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Reuven Gepstein

Publications and source records attributed to Reuven Gepstein.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Late outcome of nonoperative management of thoracolumbar vertebral wedge fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To study the medical and social outcome of nonoperative management of traumatic thoracolumbar vertebral wedge fractures in the absence of neurologic damage. DESIGN: Retrospective review of data, as elicited from records and from patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrieved the hospital records of 85 consecutive patients who conformed to the foregoing definition and whose admission for fracture had taken place at least 3 years earlier. The current status of each patient was inquired into by a mailed questionnaire designed to determine: 1) presence and severity of back pain; 2) presence and magnitude of overall disability; and 3) current work capacity, postinjury employment history, and history of litigation concerning the injury. Using the last radiographs of the spine, measurements were taken of anterior column deformity (Willen formula) and degree of local, fracture-related kyphosis (lateral angle of Cobb). Correlations between paired variables and group comparisons with respect to means of pain indices were analyzed statistically by analysis of variance (chi 2) and regression analysis. RESULTS: Chronic pain predominant in the lower lumbar area was reported in 69.4% of subjects. Mean pain index was 2.94 +/- 2.67 on a scale of 1 to 10. The mean overall disability score was 56.3 +/- 14.2 on a scale of 1 to 100. Pain intensity was correlated with angle of local kyphosis (p = 0.04) but not with magnitude of anterior column deformity. Twenty-five percent of the subjects had changed jobs, mostly from full- to part-time employment. Forty-eight percent of patients who filed lawsuits concerning their injury versus 11% of those who did not (p = 0.04) were absent from work for > or = 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic, uncomplicated thoracolumbar wedge fractures of the vertebral body, below given limits of local kyphosis and anterior column deformity, are adequately managed by a limited period of bed rest alone. Surgery, bracing, and intensive physiotherapy are not indicated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Reliability of the Catz-Itzkovich Spinal Cord Independence Measure assessment by interview and comparison with observation.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the reliability of assessment with the Catz-Itzkovich Spinal Cord Independence Measure II (SCIM II) by interview and compare the findings with assessment by observation. DESIGN: In a cohort, comparative study, 28 inpatients with spinal cord lesions were assessed by two nurses using the Catz-Itzkovich SCIM II (interview) and by a multidisciplinary team (observation). RESULTS: Total agreement between interviewers ranged from 50% to 80% (Kappa coefficients 0.40-0.60). Pearson's coefficients of the correlation between scores obtained for the various SCIM subscales by interview or observation were 0.765-0.940 (P < 0.0001). The differences in mean scores obtained between the interview and observation methods were small and not statistically significant for most of the subscales. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the reliability of the Catz-Itzkovich SCIM assessment by interview and show it to be comparable with assessment by observation. The SCIM II interview may serve as an accurate measure of daily function in patients with spinal cord injury. However, with the sample of the study being relatively small, a larger scale examination is needed to generalize the results.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Observations on the safety and efficacy of surgical decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis in geriatric patients.

This retrospective study examines the results of surgical decompression of the lumbar spinal canal in 122 geriatric patients (age range 75-89 years) treated under general anesthesia by the same surgeon between the years 1990 and 1999. Patient demographics, perioperative complications, pain profiles before surgery and at the time of data collection (December 2000), as well as overall mortality were recorded. One hundred and twenty-two patients were studied. The average age at the time of surgery was 78.8 years (range 75-89 years). No perioperative deaths were recorded. The mean time elapsed from surgery until patient follow-up was 45.7 months (range 12-119 months). Fourteen patients had died at the time of patient follow-up (December 2000). When compared to pain experienced before surgery, at the time of the interview a significant (P<0.0001) improvement in low-back and radicular pain as well as in the ability to perform daily activities (dressing, washing, getting out of bed and walking) was described. We conclude that, for geriatric patients rated as physical status I-II (>75 years) under the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, surgical release of lumbar spinal stenosis is a safe and effective treatment option. However, the suitability of ASA III patients requires further investigation.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2002

Recovery of neurologic function after spinal cord injury in Israel.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. OBJECTIVE: To assess neurologic recovery and the manner in which it is affected by the severity of the neurologic damage after spinal cord injury. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Studies from various countries, but not from Israel, have shown considerable potential for recovery of the damaged human spinal cord. METHODS: The study sample included 250 patients with a traumatic spinal cord lesion treated between 1962 and 1992 at the major referral hospital for rehabilitation in Israel. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the hospital charts. The degree of neurologic recovery in each patient was determined by comparing the Frankel grade of neurologic deficit at first admission for rehabilitation with the grade at discharge from that hospitalization. RESULTS: There was median delay of 36 days between injury and admission for rehabilitation. During rehabilitation, full or substantial neurologic recovery (upgrade to Frankel Grade D or E) occurred in 27% of all the patients who were Grade A, B, or C on admission, and in 54% of those who were Grade C. The neurologic recovery was negatively associated with severity of the neurologic deficit. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome findings are similar to those reported from spinal rehabilitation units in other countries. The study is a further demonstration of the considerable potential for neurologic recovery after spinal cord injury, when posttraumatic or postsurgical management is focused on prevention of complications and maximal use of functional ability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Disability assessment by a single rater or a team: a comparative study with the Catz-Itzkovich spinal cord independence measure.

The Catz-Itzkovich Spinal Cord Independence Measure was found to be reliable and more sensitive than the FIM to functional changes, when used by a multidisciplinary team. This study was performed to find out whether assessment may be similar when done by a single rater. Twenty-eight patients with spinal cord lesions participated in the study, in which examinations performed within a week by a single nurse or a team were compared for correlation, differences and agreement. The team members scored their relevant fields. A significant correlation was found between the nurse's scoring and that of physiotherapists and occupational therapists (r = 0.82-0.94; p < 0.0001), and the differences between the mean scores were small. The agreement between raters was modest, however (total agreement 38-90%, Kappa 0.17-0.73). It was concluded that although disability assessment performed by a single nurse may not be as accurate as by a multidisciplinary team, it could be reliable and valid.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Posttraumatic sagittal osseous bar in the spinal canal of an adult: a case report.

Diastematomyelia is a congenital anomaly wherein the distal spinal canal is bisected by a longitudinally oriented septum made up of fibrous tissue, cartilage, or bone. The main lesion is expressed by characteristic gait disturbances and dysfunction of the anal and vesical sphincters resulting from damage to the cord or cauda equina. Symptoms almost invariably begin during childhood. By the time symptoms appear, the damage is largely irreversible. In rare instances, the neuropathic expression of diastematomyelia is delayed until adult life. Only a dozen such cases have been reported. Described herein is the case of a patient in whom the typical symptoms appeared at 28 years of age. Decompression laminectomy and resection of the septum relieved the symptoms completely and permanently. The pathogenesis of nerve damage in diastematomyelia is thought to be different in patients with adult-onset disease than in children. This could explain why surgical treatment has a better prognosis in adults.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2002

[SCIM--spinal cord independence measure (version II): sensitivity to functional changes].

Until recently, the functional ability of patients with spinal cord lesions (SCL) was assessed by standardized scales designed for various disabilities. However, these scales have either a relatively low sensitivity to changes in the functions that are most important for SCL patients or a limited suitability for a specific SCL subgroup. To counter this problem the team of the Spinal Department of Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital developed the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM), which is specific for SCL patients, adjusts for disadvantages of earlier scales, and is user-friendly. It was found to be reliable and more sensitive to functional changes in SCL patients than the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the most often used disability scale today. A second version (SCIM II) was constructed with improved phrasing of some of the components. It too, was found reliable, even more than the original version for certain functions. The present study examined the sensitivity of the SCIM II to changes in function in SCL patients compared to the FIM. Twenty-six patients with SCL underwent sequential SCIM II and FIM examinations during hospitalization for rehabilitation. A high correlation was found between the total scores of the two scales (r = 0.915; p < 0.0001). The mean change in function score from the first to the last examination was significantly larger with the SCIM II than with the FIM (p < 0.04), and the rate of detection of functional change was usually higher with the SCIM II. The advantage of the SCIM II over the FIM in detecting functional changes was evident in areas in which the two scales differ substantially. These results support the validity of the SCIM II. Studies with larger groups in different countries and cultures are still needed before the scale can be applied on an international basis.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effectiveness of the Charleston bending brace in the treatment of single-curve idiopathic scoliosis.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Charleston bending brace when compared with the thoracolumbosacral orthosis (TLSO or Boston) brace in the treatment of single-curve adolescent-type idiopathic scoliosis. The Charleston and TLSO braces were applied for approximately 8 nighttime hours and 18 to 22 hours per day, respectively. Treatment success was defined as improvement of curve deterioration with <5 degrees progression from the start of brace therapy until the conclusion of treatment, as well as the absence for the need to perform corrective surgery. The success rates were determined by Risser stage, initial angle, type of curvature, and sex of the patient. In addition, the success rate of the Charleston brace was assessed by analyzing the degree of initial correction. One hundred twenty-two patients (94 girls, 28 boys) were studied. Eighty-five patients were treated with the Charleston brace and 37 with the TLSO brace. Mean Cobb angle of curvature before bracing was 30.4 degrees. The curvature was lumbar in 60 patients, thoracic in 56, and thoracolumbar in 6. The average follow-up time was 23 months, with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Surgery was performed in 11.8% and 13.5% of patients in the Charleston and TLSO groups, respectively. In this patient population, no significant difference in success rate was found between the groups.

Adolescent↗