Articles

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742 results found
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Sagittal balance

Sagittal balance, along with coronal balance, reflects the innate neutral standing position with C7 positioned over S1 as a feature of human bipedalism 1,3. Pathology Sagittal balance can change depending on various factors, including spinal deformities such as a loss of lumbar lordosis 1. Ra...
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Anterior corticospinal tract

The anterior corticospinal tract is formed at the level of the of the medullary pyramids, where the majority (90%) of descending corticospinal tract fibers decussate to form the lateral corticospinal tract. The remaining non-decussating fibers (10%) form the much smaller anterior corticospinal t...
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Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (commonly abbreviated to TB, short for tubercle bacillus) encompasses an enormously wide disease spectrum affecting multiple organs and body systems predominantly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A small proportion can also be caused by Mycobacterium bovis through drinking unpa...
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Guillain-Barré syndrome

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a heterogeneous group of autoimmune polyradiculopathies, involving sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves. It is the most common cause of rapidly progressive flaccid paralysis. It is believed to be one of a number of related conditions, sharing a similar underlying...
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Bertolotti syndrome

Bertolotti syndrome refers to the association between lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and low back pain. Although it may be a consideration in younger patients, the entity is considered controversial and has been both supported and disputed. Some studies suggest lumbosacral transitional vert...
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Spinal wedge fracture

Spinal wedge (compression) fractures are hyperflexion injuries to the vertebral body resulting from axial loading. Most commonly affecting the anterior aspect of the vertebral body, wedge fractures are considered a single-column (i.e. stable) fracture.  Epidemiology Spinal wedge compression fr...
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McAfee classification of thoracolumbar spinal fractures

McAfee classification of acute traumatic spinal injuries is one of a number of thoracolumbar spinal fracture classification systems and is based on the three-column concept of the spine (of Denis). It requires CT for an accurate assessment. Usage Unlike the more common formal and widely used c...
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Myelomeningocele

Myelomeningocele, also known as spina bifida cystica, is a complex congenital spinal anomaly that results in spinal cord malformation (myelodysplasia).  Epidemiology It is one of the most common congenital CNS anomalies and is thought to occur in approximately 1:500 of live births 5. There may...
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Arterial vasocorona

The arterial vasocorona is part of the spinal cord blood supply and is formed by pial anastomoses between the anterior and posterior spinal arteries on the surface of the spinal cord. It encircles the cord and supplies the peripheral lateral aspect of the spinal cord.  Engorgement of arterial v...
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Lipomyelomeningocele

Lipomyelomeningoceles are one of the forms of closed spinal dysraphism. They usually present as a subcutaneous fatty mass just above the intergluteal cleft. However, some lipomyelomeningoceles may occur at other locations along the spinal canal. Clinical presentation Lipomyelomeningoceles may ...
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Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition (CPPD) disease, also known as pyrophosphate arthropathy or pseudogout, is defined by the co-occurrence of arthritis with evidence of CPPD deposition within the articular cartilage. Terminology  The terminology regarding CPPD disease has been confusing...
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Aggressive vertebral hemangioma

Aggressive vertebral hemangiomata are a rare form of vertebral hemangiomata where significant vertebral expansion, extra-osseous component with epidural extension, disturbance of blood flow, and occasionally compression fractures can be present causing spinal cord and/or nerve root compression 1...
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Genant classification of vertebral fractures

The Genant classification of vertebral fractures is based on the vertebral shape, with respect to vertebral height loss involving the anterior, posterior, and/or middle vertebral body as seen on lateral radiographs of the thoracic or lumbar spine 1. Usage The Genant classification has been use...
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Annulus fibrosus

The annulus fibrosus (plural: annuli fibrosi) surrounds the nucleus pulposus and together they form the intervertebral disc. Gross anatomy The annulus comprises 15 to 20 collagenous (type I) laminae which run obliquely from the edge of one vertebra down to the edge of the vertebra below. The d...
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Camptocormia

Camptocormia, also known as bent spine syndrome or cyphose hystérique, is a rare syndrome characterized by involuntary flexion of the thoracolumbar spine with weight-bearing which reduces when lying down, and is due to isolated atrophy of the paraspinal muscles. Epidemiology In a small case se...
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Intradural spinal lipoma

Intradural lipomas are a subset of spinal lipomas. They are typically intradural, subpial, juxtamedullary lesions 1 although they have occasionally been reported as entirely intramedullary lesions 2. Mature fatty tissue within the spinal dura can be seen in a number of entities: lipomyelocele/...
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Cervical spine (AP view)

The anteroposterior (AP) cervical spine projection is part of the cervical spine series. Indications This projection helps to visualize pathology relating to C3-C7 in the anatomical position, demonstrating any compression fractures, clay-shoveler fractures and herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) ...
Article

Sagittal vertical axis

Sagittal vertical axis/alignment (SVA) is one of the simplest and most widely used methods to assess sagittal balance 1-3. Measurement This measurement is performed on lateral standing full-length spine x-rays. A plumb line is drawn vertically from the middle of the C7 vertebral body 1,2 or th...
Article

Spinopelvic balance

Spinopelvic balance is an important concept in adult spinal deformities. There are numerous ways of assessing spinopelvic balance, using various bony landmarks and angles to evaluate whether or not a normal distribution of weight and stresses is present through the axial skeleton, some incorpora...
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Straight back syndrome

Straight back syndrome refers to decreased thoracic kyphosis ("flattening") and decreased anteroposterior thoracic diameter, such that there is compression of cardiovascular or bronchial structures.  Terminology Straight back syndrome should not be confused with flat back syndrome, which refer...

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