Tibioplasty, a new technique in the management of tibial plateau fracture: A multicentric experience review.

INTRODUCTION: The traditional methods in displaced tibial plateau fractures use metallic instrumentation. "Balloon-tibioplasty" is a novel minimally invasive technique. PURPOSE: Use of the balloon-tibioplasty show an improvement of the reduction compared to traditional methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 28 patients who presented with a depression fracture of external tibial plateau divided into two treatment groups: balloon-tibioplasty (group I) and "traditional" reduction technique (group II). RESULTS: Balloon-tibioplasty is a minimally invasive treatment for tibial plateau fracture. DISCUSSION: Balloon-tibioplasty appears to have several advantages over traditional reduction techniques. CONCLUSION: Balloon-tibioplasty represents an improved and accurate modality for restoration of articular congruence.

Pelvic parameters of sagittal balance in extreme lateral interbody fusion for degenerative lumbar disc disease.

There is increasing interest in the use of pelvic indices to evaluate sagittal balance and predict outcomes in patients with spinal disease. Conventional posterior lumbar fusion techniques may adversely affect lumbar lordosis and spinal balance. Minimally invasive fusion of the lumbar spine is rapidly becoming a mainstay of treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease. To our knowledge there are no studies evaluating the effect of extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF) on pelvic indices. Hence, our aim was to study the effect of XLIF on pelvic indices related to sagittal balance, and report the results of a prospective longitudinal clinical study and retrospective radiographic analyses of patients undergoing XLIF in a single centre between January 2009 and July 2011. Clinical outcomes are reported for 30 patients and the retrospective analyses of radiographic data is reported for 22 of these patients to assess global and segmental lumbar lordosis and pelvic indices. Effect of XLIF on the correction of scoliotic deformity was assessed in 15 patients in this series. A significant improvement was seen in the visual analogue scale score, the Oswestry Disability Index and the Short Form-36 at 2months and 6months (p<0.0001). The mean pelvic index was 48.6°±11.9° (± standard deviation, SD) with corresponding mean sacral slopes and pelvic tilt of 32.0°±10.6° (SD) and 18.0°±9.5 (SD), respectively. XLIF did not significantly affect sacral slope or pelvic tilt (p>0.2). Global lumbar lordosis was not affected by XLIF (p>0.4). XLIF significantly increased segmental lumbar lordosis by 3.3° (p<0.0001) and significantly decreased the scoliotic Cobb angle by 5.9° (p=0.01). We found that XLIF improved scoliosis and segmental lordosis and was associated with significant clinical improvement in patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease. However, XLIF did not change overall lumbar lordosis or significantly alter pelvic indices associated with sagittal balance. Long-term follow-up with a larger cohort will be required to further evaluate the effects of XLIF on sagittal balance.

Sagittal balance and pelvic parameters--a paradigm shift in spinal surgery.

It has become evident in recent years that global assessment of spinal sagittal balance is necessary for optimal management of the degenerate spine. Pelvic parameters have been developed which appear to correlate well with the natural history of degenerative spine disorders and outcomes from surgery. Although these parameters have a limited evidence base, they are now in widespread use by spinal surgeons and, in particular, spinal deformity surgeons. It is necessary for all surgeons treating spinal pathology to have a working knowledge of the principles of spinal sagittal balance, to be able to recognise sagittal imbalance and its compensatory mechanisms. In this article we outline the main concepts of spinal sagittal balance and pelvic parameters and how these concepts are leading to a paradigm shift in the surgical management of spinal disorders. We propose that analysis of pelvic parameters of sagittal balance will form an essential part of the evaluation of new surgical techniques for spinal conditions.

Nucleus disc arthroplasty with the NUBAC™ device: 2-year clinical experience.

Low back pain (LBP) due to degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a common condition that can be treated along a continuum of care: from conservative therapies to several surgical choices. Nucleus arthroplasty is an emerging technology that could potentially fill part of the gap in the spine continuum of care. The introduction of recent technologies that allow the replacement of the degenerated disc nucleus using prosthetic devices may be considered an additional therapeutic tool that can be used by the surgeon in selected cases of LBP due to DDD. Nucleus arthroplasties are designed to treat early stages of DDD, which are one of the most common spinal disorders in the population under 65 years of age. NUBAC™ is the first articulating nucleus disc prosthesis, designed to optimally respect the lumbar anatomy, kinematics, and biomechanics, constructed in unique two-piece manufactured from polyetheretherketone (PEEK) with an inner ball/socket articulation. The optimal indications for NUBAC™ implantation are: disc height >5 mm, degenerative disc changes at an early stage (Pfirmann 2, 3), single level affection, integrity of posterior facet joints, lack of local anatomical contraindication, failure of conservative treatment for at least 6 months. From December 2006 to January 2009, a total of 39 patients underwent nucleus disc arthroplasty with NUBAC™ device. 22 cases have 2-year follow up. There have been no major intra-operative or post-operative vascular or neurological complications in this series. The data showed that there were significant decreases in both Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) after the procedure, with a meaningful improvement of symptoms in all patients. Although preliminary, the initial results are encouraging. The absence of any major intra-operative and post-operative complications supports the design rationale of the NUBAC™, being less invasive comparing to total disc replacement (TDA) and with a low rate of surgical risk. The effectiveness of data as seen in 2-year follow-up on both VAS and ODI have also suggested that the NUBAC™ could be considered a viable treatment option for patients with LBP caused by DDD.

[Cardiovascular disease in early collagen diseases]. / Alterazioni cardiovascolari nelle fasi precoci delle malattie del connettivo.

AIM: The purpose of this paper was to verify whether there is any sign of involvement of the cardiovascular system in the early stages of collagen diseases. METHODS: Seventeen patients (10 female and 7 male, average age 41.35 +/- 9.85 years) (group A) recruited at the Ambulatory of Internal Medicine for suspected collagen diseases with period of onset of the symptomatology less than 6 months, were analyzed. Ten patients were excluded from the study: 8 had been suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for a number of years, 2 were older than 80 and were suffering from concomitant pathologies (diabetes mellitus and hypertension) which would have invalidated the evaluation of valvular changes like thickening. The patients were followed up for 2 years. Clinical diagnosis was made in many cases many months after the observation using the criteria of the American Rheumatic Association (ARA). All patients were subjected to titration of the following autoantibodies by means of the immuno-fluorimetry method: ANA, anti-ENA (SSA, SSB, SM, SM-RNP, SCL-70, Jo-1), anti-nDNA, anti-histones. The cardiological evaluation was carried out by echography (Cardioline 12 leads) and echocardiographic examination (Aloka 2000 and HP sonos 5500 with 2.5 and 3.5 MHz probe) looking for thickening of both valvular flaps (> 3 mm for the mitral and > 2 mm for the aorta), myocardial involvement by studying global and regional kinesis of the left ventricle; pericardial involvement. The control group consisted of 17 healthy subjects with the same sex and age distribution (10 male, 7 female, average age 40.35 +/- 9.80 years) (group B). RESULTS: Eleven patients (64%) proved to be suffering from SLE, 3 (17%) from mixed collagen diseases (MC), 3 (17%) from systemic sclerosis (SS). Cardiac anomalies were observed in 12 patients: in 3 (17%) mitral valve thickening was observed (2 with SLE, 1 with SS), in 2 (11%) thickening associated with mitral valve insufficiency (with MC), in 1 (5%) isolated mitral valve insufficiency (with SLE), in 1 (5%) thickening and slight aortic insufficiency (with SLE), in 1 (5%) mitral valve vegetations (with SLE), in 2 (11%) pericardial effusion (with SLE), in 2 (11%) diastolic changes (with SS). The parameters relative to wall thickness between the 2 groups showed statistically significant differences (mitral 3.1 +/- 0.7 vs 2.3 +/- 0.4 P = 0.0005; aorta 1.7 +/- 0.2 vs 1.5 +/- 0.3 P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In patients observed in the early stages of collagen diseases, cardiac involvement was observed in 70% of cases, but the data require confirmation in a larger sample. The authors, however, believe that the early identification of such involvement is useful from both the diagnostic point of view and from the point of view of patient treatment.

[Functional heart murmur and echocardiography: a solved problem?]. / Soffio cardiaco funzionale ed ecocardiografia: un problema risolto?

BACKGROUND: Is it really vanished the need for echocardiography in the differential diagnosis of functional pediatric murmurs? METHODS: To this aim 260 children (132 males, 128 females; age range 1-84 months) were examined with auscultatory cardiac murmur. All children underwent a clinical and instrumental evaluation (ECG and echocardiography) from two pediatric cardiologists with independent assessment. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten patients (Group A) were evaluated clinically with functional murmur, 45 patients (Group B) with pathological murmur, 5 patients (Group C) with uncertain pathology. ECG showed changes in 1 Group B patient. Echocardiography showed pathology in 15 Group A patients (6 patients with patent foramen ovale, 5 patients with interatrial defect, 2 patients with bicuspid aortic valve, 1 patient with mitral insufficiency, 1 patient with restrictive cardiomyopathy). Pathology was excluded in 3 Group B patients, and in 2 Group C patients. In our clinical analysis echocardiography showed sensitivity 75%, specificity 97%, positive predictive value 90%, and negative predictive value 92%. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience we suggest to perform echocardiographic examination in children with functional murmur for complete assessment.

Cast and brace treatment of eosinophilic granuloma of the spine: long-term follow-up.

Eosinophilic granuloma of the skeleton is rarely reported in the literature. The incidence of vertebral involvement varies between 7.8 and 25% and it is generally a solitary lesion, with a predilection for the male sex in the first decade of life. The prognosis is favorable also for the vertebral body's tendency for reconstruction. A recovery of the somatic structure is apparently much improved by eliminating or reducing mechanical stress by means of bed rest and the use of plaster casts or braces. We examined nine patients treated at the Orthopedics Clinic of Padova University, and with a follow-up of > or = 10 years. treated with plaster casts and spinal orthoses. The study was based on the modified Nesbit radiographic classification in 4 grades of severity depending on the height of the vertebral body involved. Long-term follow-up revealed no painful symptoms and a virtually total recovery of somatic structure in five cases, whereas four patients still showed a varying degree of somatic alteration. The osteogenic capacity of the intact ring epiphysis and ossifying metaplastic processes were assumed to be the mechanisms contributing, together with a reduced mechanical load, to reconstruction of the vertebral somatic structure.

[Comparison of diagnostic methods in rotavirus infection: immunofluorescence, ELISA and the latex agglutination test]. / Un confronto di metodiche per la diagnosi di infezione da rotavirus: immunofluorescenza, ELISA, agglutinazione con un test al lattice.

To examine the sensitivity and reliability of a latex agglutination test for detecting rotavirus in faecal samples, we have tested 145 stool specimens from pediatric patients with or without diarrhea, comparing such latex test to immunofluorescent antibody technique (IF) and ELISA. Among all samples positive by IF and ELISA, 52.9% were positive by latex test. This percentage was raised to 85.7% when only positive samples from patients with diarrhea were considered. We conclude that the latex test is an useful diagnostic tool in acute diarrhea because of its simplicity and of its sufficient sensitivity.