My Dear Colleagues,

We are happy to reach the fourth issue of 2012. In this issue, there are six research articles. The first is an epidemiological study that analyzes the prevalence of spina bifida occulta in patients receiving surgery due to a diagnosis of pilonidal sinus. The second study analyzes the histopathology of the ligamentum flavum in patients receiving surgery due to lumbar spinal stenosis. In the third study, the results of chest enlargement devices (VEPTR) for infantile scoliosis are reported. Two studies in this issue are related to spinal fractures. The first is a study from Cumhur Öner’s clinic in Utrecht in Holland, which includes the results of percutaneous instrumentation. The second is a study reporting the results of kyphoplasty for
osteoporotic fractures. The last article presents the results of injection treatment for lumbar facet joint syndrome. I think that all these studies will greatly interest our readers.

There are three case presentations in this issue. The first is a case of a perineural cyst with radiculopathy from Bangladesh, the second is a case of a lumbar aneurysmal cyst giving symptoms of an inguinal hernia, and the final one is a case of a thoracic hydatid cyst progressing with paraparesis.

Additionally, there are two reviews in this issue. The first of those reviews is related to the use of enlargeable rib prosthetics in a growing spine (VEPTR), which presents in detail the application of this technique and its results. The second is related to
laser treatment for disc herniation, which recently has become very popular, and so this review will make great contributions to the knowledge of our readers.

In the Frontiers of Spinal Surgery section in this issue, we discuss Mr. Abdi, who prepared the first thesis about vertebrae in Turkey. Prof. Dr. Sait Naderi and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alper Gökçe prepared the article for this issue. As you know, Prof. Dr. Sait
Naderi is a very important figure who published a number of international articles about medical history and biography. We are very thankful to him for his support for our journal.

We are continuing to answer the STE questions in this issue that we publish in accordance with the request from TOTBİD TOTEK for recertification. The answers to the questions included in this issue should be sent to the email  ddresses [email protected] or [email protected], which are indicated on the page that contains the questions. Answers received will be sent by us to the relevant secretary working in TOTBİD TOTEK.

We wish health, success and peace to the Turkish Spinal Surgery family and we present our deepest respects.

Prof. Dr. İ. Teoman BENLİ
JTSS Editor Assistant