Brucella cervical spondylitis complicated by spinal cord compression: a case report.

A case of 65-year-old farmer who presented with Brucella-related cervical spondylitis is described. Because of the advanced form of the infection resulted in neurological impairment, cervical vertebra corpectomy and debridement of the paravertebral granulomatous tissue deposits were performed followed by stabilization with anterior plating and bone grafting. In addition, double antimicrobial chemotherapy regimen was administered for 12 weeks. After one year, follow up evaluation demonstrated resolution of the infection. The authors recommend that brucellosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of cervical spondylitis, particularly in patients who reside in countries where the zoonosis is still endemic.

Thoracic cord compression caused by disk herniation in Scheuermann's disease: a case report and review of the literature.

We present the case of a 14-year-old male with Scheuermann's disease and significant neurological deficit due to thoracic disk herniation at the apex of kyphosis. He was treated with an anterior decompression, anterior and posterior fusion in the same setting using plate, cage and a segmental instrumentation system. The patient had an excellent outcome with complete neurological recovery.

High-grade dysplastic spondylolisthesis and spondyloptosis: report of three cases with surgical treatment and review of the literature.

High-grade dysplastic spondylolisthesis is extremely rare and always involves the L5-S1 level. It is attributed to congenital dysplasia of the superior articular process of the sacrum. It can remain asymptomatic for a long time and can progress to a more severe grade of olisthesis and spondyloptosis. Surgical treatment has varied from posterior-only in situ fusion to anterior and posterior fusion with complete reduction. Three cases of symptomatic high-grade (4th and 5th grade) dysplastic spondylolisthesis treated surgically with reduction and fusion are presented. Interbody fusion at the level of olisthesis is crucial.

Combined interbody cage and anterior plating in the surgical treatment of cervical disc disease.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of treatment of symptomatic cervical disc herniation using interbody cages and anterior plate fixation. Fifteen patients were studied retrospectively. An MRI study of the cervical spine was performed preoperatively in all patients. The levels involved were C5-C6 in 9 cases, C6-C7 in 4 and C3-C4 in 1, while 1 patient had disc disease at the C5-C6, C6-C7 levels, Surgical treatment included anterior approach of the cervical spine, removal of the degenerative disc, excision of osteophytes and insertion of an interbody cage which was filled in with bovine allograft and demineralised bone matrix. The spinal unit was stabilized with an anterior plate and screws. No cervical splint was used postoperatively. The patients were followed up for 7 years on average after surgery. No failure or migration of the implants was noted, while bone fusion was achieved radiologically within 6 months postoperatively in all cases. The benefits of this surgical technique are the maintenance of cervical lordosis and disc space height, the high fusion rate, as well as avoidance of cervical orthoses.