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ABSTRACT Objective To assess postoperative outcomes following lumbar microdiscectomy (LMD) with and without the use of a dynamic intralaminar device IntraSPINE ® . Methods A non-randomized single-surgeon retrospective analysis. Consecutive elective surgery was performed on patients with lumbar disc disease over a 16-month period. The study group was determined by electronic theatre database. Ninety-two (62 LMD and 30 ILD) of the 95 eligible patients were included in the study, with three being excluded due to incomplete data sets. The pain scores were assessed pre- and postoperatively using a 4-point scale (0 – pain free; 1 – mild; 2- moderate; 3 – severe). Results The reduction in postoperative leg pain was similar (LMD 1.9 vs. IntraSPINE® 1.8) but the reduction in postoperative back pain was greater in the IntraSPINE® group (LMD 0.5 vs. IntraSPINE® 1.0; p = 0.17). Early recurrence of disc herniation (< 8 months) was lower in the IntraSPINE® group (6.7% vs. 19.4%; p = 0.097). The need for revision surgery was significantly lower in the IntraSPINE® group (p = 0.015). None of the IntraSPINE® recurrences required revision surgery, compared to 97% of the recurrences in the LMD group. Conclusions This case series raises the possibility that in selected patients, the use of the IntraSPINE® may improve back pain and reduce recurrent disc herniation/revision surgery rates in lumbar microdiscectomy. A prospective randomized trial on the use of the IntraSPINE® should be considered, given the clinical and cost implications of revision surgery. Level of Evidence IV; Case series.

The article presents the recent initiative of the authors of the article to prepare the ground for setting up a corpus of texts annotated from the viewpoint of Functional Sentence Perspective (FSP). The authors are followers of Jan Firbas’s approach to information structure, who have carried out a parallel analysis of a text of fiction in search of concepts within the FSP theory that need elaboration. The article outlines the discrepancies between different interpretations of selected phenomena within the text and suggests a refinement of some FSP concepts. It presents a simple FSP tagging system, which allows the annotation of FSP functions and degrees of communicative dynamism carried by communicative units.

Diante da situação extremamente difícil em que se encontra a questão da terra no Brasil, as palavras do Salmo 42,1 adquirem profunda atualidade: "Ao Senhor pertence a terra e tudo o que nela se contém, o mundo e os que nele habitam." Os mais diferentes setores da nossa sociedade vêem-se confrontados com a questão. O governo Figueiredo criou um "Ministério da Terra", posseiros são mortos, terras indígenas são leiloadas (Waimiri e Atroari), padres e pastores aprisionados por seus posicionamentos. Os posicionamentos das Igrejas cristãs frente à questão têm levado muitos cristãos a perguntar, se o tema "terra" é tema de Igreja.