Cervical spinal disc replacement is used in the management of degenerative cervical disc disease in an attempt to preserve cervical spinal movement and to prevent adjacent disc overload and subsequent degeneration. A large number of patients have undergone cervical spinal disc replacement, but the effectiveness of these implants is still uncertain. In most instances, degenerative change at adjacent levels represents the physiological progression of the natural history of the arthritic disc, and is unrelated to the surgeon. Complications of cervical disc replacement include loss of movement from periprosthetic ankylosis and ossification, neurological deficit, loosening and failure of the device, and worsening of any cervical kyphosis. Strict selection criteria and adherence to scientific evidence are necessary. Only prospective, randomised clinical trials with long-term follow-up will establish any real advantage of cervical spinal disc replacement over fusion.

Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is indicated for many patients with pain and/or instability of the lumbar spine. We performed 36 PLIF procedures using the patient’s lumbar spinous process and laminae, which were inserted as a bone graft between two vertebral bodies without using a cage. The mean lumbar lordosis and mean disc height to vertebral body ratio were restored and preserved after surgery. There were no serious complications.

These results suggest that this procedure is safe and effective.

A number of causes have been advanced to explain the destructive discovertebral (Andersson) lesions that occur in ankylosing spondylitis, and various treatments have been proposed, depending on the presumed cause. The purpose of this study was to identify the causes of these lesions by defining their clinical and radiological characteristics.

We retrospectively reviewed 622 patients with ankylosing spondylitis. In all, 33 patients (5.3%) had these lesions, affecting 100 spinal segments. Inflammatory lesions were found in 91 segments of 24 patients (3.9%) and traumatic lesions in nine segments of nine patients (1.4%). The inflammatory lesions were associated with recent-onset disease; a low modified Stoke ankylosing spondylitis spine score (mSASSS) due to incomplete bony ankylosis between vertebral bodies; multiple lesions; inflammatory changes on MRI; reversal of the inflammatory changes and central bony ankylosis at follow-up; and a good response to anti-inflammatory drugs. Traumatic lesions were associated with prolonged disease duration; a high mSASSS due to complete bony ankylosis between vertebral bodies; a previous history of trauma; single lesions; nonunion of fractures of the posterior column; acute kyphoscoliotic deformity with the lesion at the apex; instability, and the need for operative treatment due to that instability.

It is essential to distinguish between inflammatory and traumatic Andersson lesions, as the former respond to medical treatment whereas the latter require surgery.

A review of the current literature shows that there is a lack of consensus regarding the treatment of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis in children and adolescents. Most of the views and recommendations provided in various reports are weakly supported by evidence. There is a limited amount of information about the natural history of the condition, making it difficult to compare the effectiveness of various conservative and operative treatments. This systematic review summarises the current knowledge on spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis and attempts to present a rational approach to the evaluation and management of this condition in children and adolescents.

This in vivo controlled laboratory study was performed to evaluate various intra-articular clinical injection regimes that might be less toxic than some in vitro studies suggest. We hypothesised that low-concentration, preservative-free, pH-balanced agents would be less toxic than high-concentration non-pH-balanced agents with preservatives, and that injections of individual agents are less toxic than combined injections. The left knees of 12- to 13-week-old Sprague–Dawley rats were injected once with eight different single agents, including low and high concentrations of ropivacaine and triamcinolone, alone and in combination, as well as negative and positive controls. The rats were killed at one week or five months, and live–dead staining was performed to quantify the death of chondrocytes. All injections except pH-balanced 0.2% ropivacaine combined with preservative-free 1 mg/ml triamcinolone acetonide resulted in statistically significant decreases in chondrocyte viability, compared with control knees, after one week and five months (p < 0.001). After one week there was no significant difference in viability between 0.2% and 0.5% ropivacaine; however, 4 mg/ml triamcinolone resulted in a lower viability than 1 mg/ml triamcinolone.

Although many agents commonly injected into joints are chondrotoxic, in this in vivo study diluting preservative-free 10 mg/ml triamcinolone 1:9 in 0.2% pH-balanced ropivacaine resulted in low toxicity.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:933–8.

We report on two cases of infective spondylodiscitis caused by Gemella haemolysans in otherwise healthy patients. This organism has only rarely been identified as a cause of bone and joint infection, with only two previous reports of infective spondylodiscitis.

We describe the clinical features, investigations and treatment options.

We carried out an MRI study of the lumbar spine in 15 patients with achondroplasia to evaluate the degree of stenosis of the canal. They were divided into asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. We measured the sagittal canal diameter, the sagittal cord diameter, the interpedicular distance at the mid-pedicle level and the cross-sectional area of the canal and spinal cord at mid-body and mid-disc levels.

The MRI findings showed that in achondroplasia there was a significant difference between the groups in the cross-sectional area of the body canal at the upper lumbar levels. Patients with a narrower canal are more likely to develop symptoms of spinal stenosis than others.

Traumatic unilateral facet dislocation of the lumbosacral junction without fracture or with non-displaced fractures of adjacent vertebrae is extremely rare. We describe a case of a young male who sustained a unilateral facet dislocation of the lumbosacral junction in a motor vehicle accident. The unusual features of this case include an unremarkable physical and neurological examination on presentation and absence of other substantial vertebral or extra-vertebral injuries.

Few studies have examined the order in which a spinal osteotomy and total hip replacement (THR) are to be performed for patients with ankylosing spondylitis. We have retrospectively reviewed 28 consecutive patients with ankylosing spondylitis who underwent both a spinal osteotomy and a THR from September 2004 to November 2012. In the cohort 22 patients had a spinal osteotomy before a THR (group 1), and six patients had a THR before a spinal osteotomy (group 2). The mean duration of follow-up was 3.5 years (2 to 9). The spinal sagittal Cobb angle of the vertebral osteotomy segment was corrected from a pre-operative kyphosis angle of 32.4 (SD 15.5°) to a post-operative lordosis 29.6 (SD 11.2°) (p < 0.001). Significant improvements in pain, function and range of movement were observed following THR. In group 2, two of six patients had an early anterior dislocation. The spinal osteotomy was performed two weeks after the THR. At follow-up, no hip has required revision in either group. Although this non-comparative study only involved a small number of patients, given our experience, we believe a spinal osteotomy should be performed prior to a THR, unless the deformity is so severe that the procedure cannot be performed.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:360–5.

We examined the reliability of radiological findings in predicting segmental instability in 112 patients (56 men, 56 women) with a mean age of 66.5 years (27 to 84) who had degenerative disease of the lumbar spine. They underwent intra-operative biomechanical evaluation using a new measurement system. Biomechanical instability was defined as a segment with a neutral zone > 2 mm/N. Risk factor analysis to predict instability was performed on radiographs (range of segmental movement, disc height), MRI (Thompson grade, Modic type), and on the axial CT appearance of the facet (type, opening, vacuum and the presence of osteophytes, subchondral erosion, cysts and sclerosis) using multivariate logistic regression analysis with a forward stepwise procedure. The facet type was classified as sagittally orientated, coronally orientated, anisotropic or wrapped.

Stepwise multivariate regression analysis revealed that facet opening was the strongest predictor for instability (odds ratio 5.022, p = 0.009) followed by spondylolisthesis, MRI grade and subchondral sclerosis. Forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression indicated that spondylolisthesis, MRI grade, facet opening and subchondral sclerosis of the facet were risk factors. Symptoms evaluated by the Short-Form 36 and visual analogue scale showed that patients with an unstable segment were in significantly more pain than those without. Furthermore, the surgical procedures determined using the intra-operative measurement system were effective, suggesting that segmental instability influences the symptoms of lumbar degenerative disease.

There have been a few reports of patients with a combination of lumbar and thoracic spinal stenosis. We describe six patients who suffered unexpected acute neurological deterioration at a mean of 7.8 days (6 to 10) after lumbar decompressive surgery. Five had progressive weakness and one had recurrent pain in the lower limbs. There was incomplete recovery following subsequent thoracic decompressive surgery.

The neurological presentation can be confusing. Patients with compressive myelopathy due to lower thoracic lesions, especially epiconus lesions (T10 to T12/L1 disc level), present with similar symptoms to those with lumbar radiculopathy or cauda equina lesions. Despite the rarity of this condition we advise that patients who undergo lumbar decompressive surgery for stenosis should have sagittal whole spine MRI studies pre-operatively to exclude proximal neurological compression.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1388–91.

The October 2013 Research Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Orthopaedics: a dangerous profession?; Freezing and biomarkers for bone turnover; Herniation or degeneration first?; MARS MRI and metallosis; Programmed cell death in partial thickness cuff tears; Lead glasses for trauma surgery?; Smoking inhibits bone healing; Optimising polyethylene microstructure.

The October 2013 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Standing straighter may reduce falls; Operative management of congenital kyphosis; Athletic discectomy; Lumbar spine stenosis worsens with time; Flexible stabilisation?: spinal stenosis revisited; Do epidural steroids cause spinal fractures?; Who does well with cervical myelopathy?; Secretly adverse to BMP-2?

The dismal outcome of tuberculosis of the spine in the pre-antibiotic era has improved significantly because of the use of potent antitubercular drugs, modern diagnostic aids and advances in surgical management. MRI allows the diagnosis of a tuberculous lesion, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 88%, well before deformity develops. Neurological deficit and deformity are the worst complications of spinal tuberculosis. Patients treated conservatively show an increase in deformity of about 15°. In children, a kyphosis continues to increase with growth even after the lesion has healed. Tuberculosis of the spine is a medical disease which is not primarily treated surgically, but operation is required to prevent and treat the complications. Panvertebral lesions, therapeutically refractory disease, severe kyphosis, a developing neurological deficit, lack of improvement or deterioration are indications for surgery. Patients who present with a kyphosis of 60° or more, or one which is likely to progress, require anterior decompression, posterior shortening, posterior instrumented stabilisation and anterior and posterior bone grafting in the active stage of the disease. Late-onset paraplegia is best prevented rather than treated. The awareness and suspicion of an atypical presentation of spinal tuberculosis should be high in order to obtain a good outcome. Therapeutically refractory cases of tuberculosis of the spine are increasing in association with the presence of HIV and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Thoracic back pain caused by osteoarthritis of a single costovertebral joint is a poorly recognised condition. We report a series of five patients who were successfully treated by resection arthroplasty of this joint.

Each had received a preliminary image-guided injection of local anaesthetic and steroid into the joint to confirm it as the source of pain. The surgical technique is described. There were no complications. The pain improved from a mean of 7.0 (6 to 8) on a visual analogue scale to 2.0 (0 to 4) post-operatively. The final post-operative Oswestry disability index was a mean of 19.4 (9 to 38).

Isolated osteoarthritis of a costovertebral joint is a rare but treatable cause of thoracic back pain. It is possible to obtain excellent short- and intermediate-term relief from pain with resection arthroplasty in appropriately selected patients.

We investigated the spinopelvic morphology and global sagittal balance of patients with a degenerative retrolisthesis or anterolisthesis. A total of 269 consecutive patients with a degenerative spondylolisthesis were included in this study. There were 95 men and 174 women with a mean age of 64.3 years (sd 10.5; 40 to 88). A total of 106 patients had a pure retrolisthesis (R group), 130 had a pure anterolisthesis (A group), and 33 had both (R+A group).

A backward slip was found in the upper lumbar levels (mostly L2 or L3) with an almost equal gender distribution in both the R and R+A groups. The pelvic incidence and sacral slope of the R group were significantly lower than those of the A (both p < 0.001) and R+A groups (both p < 0.001). The lumbar lordosis of the R+A group was significantly greater than that of the R (p = 0.025) and A groups (p = 0.014). The C7 plumb line of the R group was located more posteriorly than that of the A group (p = 0.023), but was no different from than that of the R+A group (p = 0.422). The location of C7 plumb line did not differ between the three groups (p = 0.068). The spinosacral angle of the R group was significantly smaller than that of the A group (p < 0.001) and R+A group (p < 0.001).

Our findings imply that there are two types of degenerative retrolisthesis: one occurs primarily as a result of degeneration in patients with low pelvic incidence, and the other occurs secondarily as a compensatory mechanism in patients with an anterolisthesis and high pelvic incidence.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1244–9.

The April 2013 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: smuggling spinal implants; local bone graft and PLIF; predicting disability with slipped discs; mortality and spinal surgery; spondyloarthropathy; brachytherapy; and fibrin mesh and BMP.

Stem cells are a key component of regenerative medicine strategies. Particular areas of musculoskeletal application include cartilage and bone regeneration in arthritis and trauma. There are several types of stem cell and this article will focus on the adult derived cells. The review includes current issues and future developments.

The December 2012 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: the Japanese neck disability index; adjacent segment degeneration; sacroiliac loads determined by limb length discrepancy; whether epidural steroids improve outcome in lumbar disc herniation; spondylodiscitis in infancy; total pedicle screws; and iliac crest autograft complications.