01), and the LDA were more physiologic at final follow-up. Of the 67 cases, there was no segmental instability, and the bone fusion rate was 100%. One patient required revision open ACDF due to adjacent segment disc herniation 6 years postoperatively. There were no intraoperative complications,
dysphasia or esophageal injury in this study group. It indicated endoscopic technique for ACDF can obtain satisfactory results in patients with cervical disc herniation, cervical myelopathy, or radiculopathy. Compared with a traditional approach, this technique may be associated with less morbidity while improving cosmesis and postoperative recovery. Prospective randomized control trials are needed to directly compare these two procedures.”
“The iScore is a validated tool to estimate outcomes after an acute ischemic GSK1838705A cost MCC950 molecular weight stroke. A previous study showed the iScore can predict clinical response and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We applied the iScore (www.sorcan.ca/iscore) to participants in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke tPA stroke trials to evaluate its ability to estimate clinical response and
risk of ICH after thrombolysis. Based on results from our previous study, patients were stratified a priori into iScore <200 and iScore >= 200. The main outcome measure was ICH. Secondary outcomes included favorable composite outcome (defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 or 1, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score <= 1, Barthel Index >= 95, or Glasgow Outcome Scale,1 at 3 months) and functional outcomes. The iScore was calculated in all 624 patients enrolled in the trial. The cohort comprised 507 patients (81%) with an iScore <200 and 117 (19%) with an iScore >= 200. An iScore >= 200 was associated with greater risk of symptomatic ICH in the tPA
group compared with the placebo group (15.4% v 3.9%; P = .04). Similar findings were found for ICH of any type (30.8% v 11.5%; P = .014), with higher ICH mortality (69.2% v 23.8%; P < .001). Despite the higher favorable composite outcome of tPA therapy in patients with an iScore <200 (58.7% v 41.9%; P BYL719 PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitor < .001), this therapy had no benefit in patients with an iScore <200 (15.4% v 13.4%; P = .77). In patients receiving tPA in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke trial, the iScore estimated the clinical response and risk of hemorrhagic complications. Further prospective studies are needed before a change in practice can be recommended.”
“Objective: Evaluation and validation of the psychometric properties of the eight-item modified Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (mMOS-SS).
Study Design and Setting: Secondary analyses of data from three populations: Boston breast cancer study (N = 660), Los Angeles breast cancer study (N = 864), and Medical Outcomes Study (N = 1,717).