Volume 26,
Issue 1, 2016,
pp. 1-5
DOI: 10.1615/JLongTermEffMedImplants.2016013363
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George S. Sapkas
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Andreas F. Mavrogenis
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Elias Papastathis
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Kostas Tsiavos
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Vasilios Igoumenou
First Department of Orthopaedics, Athens University Medical School, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Panayiotis D. Megaloikonomos
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University
Hospital, Athens, Greece
Ioannis Galanopoulos
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Konstantinos Soultanis
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Orthopaedic Research and Education Center (OREC) Panayotis N. Soucacos, Athens, Greece
Elias C. Papadopoulos
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
Panayiotis J. Papagelopoulos
First Department of Orthopaedics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens, Greece
ABSTRACT
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system affecting the substantia nigra in the midbrain. It accounts for 1.5% of the population in Europe over 60 years of age. Recent advances in the medical treatment of Parkinson's disease have improved the quality of life and life expectancy of the patients. However, it remains a debilitating disease. Spinal disorders are frequent in these patients, and as the population ages, more patients with Parkinson's disease are expected to require spinal surgery. Spinal surgery in patients with Parkinson's disease has been associated with an exceptionally high rate of complications; failures and reoperations are common, and patient outcomes are dismal.