STUDY DESIGN Anatomical study. PURPOSE To evaluate the anatomy of intervertebral disc (IVD) area in the triangular working zone of the lumbar spine based on cadaveric measurements. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE The posterolateral percutaneous approach to the lumbar spine has been widely used as a minimally invasive spinal surgery. However, to our knowledge, the actual perspective of disc boundarie...

To clarify the pathomechanisms of discogenic low back pain, the sympathetic afferent discharge originating from the L5-L6 disc via the L2 root were investigated neurophysiologically in 31 Lewis rats. Sympathetic afferent units were recorded from the L2 root connected to the lumbar sympathetic trunk by rami communicantes. The L5-L6 discs were mechanically probed, stimulated electrically to evoke...

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE There is controversy regarding which imaging method is best for identifying early degenerative alterations in intervertebral discs. No correlations between such methods and histological finds are presented in the literature. The aim of this study was to correlate the thickness of intervertebral discs measured on simple radiographs with the degree of degeneration seen on ma...

In long-term prospective studies, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) devices need to be inevitably changed. It is essential to assess whether systematic differences will exist between measurements with the new and old device. A group of female volunteers (21-72 years) underwent anteroposterior lumbar spine L2-L4 (n = 72), proximal femur (n = 72), and total body (n = 62) measurements with th...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and osteoporosis are 2 major public health problems that share common pathophysiological mechanisms. It is possible that strategies to reduce CVD risk may also benefit bone health. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that adherence to the 2006 American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations (AHA-DLR) is associated with bone health. DESIGN...

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES Controversy exists regarding the relationship between atherosclerosis and osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA), presence of calcified atherosclerotic plaques and bone mineral density (BMD) evaluated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), in postmenopausal women. ...

BACKGROUND The use of pedicle screws is the gold standard for supplemental posterior fixation in lateral interbody fusion. Information about the performance of transfacet pedicle screws compared to standard pedicle screws and rods in the upper lumbar spine with or without a lateral interbody fusion device in place is limited. METHODS Fifteen fresh frozen human cadaveric lumbar spine segments ...

Purpose: The incidence of both symptomatic thoraco-lumbar junction disc herniation (TLJDH) and tight filum (TF) may be underestimated. Both conditions have a complex clinical presentation that may involve the distal spinal cord, conus medullaris, and/or cauda equina, including upper and/or lower motor neuron impairment, sensory impairment, urological and sexual dysfunction. The coexistence of b...

BACKGROUND The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial showed an overall advantage for operative compared with nonoperative treatment of lumbar disc herniations. Because a recent randomized trial showed no benefit for operative treatment of a disc at the lumbosacral junction (L5-S1), we reviewed subgroups within the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial to assess the effect of herniation level on...

Based on a study using a retrograde neurotracer, we have previously found that the dorsal portion of the L5/6 disc in the rat is multisegmentally innervated by dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from the level of T13 to L6, and that sensory nerve fibres from DRG of T13, L1 and L2 pass through the paravertebral sympathetic trunks. In this study in newborn rats, we injected crystals of 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,...