• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.178-184
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• 2015

Objective : Posterior vertebral translation as a type of spondylolisthesis, retrolisthesis is observed commonly in patients with degenerative spinal problems. Nevertheless, there is insufficient literature on retrolisthesis compared to anterolisthesis. The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical features of retrolisthesis, and its developmental mechanism associated with a compensatory role in sagittal imbalance of the lumbar spine. Methods : From 2003 to 2012, 230 Korean patients who underwent spinal surgery in our department under the impression of degenerative lumbar spinal disease were enrolled. All participants were divided into four groups : 35 patients with retrolisthesis (group R), 32 patients with simultaneous retrolisthesis and anterolisthesis (group R+A), 76 patients with anterolisthesis (group A), and 87 patients with non-translation (group N). The clinical features and the sagittal parameters related to retrolisthesis were retrospectively analyzed based on the patients' medical records. Results : There were different clinical features and developmental mechanisms between retrolisthesis and anterolisthesis. The location of retrolisthesis was affected by the presence of simultaneous anterolisthesis, even though it predominantly manifest in L3. The relative lower pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, and lumbar lordosis compared to anterolisthesis were related to the generation of retrolisthesis, with the opposite observations of patients with anterolisthesis. Conclusion : Retrolisthesis acts as a compensatory mechanism for moving the gravity axis posteriorly for sagittal imbalance in the lumbar spine under low pelvic incidence and insufficient intra-spinal compensation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.177-181
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• 2012

We present a case of an athetoid cerebral palsy with quadriparesis caused by kyphotic deformity of the cervical spine, severe spinal stenosis at the cervicomedullary junction, and atlantoaxial instability. The patient improved after the first surgery, which included a C1 total laminectomy and C-arm guided righ side unilateral C1-2 transarticular screw fixation. C1-2 fixation was not performed on the other side because of an aberrant and dominant vertebral artery (VA). Eight months after the first operation, the patient required revision surgery for persistent neck pain and screw malposition. We used intraoperative VA angiography with simultaneous fluoroscopy for precise image guidance during bilateral C1-2 transarticular screw fixation. Intraoperative VA angiography allowed the accurate insertion of screws, and can therefore be used to avoid VA injury during C1-2 transarticular screw fixation in comorbid patients with atlantoaxial deformities.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.363-366
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• 2010

Vertebral artery (VA) injury is a rare and serious complication of cervical spine surgery; this is due to difficulty in controlling hemorrhage, which can result in severe hypotension and cardiac arrest, and uncertain neurologic consequences. The authors report an extremely rare case of a 56-year-old woman who underwent direct surgical repair by end-to-end anatomosis of an unanticipated VA injury during C2 pedicle screwing. Postoperatively, the patient showed no neurological deterioration and computed tomography angiography of the VA demonstrated normal blood flow. Although direct occlusion of an injured VA by surgical ligation or endovascular embolization has been used for management of an unanticipated VA injury during surgery, these methods may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, despite its technical demand, microvascular primary repair can restore normal blood flow and minimizes the risk of immediate or delayed ischemic complications. Here we report an iatrogenic VA injury during C2 pedicle screwing, which was successfully treated by end-to-end anastomosis.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2010

Background: Tracheal deviations are encountered frequently in head and neck tumors especially in thyroid cancer. Dyspnea and stridor are symptom calling for surgery. The method of evaluation in tracheal deviation is not well established yet. This paper is aimed to suggest objective tools to evaluate tracheal deviation in relation to cervical vertebra. Material and Method: Ten cases of thyroid cancers were recruited retrospectively. Tracheal inner shadow and shape of cervical vertebra were reconstructed three dimensionally using 3D-doctor to compare position of trachea in relation to vertebral body. Extent of deviation was scored in relation to both lateral borders of vertebral body. Angles between trachea and spinous process were measured in axial CT and compared between study group and control group. Results: Deviation scores were statistically significant between study group (mean=1.1) and control group (mean=0) (p=0.0008). Deviation angles at maximal tumor size in study group (mean=160.3 Degrees) and deviation angles of control group (mean=177.1 Degrees) were statistically significant (p=0.0007). Angles at maximal deviation of three dimensional images ages in study group (mean=162.6 Degrees) and deviation angles of control group (mean=177.1 Degrees) were statistically significant (p=0.0089). Conclusion: Tracheal deviation can be evaluated using scoring of three dimensional images and measuring angle between trachea and vertebral spine.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.746-750
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• 2007

Vertebroplasty has drawn much attention as a medical treatment for the compression fracture of spine, which strengthens the vertebral body and corrects deformity, and relieves pain in patients by injecting bone cement. However vertebroplasty can cause fracture on adjacent vertebra due to relative stiffness change. This study involves the biomechanical evaluation of the vertebroplasty especially on adjacent vertebral body. The finite element method has been employed to analyze the patient who was treated vertebroplasty under static and dynamic loading. For this study, a three-dimentioal model of the three-level ligamentous lumbar segment ($L1{\sim}L3$)is created from medical image data (CT)and compared with the experimental results in vitro.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.154-156
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• 2005

We present a case of chondroblastoma in the thoracic vertebra. A 40-year-old patient with upper back pain and lower extremity weakness was admitted to our clinic. On neurological examination, the patient exhibited lower extremity spastic paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass infiltrating the 7th thoracic vertebra and its adjacent structures with concomitant compression of the epidural space. After right upper lung tuberculoma was resected through the transthoracic approach, T7 total corpectomy was done with anterior stabilization using a MESH cage and T7 rib bone graft. Two weeks after the first operation, remained part of vertebra was removed and posterior stabilization was performed using a pedicle screw fixation and cross linkage bar with the assistance of the navigation system. The final pathologic diagnosis of the vertebral lesion was benign chondroblastoma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.591-597
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• 2023

Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) has become more widespread and diverges from the conventional technique used in anterior cervical fusion for cervical degenerative disc disease. As arthroplasty has become a popular treatment option, few complications have been reported in the literature. These include subsidence, expulsion, posterior avulsion fractures, heterotopic ossification, and osteolysis. One of the critical complications is osteolysis, but current studies on this subject are limited in terms of not elucidating the incidence, etiology, and consequences. The authors present two cases, who presented with clinical signs of gradually worsening myelopathy induced by posterior vertebral body osteolysis, 2 years after CDA. Subsequently, the patient underwent posterior decompression and fusion without prosthesis removal. Postoperatively, the clinical symptoms gradually resolved, with no severe deficits. The present rare cases highlight the osteolysis that occurs after CDA, which can cause cervical myelopathy, and suggest spine surgeons to be alert to this fatal complication.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2008

Objective : Spondylothesis is a disease which sagittal facet of vertebral body's invariable alignment is being broken and vertebral body being pushed forward. Main pattern of spondylothesis is isthmic spondylothesis by isthmus defect or fracture, degenerative spondylothesis occurred by desiccated change of intervertebral disc or vertebral condyle joint's ligament. The purpose of this study is to assess the difference of the Pelvic angles, Lumbosacral angles, Pelvic tilt, and Lumbar lordotic angles of the spondylothesis patients. Methods : We analyzed the lateral view of lumbar spine of 49 isthmic spondylothesis patients, 45 degenerative spondylothesis patients and 26 patients who haven't been diagnosed as vertebra disease. We investigated each patient's pelvic angle, lumbosacral angle, pelvic tilt and lumbar lordotic angle. Results and Conclusion : 1. Pelvic incidence, in cases of degenerate spondylothesis patients, is higher than spondylothesis patients but shows less significance. On the contrary significance is higher than the group haven't been diagnosed as vertebra disease. 2. Lumbosacral incidence, in cases of isthmic spondylothesis patients, shows higher significance than degenerative spondylothesis patients and the group haven't been diagnosed as vertebra disease. 3 Pelvic tilt, in cases of degenerative spondylothesis patients, shows higher significance than isthmic spondylothesis patients and the group haven't been diagnosed as vertebra disease. 4. Lumbar lordotic angle, in cases of isthmic spondylothesis patients, shows higher significance than degenerative spondylothesis patients and the group haven't been diagnosed as vertebra disease. 5. Degenerative spondylothesis patient shows specific impression, a forwardly moved high femoral axial and as a result of large lumbrosacral angle and lumbar lordotic angle shows specific impression, an increased weight pressure on sacrum.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.318-323
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• 2020

Purpose: To examine the relationship between total fat infiltration (TFI) rate, which quantifies the reduction of muscles around the spine and is an important factor for sarcopenia, and the factors affecting osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture. Materials and Methods: Patients treated for osteoporotic compression fractures of the lumber spine from January 2012 to December 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, this study included ninety-eight patients who were 1) diagnosed with osteoporosis with a bone mineral density (BMD) T score of less than 2.5 g/cm², 2) received vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty for lumbar fractures, 3) involved one segment of the lumbar spine, and 4) were followed-up for more than one year. The TFI rate confirmed by analyzing magnetic resonance imagings with the Image J program was studied. Based on this, the relationship between the TFI of the multifidus and erector spinae muscles and the factors of osteoporosis were analyzed. Results: The mean TFI of the multifidus and erector spinae was 14.66±10.16. The spine BMD showed a positive correlation with the hip BMD, but a negative correlation with the TFI. A positive correlation was observed between the hip BMD and body mass index. In addition, vitamin D was positively correlated with both the hip and spine BMD but negatively correlated with the TFI rate. Conclusion: Muscle growth helps treat osteoporosis, and can prevent fractures that occur frequently in osteoporosis patients. Increasing the vitamin intake can also slow the progression of muscle atrophy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1456-1460
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• 2000

Objectives : Transpedicular screw fixation has become an important method for internal fixation in variety of disorders. However, acceleration of degeneration at the adjacent segment in any follow. The goal of this study is to review the change of motion ranges of vertebral joints adjacent to fused level in lumbar spine. Methods : This study consists of 22 patients with degenerative spinal instability. Treatment of spinal instability includes posterior fusion with transpedicular screw fixation or transpedicular screw fixation with posterior lumbar interbody fusion. The flexion-extension angle(FEA) was measured from dynamic views of lumbar spine taken both at preoperative and post operative period. Results : The FEA of upper vertebral joint adjacent(FEA-u) to a fused L4-5 level was increased(p＝0.010). The FEA-u was increased in case of L5-S1 fusion(p＝0.025). The change of FEA-u in case of L5-S1 fusion was greater than that in L4-5 fusion(p＝0.013). Conclusion : After L4-5 fusion, there seems to be more meaningful increase in FEA of L3-4 than that of L5-S1. The reason may be due to the damage of L3-4 facet joints during the operation, the other possible explanation may be the anatomical stability of L5-S1 vertebral joint. The change of FEA-u of L5-S1 fusion is increased more than that of L4-5 fusion. Because there are compensations in the adjacent vertebrae both above and below the fused L4-5, the compensatory motion in FEA-u of L5-S1 fusion was greater than that of the L4-5 fusion.