• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2014

Objective : Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory rheumatic disease mainly affecting the axial skeleton. The rigid spine may secondarily develop osteoporosis, further increasing the risk of spinal fracture. In this study, we reviewed fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis that had been clinically diagnosed to better define the mechanism of injury, associated neurological deficit, predisposing factors, and management strategies. Methods : Between January 2003 and December 2013, 12 patients with 13 fractures with neurological complications were treated. Neuroimaging evaluation was obtained in all patients by using plain radiography, CT scan, and MR imaging. The ASIA Impairment Scale was used in order to evaluate the neurologic status of the patients. Management was based on the presence or absence of spinal instability. Results : A total of 9 cervical and 4 thoracolumbar fractures were identified in a review of patients in whom ankylosing spondylitis had been diagnosed. Of these, 7 fractures were associated with a hyperextension mechanism. 10 cases resulted in a fracture by minor trauma. Posttraumatic neurological deficits were demonstrated in 11 cases and neurological improvement after surgery was observed in 5 of these cases. Conclusions : Patients with ankylosing spondylitis are highly susceptible to spinal fracture and spinal cord injury even after only mild trauma. Initial CT or MR imaging of the whole spine is recommended even if the patient's symptoms are mild. The patient should also have early surgical stabilization to correct spinal deformity and avoid worsening of the patient's neurological status.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.65-67
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• 2009

The authors report two cases of spontaneous regression of disc herniation at the level adjacent to the anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) level. This phenomenon may be due to the increased tension on the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) by appropriate restoration of the disc height and lumbar lordosis, which is a mechanism similar to ligamentotaxis applied to the thoracolumbar burst fracture.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.54-57
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• 2006

Central nervous system[CNS] involvement of acute lymphoblastic leukemia may occur. However, CNS involvement as a first manifestation of leukemia is very rare. An 8-year-old girl complained of a backache after playing in the water. Neurological examination detected progressing paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging[MRI] of the thoracolumbar spine showed a well-circumscribed homogeneous posterior extradural mass lesion extending from T7 to T9. MRI of the brain showed diffused fatty marrow replacement of the calvarium and the skull base. We report a patient with epidural Burkitt's lymphoma of the thoracic and lumbar vertebra causing compression of the spinal cord after pathologic evaluation. The tumor consisted mainly of lymphoblastic cells, which were identical to those originally seen in the bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. After decompressive laminectomy she began consolidation chemotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.122-126
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• 2009

Single-balloon kyphoplasty via an extrapedicular approach has been reported to be effective because it requires less time than conventional two-balloon kyphoplasty and has comparable therapeutic efficacy. However, single-balloon kyphoplasty is not popular because the extrapedicular approach is believed to be complicated and unsuitable for the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine. The authors describe a standardized surgical technique that utilizes a far-lateral extrapedicular approach for single-balloon kyphoplasty, which can be performed in any part of the spine by physicians without substantial difficulty.

• Journal of Oriental Medical Thermology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to report the comparison of X-ray and Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging (DITI) of a patient with idiopathic scoliosis. Method: The patient in this case was a 25-year-old female. Her chief complaint was a pain in lumbar, scapular and shoulder regions. We examined her with DITI and X-ray. And then We compared DITI and X-ray. Results: Cobb's angle of thoracic spine was $24.78^{\circ}$ as a primary curve. Cobb's angle of thoracolumbar spine was $17.63^{\circ}$. Temperature on convex side of the thoracic spine was $0.3^{\circ}C$ higher than the other side. Temperature on convex side of cervical spine was $1.4^{\circ}C$ higher than the other side. There was no correlation curvature degree with temperature difference. Conclusion : There was a tendency that the temperature on convex side of the spine is higher than the other side of the spine. DITI is a useful assessment tool when it is used with X-ray as a diagnostic tool of idiopathic scoliosis. Further studies are needed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Spine Surgery
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.169-174
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• 2018

Study Design: Case report. Objectives: We report a case of pure epidural cavernous hemangioma located at the thoracolumbar spine in a 53-year-old woman that mimicked a neurogenic tumor on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Summary of Literature Review: A pure spinal epidural cavernous hemangioma without bony involvement is a very rare lesion about which limited information is available in the literature. Materials and Methods: A 53-year-old woman visited our clinic for hypoesthesia with a tingling sensation in the left anterolateral thigh that had begun a month ago. No other neurologic symptoms or signs were present upon a neurologic examination. MRI from an outside hospital showed a $2.0{\times}0.5cm$ elongated mass at the T11-12 left neural foramen. The tumor was completely removed in piecemeal fashion. Results: The histopathologic examination revealed a cavernous hemangioma, which was the final diagnosis. The outcome was favorable in that only operation-related mild back pain remained, without any neurologic deficits, after a postoperative follow-up of 2 years and 3 months. No recurrence was observed on MRI at 2 years postoperatively. Conclusion: Pure epidural spinal cavernous hemangioma is very rare, and it is very difficult to differentiate from other epidural lesions. However, we believe that it should be included in the differential diagnosis of spinal epidural tumors due to its favorable prognosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that have effects on the neurological deficit in the patients with thoracolumbar fracture. Methods : Forty-eight patients were included. Cause of injury, type of injury, time interval, combined injury, kyphotic angle, spinal canal compromise, sagittal diameter, the most narrow sagittal diameter, transverse diameter, the most narrow transverse diameter, and remained height of vertebra body were concerned as the factors. The patients with American Spinal Injury Association[ASIA] impairment scale grade A to D were considered as having neurology while others with ASIA grade E were considered to be without neurology. The patients with ASIA grade A were classified to paraplegia group and the patients with ASIA grade B to E were not thought to be paraplegia. Statistical analysis for these groups were performed. Results : Spinal canal compromise [P<0.001] have correlation with neurological deficit. The most narrow sagittal diameter was smaller in the group with deficit than that in the group without deficit [P<0.004]. Also, combined injury have correlation with neurology [P=0.028]. Spinal canal compromise [P<0.001], sagittal diameter [P=0.032], the most narrow sagittal diameter [P=0.025], and Denis type [P<0.001] also have correlation with paraplegia. Conclusion : The factors of percentage of spinal canal compromise, the most narrow sagittal diameter, and combined injury are predictive of neurological deficit. The patients with paraplegia may be predicted by the factors such as type of injury, spinal canal compromise, sagittal diameter, the most narrow sagittal diameter, and Denis type.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.794-805
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• 2020

Objective : Teriparatide is known as an effective anabolic agent not only for severe osteoporosis but also for bone healing and union. We explored the possibility of teriparatide as an alternative treatment option for osteoporotic thoracolumbar (TL) burst fracture. Methods : This retrospective study enrolled 35 female patients with mean age of 73.77±6.71 years (61-88) diagnosed as osteoporotic TL burst fracture with ≥4 of thoracolumbar injury classification and severity (TLICS) score and no neurological deficits. All patients were treated by teriparatide only (12 of group A), teriparatide plus vertebroplasty (12 of group B), or surgical fixation with fusion (11 of group C), and followed up for 12 months. Radiological outcomes were evaluated using radiological parameters including kyphotic angle (KA), segmental vertebral kyphotic angle (SVKA), compression ratio (CR), and vertebral body height (anterior [AH], middle [MH], posterior [PH]). Functional outcomes were evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) and Macnab classification (MC). Results : There were no statistical significant differences in age, bone mineral density (-3.36±0.73), and TLICS score (4.34±0.48) among the three groups (p>0.05). Teriparatide was administered during 8.63±2.32 months in group A and B. In 12-month radiological outcomes, there were significant restoration in SVKA, CR, AH, and MH of group B and KA, SVKA, CR, AH, and MH of group C compared to group A with no radiological changes (p<0.05). All groups showed similar significant improvements in 12-month functional outcomes, although group B and C showed a better 1-month VAS, 1-month MC, 3-month MC compared to group A (p<0.05). Conclusion : Non-surgical treatment with teriparatide showed similar 12-month functional outcomes compared to surgical fixation with fusion. The additional vertebroplasty to teriparatide and surgical fixation with fusion were more helpful to improve short-term functional outcomes with structural restoration compared to teriparatide only.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.603-609
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• 2019

Objective : The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine which of the proximal adjacent segment disease (ASD) and distal ASD was more prevalent and what parameters is more related to ASD in proximal levels and distal levels after more than 2 levels fusions. Methods : The medical records were reviewed retrospectively for 856 cases. A total of 66 cases of ASD were enrolled. On preop magnetic resonance imaging, disc degeneration was measured at the upper and lower parts of surgically treated levels and confirmed by the commonly used Pfirrmann grade. Segmental flexibility in sagittal plane was embodied in segment range of motion (ROM) obtained through flexion and extension X-ray before surgery. Coronal angle was recorded as methods Cobb's angle including fusion levels preoperatively. For the comparison of categorical variables between two independent groups, the chi-square test and Fisher exact test were performed. Results : Proximal ASD and distal ASD were 37/856 (4.32%) and 29/856 (3.39%), respectively. The incidence of proximal ASD was relatively high but insignificant differences. In comparison between ASD group and non ASD group, proximal Pfirmman was higher in proximal ASD and distal Pfirmman was higher in distal ASD group (p=0.005, p<0.008, respectively). However, in the ROM, proximal ROM was higher in proximal ASD, but distal ROM was not different between the two groups (p<0.0001, p=0.995, respectively). Coronal angle was not quite different in both groups (p=0.846). Conclusion : In spite of higher frequency in ASD in proximal level in spinal fusion, it is not clear that incidence of ASD in proximal level is not higher than that of distal ASD group in more than 2 level thoracolumbar fusions. Not only Pfirrmann grade but also proximal segmental ROM is risk factor for predicting the occurrence of ASD in patients more than 2 level of thoracolumbar spine fusion operation excluding L5S1.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.700-711
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• 2019

Objective : The treatment of multiple thoracolumbar spine fractures according to fracture continuity has rarely been reported. Herein we evaluate the clinical features and outcomes of multiple thoracolumbar fractures depending on continuous or noncontinuous status. Methods : From January 2010 to January 2016, 48 patients with acute thoracic and lumbar multiple fractures who underwent posterior fusion surgery were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups (group A : continuous; group B : noncontinuous). We investigated the causes of the injuries, the locations of the injuries, the range of fusion levels, and the functional outcomes based on the patients' general characteristics. Results : A total of 48 patients were enrolled (group A : 25 patients; group B : 23 patients). Both groups had similar pre-surgical clinical and radiologic features. The fusion level included three segments (group A : 4; group B : 5) or four segments (group A : 19; group B : 5). Group B required more instrumented segments than did group A. Group A scored 23.5 and group B scored 33.4 on the Korean Oswestry Disability Index (KODI) at the time of last follow-up. In both groups, longer fusion was associated with worse KODI score. Conclusion : In this study, due to the assumption of similar initial clinical and radiologic features in both group, the mechanism of multiple fractures is presumed to be the same between continuous and noncontinuous fractures. The noncontinuous fracture group had worse KODI scores in long-term follow-up, thought to be due to long fusion level. Therefore, we recommend minimizing the number of segments that are fused in multiple thoracolumbar and lumbar fractures when decompression is not necessary.