Spine knowledge - Intervertebral Disc

INTERVERTEBRAL DISC (IVD) are located between the concave articular surfaces of the vertebral body endplates. IVDs form the most important and unique articulating system in the spine, allowing for multiplanar motion.

These fibrocarilaginous, composite structures make up one fourth of the total length of the spinal column. Discs are present from the C2-C3 interbody space to the L5-S1 interbody space. There is no disc between the skull (C0) and the atlas (C1), nor is there a true disc between the atlas (C1) and the axis (C2).

Intervertebral discs are the cartilaginous joints of motion segments. A motion segment is composed of two adjacent vertebrae, the disc between them, the connecting capsular facet joints and the ligamentous structures attached to the vertebrae.

Each disc permits slight flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation and some circum-duction. Movement at a single motion segment is limited, but since motion segments are stacked on top of each other, considerable movement throughout the spine is possible. The greatest range of motion occurs in the cervical and lumbar areas, with smaller degrees of motion in the thoracic region.

Intervertebral discs are the largest avascular (without blood supply) structures in the human body. The discs are composed of the annulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus.

Reference information: ispine.com.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your orthopedic doctors for diagnosis and treatment.

預防背痛

先要建立標準的日常姿勢，藉由良好姿勢，可以設法降低背痛之產生。

 1. 站：
應避免背部過度彎曲。正確的站姿是抬頭、挺胸、背部挺直、收縮小腹。如小腹突出或長時間穿高跟鞋，會使腰椎向前凸，增加腰椎的壓力，所以女性不宜穿一吋高鞋跟以上之鞋子。長時間站立，需讓腰椎休息，可將背部呈垂直線靠於牆上，腹部向內收，臀部向下，膝彎曲，或將一腳用矮凳抬高。如洗衣、洗碗、燙衣服的姿勢，都可以一腳用矮凳抬高。

 2. 走路：
腳尖朝前，重心在足掌中心而不是內外側大小趾上。行走姿勢是最深切影響全身直線架構的。通常足掌內外八字的人，都會有輕或重的腰酸背痛。

 3. 坐：
採坐姿時，翹腳且腹部用力，讓背部保持平直。坐椅為支撐背部腰椎部分，應使用外型適當的坐椅以直背硬椅為宜。並應避免彎腰駝背在過於舒適的椅子而使頸部、背部肌肉不當受力。正確的坐姿是兩腳平踏地面，背部平靠椅背，臀部坐滿整個椅子。

駕駛員的姿勢儘量將背及腰部靠在座椅上，座椅靠背的角度約115度為宜。由於椅子太高，兩腳懸空時，會使腰椎向前凸，可在腳下放小矮凳。當由坐姿站起來時，須將臀部先向前移動，然後再站起來。應避免過度向前彎腰站立。

 4. 躺：
躺臥時，床舖的選擇非常重要，太軟太硬的床對腰椎都會造成壓力。最好選用木板床上墊一層褥子或榻榻米。枕頭高度正好讓頭與肩膀平行，雙肩自然舒適彎曲放置在身前床面上。切不可以手枕著頭而睡，因會造成背肌過度伸展。正確睡姿是側睡，雙膝微彎，兩腿間夾一個枕頭。

如果要仰臥，就要在膝下墊個枕頭，這樣可以減少腰椎前凸。俯臥會使腰椎向前凸而增加腰椎之壓力故應避免。

參考資料: www.painless.idv.tw , www.ispine.com.hk
以上所提供的資訊僅作為教育及參考用途，如果你有任何醫療問題，應向自己的骨科醫生查詢，而不應單倚賴以上提供的資料。

骨科骨科 - 全膝關節置術 (Total Hip replacement, Hong Kong)

全膝關節置術產生併發症的機會率並不高。嚴重的併發症如細菌感染，病發率約為2%，其餘的如心臟病或中風等，更為罕見。長期病患者患上併發症的機會較平常人為高。然而併發症雖不常見，一旦發生，它將拖慢復康進度，甚至影響手術的效果。

腿部靜脈栓塞是其中一種最常見的併發症，為防止它發生，你必須經常墊高下肢，進行腿部運動，使用壓力襪及有需要時使用抗凝血藥物。如對手術有任何疑問，最好在手術前向醫生瞭解清楚。

 

回家後的護理

手術的效果理想與否，很大程度取決於你有否跟隨骨科醫生及物理治療師的指示，在家中進行適當的護理。一般來說，傷口表面的縫線會在兩星期左右拆除。深層的縫線則不用拆除，它們會自動溶解。你應盡量避免沾濕傷口，直至它完全癒合。你可以用紗布覆蓋傷口，避免因衣服的磨擦而引起發炎。

運動方面

運動是家中護理不可或缺的一環，尤其是最初的數星期。通常在手術後的三至六星期後，你應可如常進行一般的日常活動。在這段期間，進行運動時和在晚間感到輕微膝痛是正常的，不用太擔心。你在家中的運動療程應包括以下數點：

• 循序漸進式的步行運動以增強膝部活動能力，開始時在家中進行，漸漸地可移師到室外。
• 一般日常的家居活動，如站立、步行及上落樓梯等。
• 物理治療師會指導你在家中或物理治療中心，進行特定的針對性的膝部運動去強化膝部肌肉，及增加關節靈敏度。慢慢地你可自行在家操練。

當你的膝部可以屈曲至你可以舒服地坐在駕駛席的程度，加上腿部的肌肉有良好反應，令你可以從容地應付油門及煞車腳踏時，你便可以恢復駕駛汽車。一般來說，這需要約六星期。

參考資料: www.ispine.com.hk , http://hkoa.org

以上所提供的資訊僅作為教育及參考用途，如果你有任何醫療問題，
應向自己的骨科醫生查詢，而不應單倚賴以上提供的資料。

Spine Navigation Surgery (1)

Spine Navigation Surgery - minimally invasive and computer assisted surgery

Spine Navigation Surgery was introduced since year 2000 and adapted in Hong Kong for more than 5 years. Similar technology was widely used in daily activities like driving, computer games (like Wii),etc.. The image-based technology used in spinal surgery utilizes scans of the patient's bony anatomy and instruments that are tracked by the Navigation System's camera. Navigation can help orthopaedic surgeons to guide their instruments for precise screw placement and reduce X-ray exposure.





Spine navigation surgery - Applications

Orthopaedic doctors will undergo proper diagnosis and evaluation before recommendation of surgery. Generally, spine navigation surgery is applicable for common spinal disorders requiring screw placement and especially for areas requiring high surgical precision. For example,

1. Revision spine surgery.
2. Patients with osteoporotic bones.
3. High risk areas like the cervical spine or areas with severe deformities.

Reference information: www.ispine.com.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your personal physician.

Degenerative scoliosis (2)

Treatment

In some cases, the symptoms can be relieved and activities of daily living can be maintained by appropriate pharmacologic treatment. For patients with their daily function severely affected despite of non-surgical treatment, surgical decompression and reconstruction can be considered after taking into the accounts the pros and cons in particular patient’s medical co-morbidities.





Surgery

The purpose of the surgery is to reduce pressure on the nerve, stabilize and improve the spine alignment by instrumentation and fusion. 3D computer navigation helps to reduce the difficulty and improve the precision of screw insertion in the deformed areas.

Reference information: www.ispine.com.hk

It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your personal physician.