Spina

Useful device makes spinal surgery safer

Spinal surgery has always been a major one involving many tedious procedures. A useful monitoring device has been accepted that assures that spinal surgery does not affect movements in the arms and legs.// Operating on tumours and other problems in the spine is risky, because the surgeon might separate some of the nerves that are needed to allow movement in the limbs. Researchers at the State Uni...

New hope for spinal cord injury victims

A special report in the online edition of The Anatomical Record has put together a collection of articles on the subject of spinal cord injury repair in animals. Spinal cord injury affects millions of people and, until now, has left them with little hope of living a normal life. However, recent research has begun to suggest that maybe stem cells - primitive cells that can turn into specific cell...

Spinal Cord Patients Walk Again

Paralysis clearly means learning to give up many of the activities to which you are accustomed to doing. In many cases, that can mean not being able to go places that aren’t wheelchair accessible or even standing to get something off a shelf. Now, new research in Philadelphia brings paralyzed people a little closer to a normal life. With the push of a button, something amazing happens to L...

Hope for Babies Born With Spinal Muscular Atrophy

One in 5,000 babies is born with SMA ( a terminal condition called spinal muscular atrophy ).// Eighty percent of those babies have a severe form of the disease. No treatment has shown effect against this disorder and these babies rarely live until their second birthday . Although children with SMA have many physical disabilities, they do score well on IQ tests. The pathology of SMA is s...

New Findings Could Reduce The Extent Of Spinal Cord Injuries

Neuro scientists say new findings in animals suggest a potential treatment to minimize disability after spinal cord and other nervous system injuries . "Our approach is based on a natural mechanism cells have for protecting themselves,// called the stress protein response," say specialists . Researchers say the goal of their work is to prevent or minimize the "secondary" cell death that...

Effective Diagnosis Of Spinal Cord Injuries

Patients with spinal cord injuries could benefit from early magnetic resonance imaging, according to the findings of a new study. According to neuroscientists in Canada MRI technology could determine //if performing surgery would benefit patients. They say they found that trauma-induced spinal cord compression on MRIs predict a poorer neurological recovery. Surgery can relieve spinal cor...

Folic Acid Supplementation During Pregnancy Could Help Prevent Spina Bifida

Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy can reduce up to 70 percent of spina bifida cases, according to a new study.// Spina bifida, a condition in which the neural tube (an embryonic form of the brain and spinal cord) fails to fuse. Spina bifida is a condition that involves lifelong medical management. It is also one of the most common malformations of human structure. Results sh...

Acrolein may be the key to halting spinal cord damage

Researchers at Purdue University may have isolated the substance most responsible// for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury, a discovery that could revolututionise treatments for a host of other neurodegenerative conditions. A research team led by Riyi Shi (REE-yee SHEE) has found that a chemical called 'acrolein', a known carcinogen, is present at high levels in...

Treatment May Be Possible For Degenerative Brain And Spinal Cord Disease

Researchers have found out a key protein that can block the degenerative process of the brain diseases //like Alzheimer’s disease and many other similar diseases. The study, published in the online version of the Journal of Neuroscience Research, shows how a protein called KDI tri-peptide (KDI) can block the harmful effects of a substance called glutamate that is present in all degener...

Titanium Rib Found To Be Effective In Treating Spinal Deformities In Children

Children born with spinal or chest wall deformities face many serious health risks, including premature death. Now, an experimental surgery gives these kids a new lease on life. Prior to the experimental device, // the only treatment was to fuse the spine, and the child would eventually end up with a chest cavity the size of a 1-year-old or a newborn, say specialists. The titanium rib i...

New Therapy Recommendations For Spinal Complications Of Cancer

A new study indicates that a combination of surgery and radiation yields better mobility, lower death rates in patients suffering from spinal cord compression. // Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) is a debilitating and common complication of cancer, occurring in 5 to 14 percent of cancer patients. Standard treatment for MESCC consists of corticosteroids and radiothera...

Cervical spinal injury patients may have more damage left undetected

Patients who come to the emergency room with cervical spinal injury may have more damage than what is detected. In a study, which is published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, say that CT imaging may be useful to detect such injuries in patients over and above the normal X-rays.// The study indicates that patients with a cervical spinal injury (CSI) may harbor additional spinal da...

New spinal surgery technique developed by UCSF Surgeon

Tumors from the cervical region that were previously thought unoperable can now be handled with ease. Thanks to the novel technique developed by surgeons at the USCF institute. // The technique uses advances in spinal instrumentation and reconstructive strategies to provide a direct approach to the removal of cervical spinal tumors with minimal, or no, neural manipulation. The technique...

Inhibition of morphine tolerance by spinal melanocortin receptor blockade

Recent research suggests that the melanocortin system is an important component influencing the changes in the spinal neuronal plasticity observed after chronic morphine administration//. The chronic use of morphine is accompanied by the development of morphine tolerance, which is one of the major problems associated with opiate treatment. Possible modulation of opioid effects by melanoc...

Nerve regeneration for Spinal cord injuries

Scientists from University of California have developed new technique for regeneration of injured nerve cells which could help in the treatment of spinal cord injuries,// the researchers have got interesting results in the stimulation of nerve cells in laboratory rats, which has been reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Nerve cells has the capacity to grow w...

New device to help spinal cord injury cases walk

A new device developed at the University of Toronto stimulates the muscles of patients with spinal cord injuries, helping to increase the walking function in those with no hope of walking.// The university researchers have found that functional electrical stimulation (FES), a process that sends controlled bursts of electricity through the skin and into muscles, can help patients enhanc...

JRRD Focuses On Issues Such As Spinal Cord Injury and Prosthetics

The current issue of the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) mainly analyses articles related to spinal cord injury, bone mineral density, women's // sexuality, chronic pain and prosthetics research. Under the title that dealt with veterans who reported chronic pain associated with spinal cord injury the author of the study said that 76 % of participants (spinal co...

Hope After Spinal Cord Injuries

Research by University of Iowa professor, Richard Shields, Ph.D. can provide a ray of hope for a cure for patients with spinal cord injury// (SCI). Virtually every SCT patient foresees a bleak future with severe osteoporosis and muscle atrophy continually haunting him or her. Loss of bone mineral density up to the extent of 30 percent has often been demonstrated making the paralyzed lim...

Stem Cell Technology Gives Hope in Spinal Cord Injuries

Recent research using stem-cell technology in rats with spinal-cord injuries has allowed them to walk again within two weeks//. The results of the study show promise for people with traumatic spinal-cord injuries. According to lead author Dr. Stephen Davies, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston the rats were given immature immune system support...

Novel Technique To Revolutionize Treatment Of Spinal Tumors

A new technique that could treat fractured vertebrae associated with spinal tumors has been developed by a radiologist// at the University of California. Fracture of the vertebrae is a common feature in 5 to 10 % of patients with malignant tumors of the spine. Wade Wong, D.O.F.A.C.R, UCSD professor of radiology, and San Diego clinician Bassem Georgy, M.D., partially removed spinal tum...

New Way To Combat Spinal Cord Injury during Aortic Surgery

According the study done by Roseborough et al., mitochondrial K-ATP channel opener, diazoxide, prevents ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rabbit spinal cord. //Spinal injuries are the common problems that occur during aortic surgery but surgery done to repair aortic aneurysms often results in neurological deficits. But the works of Roseborough et al has given new hopes to treat spinal cord injur...

Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury

More than 250,000 people in the U.S. are suffering from long-term spinal cord injuries, with more than 11,000 new occurrences taking place each year//. One study appearing in the July 12th issue of the Journal of Neuroscience appears to be on the right track towards providing evidence that a combination of treatments could lead to regeneration of nerve endings in spinal cord injured p...

Scientists Coax Nerve Fibers to Regrow After Spinal Cord Injury

In tests on rats, researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Michigan have developed a treatment that helps spinal cord nerves regrow after injury.// The findings will be published in the July 18 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study has implications for treating people who may face amputation of an arm after a violent injury in which nerves...

Aggresive Therapy Needed for Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries

Patients with cervical spinal cord injury who experience recurring problems with the heart slowing or stopping may need aggressive therapy to avoid further cardiovascular// problems and even death, according to researchers at Medical College of Georgia. A study subset of newly injured quadriplegics showed that less aggressive therapies, such as drugs and a pacemaker placed on top of...

Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury with Embryonic Stem Cells

Acute spinal cord injury can be treated by transplanting human embryonic stem cell without any harm, according to a recent study by UC Irvine researchers.// UCI neurobiologist Hans Keirstead and colleagues at the Reeve-Irvine Research Center found that rats with either mild or severe spinal cord injuries that were transplanted with a treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells su...

Fines Paid By Speeding Motorists Used in Funding Spinal Cord Injury Research

The New York State Department of Health is using fines paid by speeding motorist to fund research on spinal cord injury, whose number-one cause nationwide is motor vehicle// accidents. The Spinal Cord Injury Research Program created in 1998 uses these fines to fund research, and three research projects at the University of Rochester Medical Center are among the programs funded this year through...

Kyphoplasty Yields Good Long-Term Improvement for Spinal Fractures

In older adults with osteoporosis-related spinal fractures, a treatment called balloon kyphoplasty provides prompt and lasting improvement in pain, daily functioning, and quality of life.// Dr. Steven R. Garfin of University of California, San Diego, and other members of the Balloon Kyphoplasty Outcomes Group analyzed the outcomes of 155 patients with painful spinal fractures, called v...

Separation of Spinal Cord of Conjoined Twins Completed Successfully

The separation of the spinal cord of the conjoined twins from Wisconsin has been completed successfully by surgeons but a lot more work remains ahead of them.// The lead surgeon, Robert Keating, said “Things are going well. We feel optimistic about the preservation of neurological function.” However surgeons have decided not to separate the twins' shared tailbone temporarily b...

E.coli outbreak prompts spinach warning

According to the FDA, an epidemic of E. coli that has left one person dead and several others sick across 8 states, may be associated with bagged fresh spinach.// "The FDA is advising consumers not eat bagged fresh spinach at this time and that any individuals who believe they may have experienced symptoms of illness associated with E. coli 0157 contact their health care provider," Dr....

Food Safety Extension Specialist Provides Spinach E. coli Advice

AMES, Iowa -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert about a nationwide outbreak of E. coli traced to packaged spinach//. The alert advises consumers not to eat bagged fresh spinach at this time. Sam Beattie, a food safety extension specialist and assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State University, tells consumers that it's almost impossible...

Go Green with Popeye: Learn why his eyes pop out for spinach!

Eyeing greens and devouring them is a favorite pastime for the cartoon man, Popeye, who simply preens at the mention of the green goodies//. An acclaimed brand ambassador of spinach and an icon that little kids swear by, what is the secret behind the 77 year old sailor’s eyes, who still boasts of a perfect vision without the help of appendages? Scientists from the University of Manches...

E.coli-tainted spinach causes a kid's death in Idaho

According to the Idaho health officials, the kid who died due to kidney failure last month was infected with the E. coli strain in the tainted spinach that has caused a// countrywide outbreak of food poisoning. 'The 2-year-old boy, Kyle Allgood, from Chubbuck, Idaho, who died on Sept. 20, is the second confirmed fatality of the E. coli bacteria outbreak that has sickened 192 people in t...

Study on Timing of Spinal Surgery

According to a spine surgeon Alexander Vaccaro, M.D., timing of surgery is crucial in a case of severe spinal injury//. It is a matter of great argument among the orthopaedic surgeons. Should surgeons operate immediately, within hours of the severe spinal injury, to try to limit the damage to the spinal cord and surrounding tissues, as many surgeons believe? Or won’t it make a differe...

Spinach Contamination Traced to Wild Boar

Wild boar has been linked to the E. coli outbreak in September that sickened 204 people in 26 states and one Canadian //province, and left three people dead. In addition health authorities announced at a Thursday night press conference, nine samples of the bacteria found on one ranch in California's Salinas Valley match both the contaminated fresh spinach as well as the human "isolates"...

Ozone Treatment - A Good Alternative For Spinal Injury

People suffering from spinal injuries like low back pain and disc disorder now have a reason to smile as injections of ozone gas could bring better results than conventional// surgery. Ozonucleolysis, as the treatment is medically known, has started gaining ground in western countries, according to senior doctors who are here for a conference on the subject. 'Ozonucleolysis...

Spinach Everyday keeps Skin Cancer At Bay

Recent study confirms that the use of spinach in the diet will enhance the integrity of the skin thereby preventing skin damage.// People who had earlier developed skin cancer have to exercise caution that they do not develop it again. They have to take care of their skin by using hats and sunscreen. To make the skin further resistant to UV rays, they have to take some nutrients. Sp...

Salmonella Contamination Suspected In A Brand Of Fresh Spinach

An alert has been issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to the public asking them not to consume Queen Victoria //brand of fresh spinach, as they fear that it may be contaminated with salmonella. This brand of spinach is available in 284-gram packages and bears UPC 0 33383 65201 6 and Dec. 7. as the best before date. The product has been called off the shelves from the shops b...

Protein ‘Fingerprint’ in Spinal Fluid Could Spot Alzheimer’s Disese

Scientists collaborating at Cornell University in Ithaca and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City have identified a panel of 23 protein biomarkers// in cerebrospinal fluid that acts as a neurochemical “fingerprint,” which doctors might use someday to identify patients living with Alzheimer’s disease. The research will be published in the December online-edition of the journa...

Human Stem Cell Transplants Repair Rat Spinal Cords

Human nerve stem cells transplanted into rats’ damaged spinal cords have survived, grown and in some cases connected// with the rats’ own spinal cord cells in a Johns Hopkins laboratory, overturning the long-held notion that spinal cords won’t allow nerve repair. A report on the experiments will be published online this week at PLoS Medicine and “establishes a new doctrine for regener...

Treatment Extends Survival in Mouse Model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Drug therapy can extend survival and improve movement in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), new research shows. The study, carried out at the NIH’s National// Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), suggests that similar drugs might one day be useful for treating human SMA. "This study shows that treatment can be effective when started after the disease ap...