It has been at least a decade since the introduction of extra-corporeal shock-wave treatment (ESWT) for the treatment of non-unions. Despite conflicting opinions in the literature, it is recently experiencing a revival. This paper reports our experience with Ossa Tron, which produces shock-waves electro-hydraulically, on 5 patients. The two successful cases experienced remarkable results of union at an average of 22 weeks after ESWT. The remaining three had disappointing results. A description of the study and a note on the essential issues are presented.
We report a case of vertebral osteochondroma of C1 causing cord compression and myelopathy in a patient with hereditary multiple exostosis. We highlight the importance of early diagnosis and the appropriate surgery in order to obtain a satisfactory outcome.
An open biopsy has minimal sampling error, but is a major procedure, with its inherent complications and morbidity. The complications of paraspinal needle biopsy of vertebral lesions are well known. Needle biopsies have a high incidence of false negatives, especially for tumors. Percutaneous transpedicular bopsy is efficacious, safe, and cost effective, and mostly performed under local anesthesia. Fluoroscopic monitoring enables real time positioning of the needle. Serious needle complications from percutaneous needle biopsy are uncommon. More than 50% of vertebral body tissue, including the disc is accessible via a unilateral transpedicular approach and amenable for biopsy.