Rebekah C Austin | PubMed Health

PubMed2003

Novel bioabsorbable interbody fusion spacer-assisted fusion for correction of spinal deformity.

OBJECT: The authors report the cases of 12 patients with medically refractory mechanical low-back pain and intermittent radicular symptoms in whom radiography demonstrated evidence of multilevel lumbosacral degenerative kyphotic and scoliotic deformity and spondylolisthesis. METHODS: These patients underwent multilevel posterior lumbar interbody fusion in which Macropore bioabsorbable spacers were placed. Each patient underwent at least 1 year of clinical and radiographic follow up. CONCLUSIONS: This series illustrates the novel use of bioabsorbable interbody spacers and fusion technique for correction of spinal deformity due to advanced degenerative kyphoscoliosis and spondylolisthesis.

Absorbable Implants↗

PubMed2003

Oligodendroglioma.

Oligodendroglial tumors have historically been a fatal disease, despite maximum medical and surgical treatment. However, in the past 10 years, effective adjuvant therapies have been developed that have been found to significantly prolong patient survival and, in some instances, provide a cure. Improvements in our understanding of the molecular biology of these tumors, refinements in surgical technique, and advances in chemotherapeutic treatment have combined to produce this improvement in survival with little additional toxicity to patients. At the time of diagnosis, patients should undergo maximum surgical resection or needle biopsy if maximum surgical resection is not possible. Patients with low-grade lesions may be followed, receiving radiation only at the time of progression. Patients with high-grade lesions should be irradiated up front. In addition, selected patients should receive chemotherapy. Clinical trials remain critical to advancing our understanding of these tumors and improving our ability to cure these patients.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗