Low back injuries account for the greatest loss of playing time for professional fast bowlers in cricket. Previous radiological studies have shown a high prevalence of degeneration of the lumbar discs and stress injuries of the pars interarticularis in elite junior fast bowlers. We have examined MRI appearance of the lumbar spines of 36 asymptomatic professional fast bowlers and 17 active control subjects. The fast bowlers had a relatively high prevalence of multi-level degeneration of the lumbar discs and a unique pattern of stress lesions of the pars interarticularis on the non-dominant side. The systems which have been used to classify the MR appearance of the lumbar discs and pars were found to be reliable. However, the relationship between the radiological findings, pain and dysfunction remains unclear

1. Two cases of syphilitic involvement of the spinal column are described, illustrating the presentation and pathology of the disease. 2. The possibility of increased incidence of syphilitic disorders of bone and joint is considered in the light of recent statistics, and the need for awareness of the disease in its various forms is emphasised. 3. The problems of diagnosis are discussed

Objectives. We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the safety and efficacy of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) compared with bone graft when used specifically for revision spinal fusion surgery secondary to pseudarthrosis. Methods. The MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched using defined search terms. The primary outcome measure was spinal fusion, assessed as success or failure in accordance with radiograph, MRI or CT scan review at 24-month follow-up. The secondary outcome measure was time to fusion. Results. A total of six studies (three prospective and three retrospective) reporting on the use of BMP2 met the inclusion criteria (203 patients). Of these, four provided a comparison of BMP2 and bone graft whereas the other two solely investigated the use of BMP2. The primary outcome was seen in 92.3% (108/117) of patients following surgery with BMP2. Although none of the studies showed superiority of BMP2 to bone graft for fusion, its use was associated with a statistically quicker time to achieving fusion. BMP2 did not appear to increase the risk of complication. Conclusion. The use of BMP2 is both safe and effective within the revision setting, ideally in cases where bone graft is unavailable or undesirable. Further research is required to define its optimum role. Cite this article: Mr P. Bodalia. Effectiveness and safety of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 for adults with lumbar spine pseudarthrosis following spinal fusion surgery: A systematic review. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:145–152. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.54.2000418

We describe a method for approaching the lower cervical and upper thoracic spine, the brachial plexus and related vessels. The method involves the elevation of the medial corner of the manubrium, the sternoclavicular joint, and the medial half of the clavicle on a pedicle of the sternomastoid muscle. We have used this exposure in 17 cases with few complications and good results. Its successful performance requires high standards of anaesthesia, surgical technique and postoperative care

1. Of forty-seven patients with histologically proven myeloma of the spine, thirty-three had multiple lesions at the time of the first examination and fourteen were solitary. 2. Five of the solitary cases, in which the patients are alive and well without signs of dissemination four to fourteen years after diagnosis, are considered in detail and the differences in clinical presentation and prognosis are discussed. 3. A sixth case, described in detail, showed scattered osteolytic lesions after ten years

1. Twenty-eight patients with pyogenic infection of the spine are reported. 2. Diagnosis was by clinical, radiological and bacteriological means. Investigations of the spinal lesions by needle aspiration or open operation was needed in four patients. 3. Treatment consisted primarily of antibiotics and rest. 4. Twenty-five patients were fit and well after follow-up of one to fifteen years. Three deaths occurred, but only one was directly connected with the infection ; urinary infection with paraplegia and haemophilia were the cause in two others. 5. The relatively benign course is stressed, as are some of the diagnostic pitfalls in the early stages, particularly with thoracic lesions

The clinical presentation and treatment of 18 cases of osteoid osteoma or osteoblastoma of the spine are described, with an average follow-up of 4.2 years (range three months to 11.5 years). The average delay between the onset of symptoms and definitive diagnosis was 19 months. All patients presented with marked spinal stiffness and a painful scoliosis. The lesion was situated in the pedicle in the 15 patients with involvement of the thoracolumbar spine. A surgical approach allowing direct access to the pedicle without entering the spinal canal or jeopardising spinal stability is described. Surgical treatment afforded immediate relief of pain and an early return of full spinal mobility

1. A case of solitary plasmocytoma of the thoracic part of the spine, verified by necropsy, is described. 2. A brief review is given of eighteen acceptable cases of solitary plasmocytoma of bone. 3. Of the eighteen patients, fifteen were men; the five spinal tumours were all in men. 4. Diagnosis requires: a) biopsy identification of plasmocytoma; b) exclusion of the possibility of generalised myelomatosis by complete radiography of the skeleton, repeated if necessary at intervals during the ensuing two or three years or longer. 5. A tumour of brief duration, proved to be solitary by careful necropsy, cannot be placed with certainty in the group of truly solitary plasmocytomas; it might have been a precocious first lesion of myelomatosis

1 . A series of 166 fractures and fracture-dislocations of the dorso-lumbar spine has been reviewed. 2. A new method of classifying these injuries is suggested. 3. A type of fracture with lateral wedging, previously unidentified, which has certain distinctive clinical and anatomical features is described. 4. The factors responsible for redisplacement are discussed and it is considered that in most cases this is predictable from the outset. 5. At the present time orthodox treatment is based on the assumption that a perfect anatomical result is indispensable to a perfect functional result. Analysis of the results in the series now reported shows that there are no grounds for this assumption. 6. Treatment is discussed in the light of the foregoing conclusions. This is based on a division of cases into stable and unstable types, the recognition of which is of crucial importance

1. Seven cases of localised lumbar spine defects in children associated with low back pain are described. 2. The importance is emphasised of the recognition and differentiation of the condition from tuberculosis, which it may resemble both clinically and radiographically

We describe a surgical approach to the upper thoracic spine which allows an adequate exposure of the vertebral bodies from T1 to T3. The approach causes little functional disturbance and is especially useful in older patients with spinal tumours causing spinal cord compression

1. The radiological features of skeletal hydatid disease are discussed. Osseous lesions occur in about 1 to 2 per cent of cases, bone being involved only after the embryos have passed the filters provided firstly by the liver and secondly by the lungs. At first, ill defined areas of translucency appear which are not diagnostic. In developed lesions, clear-cut destructive areas, with a surrounding sclerotic reaction, become visible. The cysts thin and expand the cortex and tend to spread throughout an affected bone. In advanced stages the cortex is ruptured, and exuberant hydatid cyst growth takes place in the adjacent soft tissue. Around this an ectocyst forms, which may later calcify, indicating death of the parasite. The progress of the disease is very slow. 2. Three cases of affection of the thoracic spine are described, and the differential diagnosis is considered, particularly from plasmacytoma and neurofibroma. Each case presented with cord pressure symptoms. Operative decompression relieved these totally in one case, incompletely in another, and not at all in the third and most advanced case. 3. With rapid and easy travel in the modern world hydatid disease is liable to be seen in areas where it is not endemic

Aneurysmal bone cysts are uncommon lesions, especially in the spine. Seventy-eight cases have been previously documented in the English literature and an additional fourteen cases are now reported. There is a definite predilection for the lumbar region and the neural arch is the part of the vertebra most commonly affected. It is recommended that treatment should consist of total excision or when this is not possible, curettage. Radiotherapy should be reserved for those few cases where operation is inadvisable