This paper presents a novel method for the automated diagnosis of the degenerative intervertebral disc disease in midsagittal MR images. The approach is based on combining distinct disc features under a machine learning framework. The discs in the lumbar MR images are first localized and segmented. Then, intensity, shape, context, and texture features of the discs are extracted with various tec...

BACKGROUND Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) may cause bladder dysfunction, urinary tract infection, and catheter-related complications. It is important to be aware and to be able to identify patients at risk of developing POUR. However, there has been no study that has investigated the incidence and risk factors for the development of POUR following anterior cervical spine surgery for deg...

Over the past few decades small animal models mainly involving rodents and rabbits have been developed whereby needle puncture, stab incision or enzymatic approaches have been validated to create the degenerative disc. Although important, these models continue to be plagued by biological attributes that limit applicability to the human condition. However, the fascinating story of two naturally ...

Low back pain is widely recognized as one of the most prevalent pathologies in the developed world. In the United States, low back pain is the most common health problem for adults under the age of 50, resulting in significant societal and personal costs. While the causes of low back pain are myriad, it has been significantly associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Current first...

The diagnostic of degenerative disc disease should be reached with the help of various diagnostic studies. This article briefly review the information gained by the following tests: radiographs, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and discography. The article explains how each modality provides a piece of the diagnostic puzzle and how discography confirms the origin of the patient's pain.

OBJECTIVE 102 patients suffering from long-lasting, very severe cervicogenic headache (CEH), non-responsive to physical or drug therapy, were surgically treated. METHODS Different diagnostic procedures and their significance for determining the advisability of surgery are summarised. The particular importance of the patient history and local anaesthesia together with the clinical examination ...

Lumbar degenerative disc disease is extremely common. Current evidence supports surgery in carefully selected patients who have failed non-operative treatment and do not exhibit any substantial psychosocial overlay. Fusion surgery employing the correct grafting and stabilization techniques has long-term results demonstrating successful clinical outcomes. However, the best approach for fusion re...

One-third of the people with an age over twenty have some signs of degenerated discs. However, in most of the patients the mere presence of degenerative discs is not a problem leading to pain, neurological compression, or other symptoms. This paper presents an interval type-2 fuzzy hybrid rule-based system to diagnose the abnormal degenerated discs where pain variables are represented by interv...