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Biomedical subjects

Karin R Swartz

Publications and source records attributed to Karin R Swartz.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Effects of progesterone on experimental spinal cord injury.

Progesterone has been proposed to be protective to the central nervous system following injury. This study assessed progesterone supplementation in the setting of contusional spinal cord injury in male and female rats. Short-term (5 days of either 4 or 8 mg/kg progesterone) and long-term (14 days of either 8 or 16 mg/kg progesterone) therapy failed to show any significant alteration in locomotor functioning and injury morphometrics after 21 days. This study does not support progesterone as a potential therapeutic agent in spinal cord injury.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2003

Recurrent lumbar disc herniation.

Recurrent lumbar disc herniation is a common disease process. It has been noted to occur in 5 to 15% of cases surgically treated for primary lumbar disc herniation. Outcomes in one series approached those after the initial operations, although this is not the case in the experience of most surgeons. The removal of recurrent lumbar disc herniations requires meticulous surgical technique. Great care is taken to identify the osseous margins of the previous surgical site. Identification and dissection of scar from the dura mater is greatly aided with the use of a microscope.

Cicatrix↗
PubMed2003

Craniocervical anomalies in Dubowitz syndrome. Three cases and a literature review.

Dubowitz syndrome is a disorder involving craniofacial abnormalities, growth retardation and mental retardation. Approximately 142 cases have been reported, with various associated other anomalies. These include cardiovascular, urogenital and endocrine abnormalities, as well as a predisposition to infections and hematological malignancies. Scoliosis has been described in association with this syndrome, as have isolated vertebral abnormalities. There has, however, been no description of craniocervical abnormalities. We describe three Dubowitz patients with significant craniocervical abnormalities.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Unilateral calf hypertrophy seen in lumbosacral stenosis: case report and review of the literature.

STUDY DESIGN: A case report of a patient with neurogenic unilateral calf hypertrophy and review of the literature are reported. OBJECTIVES: To provide further evidence that S1 radiculopathy is predisposed to develop neurogenic muscle hypertrophy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Calf hypertrophy, specifically hypertrophy of the gastrocnemius muscle, is a rare but recognized presentation of S1 and less commonly L5 radiculopathies. The pathophysiology of this is incompletely understood. METHODS: We present a 59-year-old patient with painless progressive distal right leg weakness and calf enlargement. Electrodiagnostic studies and MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING scanning were performed to evaluate the extent and cause of radicular damage as the etiology for unilateral calf hypertrophy. RESULTS: Examination and electrodiagnostic studies revealed right L5, right S1, and left L5 radiculopathies. Imaging studies demonstrated lumbar stenosis at L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 vertebral levels as well as L4-L5 and L5-S1 foraminal stenosis. After decompressive surgery the progressive nature of the patient's symptomatology halted, and he had partial resolution of his deficits. CONCLUSION: Although the patient had bilateral L5 radiculopathies, he only had hypertrophy in the distribution of his right S1 radiculopathy. This supports the hypothesis that dysfunction of the S1 nerve root or its distribution is a predisposing factor to develop neurogenic muscle hypertrophy. Furthermore, patients presenting with unilateral calf hypertrophy need a careful diagnostic evaluation for S1 radiculopathy as well as to exclude asymmetric presentation of systemic neuromuscular conditions.

Electrodiagnosis↗