Previous studies have indicated that trunk muscle strength decreases with chronic low back pain, and is associated with poor balance, poor functional performance, and falls in older adults. Strengthening exercises for chronic low back pain are considered the most effective intervention to improve functional outcomes. We developed an innovative exercise device for abdominal trunk muscles that also measures muscle strength. The correlation between muscle weakness, as measured by our device, the presence of chronic low back pain, and decreased physical ability associated with a risk of falling were evaluated in older women. Thirty-eight elderly women, who could walk without support during daily activities and attended our outpatient clinic for treatment of chronic low back pain, knee or hip arthritis, or osteoporosis, were included in this study. Anthropometric measurements were performed. Grip power and one-leg standing time with eyes open were measured, and abdominal trunk muscle strength was measured using our device. History of falling in the previous 12 months was noted. Subjects with chronic low back pain (visual analog scale score ≥ 20 mm) for over 3 months were assigned to the low back pain group (n = 21). The remaining subjects formed the non-low back pain group (n = 17). Abdominal muscle strength of subjects in the low back pain group, and with history of falling, was significantly lower compared with that of subjects in the non-low back pain group, and in subjects without a history of falling, respectively. There was a moderate positive correlation between abdominal trunk muscle strength and one-leg standing time with eyes open. We measured abdominal muscle strength in older women with chronic low back pain using our device, and it was significantly lower than that of those without chronic low back pain. Muscle weakness was associated with a history and risk of falling.

Total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) is associated with a high complication rate because it is technically demanding and involves patients compromised by cancer. Specifically, perioperative complications are more likely to occur in patients receiving preoperative irradiation. We examined the perioperative complications associated with TES in patients receiving preoperative irradiation. Seventy-seven patients underwent TES between May 2010 and April 2013. We performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected data for 50 patients with metastatic tumors of the thoracic spine, excluding patients with primary spinal tumors, lumbar spinal metastasis, and combined anterior and posterior approach TES. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those with preoperative irradiation (RT-TES group, 18 patients) and those without preoperative irradiation (TES group, 32 patients). The following perioperative complications, occurring within 2 months of surgery, were compared between the groups: intraoperative dural injuries, epidural hematomas, deep surgical-site infections, postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage, wound dehiscence, pleural effusions, and neurological deficits. Significant differences in patient characteristics were not observed between the RT-TES and TES groups. Perioperative TES complications occurred in 20/50 patients (40.0%). The complication rate in the RT-TES group was 77.8% (14 out of 18), threefold higher than the 18.8% (6 out of 32) in the TES group (P<0.01). The incidence of complications, including intraoperative dural injuries, postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage, wound dehiscence, and pleural effusions, was significantly higher in the RT-TES group (P<0.01). The perioperative complication rate associated with TES for spinal metastasis was significantly higher among patients receiving preoperative irradiation than among those not receiving preoperative irradiation.

Staphylococcus aureus is prevalent in surgical site infections (SSI) and leads to death in approximately 1% of patients. Phase IIB/III clinical trial results have demonstrated that vaccination against the iron-regulated surface determinant protein B (IsdB) is associated with an increased mortality rate in patients with SSI. Thus, we hypothesized that S . aureus induces nonneutralizing anti-IsdB antibodies, which facilitate bacterial entry into leukocytes to generate “Trojan horse” leukocytes that disseminate the pathogen. Since hemoglobin (Hb) is the primary target of IsdB, and abundant Hb-haptoglobin (Hb-Hp) complexes in bleeding surgical wounds are normally cleared via CD163-mediated endocytosis by macrophages, we investigated this mechanism in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrate that active and passive IsdB immunization of mice renders them susceptible to sepsis following SSI. We also found that a multimolecular complex containing S . aureus protein A–anti-IsdB–IsdB–Hb-Hp mediates CD163-dependent bacterial internalization of macrophages in vitro. Moreover, IsdB-immunized CD163 ^–/– mice are resistant to sepsis following S . aureus SSI, as are normal healthy mice given anti-CD163–neutralizing antibodies. These genetic and biologic CD163 deficiencies did not exacerbate local infection. Thus, anti-IsdB antibodies are a risk factor for S . aureus sepsis following SSI, and disruption of the multimolecular complex and/or CD163 blockade may intervene.

After the lung, the skeleton is the second most common site of distant metastases in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Patients with osteolytic bone metastases (BMs) from thyroid carcinoma often have significantly reduced performance status and quality of life. Recent advancements in cancer therapy have improved overall survival in multiple cancer subtypes, including thyroid cancer. Therefore, long-term local control of thyroid BMs is desired, especially in patients with a single metastasis or oligometastases. Here, we reviewed the current management options for DTC-BMs and especially focused on local treatments for long-term local tumor control from an orthopedic tumor surgeon’s point of view. Metastasectomy and stereotactic radiosurgery can be performed either alone or in combination with radioiodine therapy and kinase inhibitors to cure skeletal lesions in selected patients. Percutaneous procedures have been developed in recent years, and they can also have a curative role in small BMs. Recent advancements in local therapies have the potential to provide not only long-term local tumor control but also a better prognosis.

Diagnosis of the cause of low back pain in the presence of degenerative spine disease using conventional imaging techniques, especially in elderly individuals, is challenging. Our aim was to describe our use of bone scintigraphy with single photon emission computed tomography (bone SPECT/CT) in the assessment of low back pain in elderly patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease, underlining the clinical utility of bone SPECT/CT imaging in this clinical population to inform diagnosis and treatment. Between January 2016 and December 2017, we used bone SPECT/CT to successfully identify the cause of low back pain in five elderly patients. All patients had been scheduled for extensive spinal fusion surgery based on conventional imaging (plain radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance). After diagnosis using bone SPECT/CT, three patients underwent spinal fusion at 1–2 levels with specific degenerative disk and joint disease, with the other two patients successfully treated using a conservative approach for a non-traumatic insufficiency fracture of the endplate of the L4 vertebral body and a fracture of the transverse process of L3. Clinically meaningful decrease in pain and fracture healing were obtained with conservative treatment. Bone SPECT/CT was useful to identify the specific cause of pain in elderly patients with lumbar degenerative disease and to provide appropriate treatment, avoiding the unnecessary use of invasive spinal fusion surgery. Therefore, the clinical utility of bone SPECT/CT is potentially high as it improves diagnosis and lowers the risk of inappropriate invasive spinal surgery.

Spinal surgery in a previously irradiated field carries increased risk of perioperative complications, such as delayed wound healing or wound infection. In addition, adhesion around the dura mater is often observed clinically. Therefore, similar to radiation-induced fibrosis—a major late-stage radiation injury in other tissue—epidural fibrosis is anticipated to occur after spinal radiation. In this study, we performed histopathologic assessment of postirradiation changes in the spinal dura mater and peridural tissue in mice. The thoracolumbar transition of ddY mice was irradiated with a single dose of 10 or 20 Gy. After resection of the irradiated spine, occurrence of epidural fibrosis and expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 in the spinal dura mater were evaluated. In addition, microstructures in the spinal dura mater and peridural tissue were assessed using an electron microscope. In the 20-Gy irradiated mice, epidural fibrosis first occurred around 12 weeks postirradiation, and was observed in all cases from 16 weeks postirradiation. In contrast, epidural fibrosis was not observed in the nonirradiated mice. Compared with the nonirradiated mice, the 10- and 20-Gy irradiated mice had significantly more overexpression of transforming growth factor beta 1 at 1 week postirradiation and in the late stages after irradiation. In microstructural assessment, the arachnoid barrier cell layer was thinned at 12 and 24 weeks postirradiation compared with that in the nonirradiated mice. In mice, spinal epidural fibrosis develops in the late stages after high-dose irradiation, and overexpression of transforming growth factor beta 1 occurs in a manner similar to that seen in radiation-induced fibrosis in other tissue. Additionally, thinning of the arachnoid barrier cell layer was observed in the late stages after irradiation. Thus, consideration should be given to the possibility that these phenomena can occur as radiation-induced injuries of the spine.