Dear Colleagues,

Once again, it is my privilege to be publishing this, the 4th issue, of our professional journal this year. As you have come to expect, it includes several clinical research studies. Unfortunately, I must apologize for the fact that it is late again because of technical issues beyond our control. In spite of this, I hope that each of you will take the time to read this issue thoroughly and incorporate anything you find useful into your practice.

In this issue, there are eight clinical research studies. The first study is a study concerning the “Evaluation of Serum Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis and Ischemia-Modified Albumin Levels in Lumbar Disc Herniation.” The second is a research study entitled “Treatment of Postoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage by Blood Patch Method in Patients Undergoing Vertebra Surgery”. In the third, one can read a retrospective clinical study entitled, “Laminoplasty for the Surgical Treatment of Various Spinal Canal Pathologies”. The fourth article is a retrospective study, “The Results of Early Versus Late Surgery in Traumatic Cervical Facet Joint Dislocation: a Retrospective Study.” The authors of the fifth study examined the “Incidence of Dysphagia after Single Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Prosthesis Versus Blade Cage Implantation: a Retrospective Study.” The sixth study gives a clear answer to the question “Which Imaging Method is More Effective When Placement a Lateral Mass Screw: O-arm Computed Tomography or X-ray?” while, in the seventh, the authors wrote about “Evaluation of Lumbar Vertebra Fractures with Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score.” The eighth article is about “Mid-term Clinical Outcomes of Surgically Treated Malignant Sacrum tumors”

I hope you found this issue thought provoking and edifying. As always, my goal is to try to provide you with the most current information about the latest developments in our field. My mission is, and has always been, to keep all of us on top of the most cutting-edge research in our field.

With kindest regards,

Editor in Chief
Metin Özalay, M.D.