly fewer symptoms of discomfort for patients in the anesthetic treatment groups than in the placebo control group, though no statistically significant difference emerged between the two anesthetic treatment groups. Accelerated alleviation of discomfort during nicotine withdrawal may increase the success of smoking cessation.