Gentle cervical hyperextension causing quadriplegia in an older man with symptomatic cervical spondylosis
Article Abstract:
Extension of the neck should be limited to an elderly patient's normal range of motion. A 72-year-old man developed C7 quadriplegia after a thyroid operation in which his neck was hyperextended during surgery. He had a history of neck and shoulder pain and a cervical X-ray revealed spondylitic disease and cervical spinal canal stenosis. These conditions can place elderly patients at risk of nerve compression if the neck is flexed or extended beyond the normal range.
Publication Name: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0002-8614
Year: 1998
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A prospective study of posturography in normal older people
Article Abstract:
Sway appears to increase in older people with deteriorating balance but it is not clear if this contributes to an increased risk of falling. Researchers measured sway during standing and walking over a three-year period in 72 community-dwelling people aged 79 to 91 years. Sway increased significantly during the period but there were no differences in sway between those who subsequently fell and those who did not.
Publication Name: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0002-8614
Year: 1998
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Postoperative complications in Parkinson's disease
Article Abstract:
A study of postoperative morbidity and mortality among patients with Parkinson's disease is discussed. Results indicate that patients with the disease are at more risk of specific complications and spend more time in the hospital that non-Parkinson's patients following elective bowel resection, cholecystectomy, and radical prostatectomy.
Publication Name: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0002-8614
Year: 1999
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