European Spine Journal最新文献

Purpose: To describe a novel alternative technique for C2 fixation under the concept of atlantoaxial joint distraction and fusion with intra-articular Cages, and to report its preliminary clinical outcomes.

Methods: Eighteen patients with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation underwent atlantoaxial joint distraction and fusion with intra-articular Cages. All patients had hypoplasia of the C2 isthmus prohibiting insertion of the pedicle screw. A new method, the C2 anatomical pedicle screw (C2APS) was used as an alternative. In this technique, we directly inserted screw into the C2 anatomical pedicle after facet joint distraction and Cage implementation. The trajectory mostly went through the anatomical pedicle, which completely bypasses the variated VA and decreases the risk of VA harm. The dense anatomical pedicle could provide robust and secure screw purchase.

Results: C2APS was indicated for 32 screws in 18 patients. Satisfactory C2APS placement was achieved in all patients. No VA injury was observed. Sufficient reduction and decompression were achieved in all cases. There were no cases of implant failure, and all patients demonstrated solid fusion. JOA scores improved from 14.6 ± 1.5 preoperatively, to 16.0 ± 0.8 at the final follow-up (p < 0.01). The measured radiographic indices for basilar invagination and atlantoaxial dislocation significantly improved.

Conclusion: This novel technique can provide reliable fixation of the axis while eliminating VA injury. When placement of a C2 pedicle screw is not possible due to anatomical constraints, C2APS can be considered as a safe and efficient alternative when the technique of atlantoaxial joint distraction and fusion with intra-articular Cages was used.

Background: Giant sacral and presacral schwannomas are very rare conditions and their prevalence is estimated to account for only 0.3 to 3.3% of overall schwannomas. Current published literature about these tumors is limited to case reports and small case series. In this paper we systematically reviewed and analyzed the available literature on giant sacral schwannomas focusing on identifying the presenting symptoms, Klimo type, surgical approach, recurrence rate and postoperative complications.

Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a literature search on electronic databases to obtain the relevant studies until March 2024. We included reports of surgically managed giant sacral schwannomas; either involving tumor of at least 2 adjacent vertebra or had a maximum diameter of 5 cm or more. Presenting symptoms, tumor size, morphology, surgical approach and postoperative complications were reported.

Results: A total of 102 studies with 201 unique patients were included in our analysis (mean age 45.4 ± 9.8, 49.7% females). The most common presenting symptoms were lower extremity radicular pain (19.5%), lower back pain (14.1%), lower extremity numbness or paresthesia (9%), and constipation (7.6%). Most surgeries used an open posterior approach (40.1%) or open anterior approach (33.5%). Postoperative complications occurred in (29.3%) of patients and 10% had local recurrence or progression of their tumor. On linear regression the volume of the tumor could significantly predict the estimated amount of blood loss (P = 0.03). We found that an anterior approach was far more likely to be used in patients with Klimo type III, (P < 0.001). Similarly, posterior approach was mostly used for Klimo type I and type II (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The management approach of giant sacral and presacral schwannomas are mainly tailored according to the tumor size and location. Due to the benign nature and the overall recurrence rate of the tumor, frequent imaging follow-up is required after safe resection with adequate clean margins.

Purpose: To investigate positional lumbar changes by weight-bearing MRI in low back pain (LBP) patients with hypermobile joints (Beighton score ≥ 4).

Methods: Patients referred to weight-bearing MRI went through a clinical examination, including Beighton's test, answered back pain-related questionnaires, and were hereafter imaged in supine and standing in a 0.25-T MRI unit. All MRI exams were evaluated for degenerative findings i.e., herniations, disc degeneration, spinal stenosis, disc degeneration, and spondylolisthesis. Subsequently, the lumbar lordosis angle, the sacral angle, and all spondylolisthesis' slippages were measured for both positions.

Results: Of 257 LBP patients, Beighton score ≥ 4 were seen in 48 patients, and these included more females (81.3% vs. 51.7%), younger patients (mean difference [MD]: -8.1 years), and had less degenerated lumbar discs (sum-score MD: -0.9). No difference between groups in degenerative MRI findings was found, although, a non-significant tendency (p = 0.072) to a higher number of anterolisthesis in the hypermobile patients. The hypermobile patients had a greater lordosis angle both during supine and standing and a greater sacral angle in supine, however, changes in the angles between supine and standing were without difference between groups. A sensitivity analysis adjusted for gender and age confirmed these findings.

Conclusion: Hypermobility in LBP patients was associated with being female, younger, having increased lumbar lordosis both during standing and in supine, however, was not associated with increased back pain, anterolisthesis grade or more severe lumbar changes between positions.

Purpose: Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is a rare surgical emergency. The implications for loss of quality of life through delayed management are high, though no clinical symptom is pathognomonic in its diagnosis. We describe how machine learning based algorithms can be used in triaging patients with suspected CES (CES-S).

Methods: Data of 499 patients who underwent MRI scan for CES-S was collected for demographics, red flag symptoms and radiological outcome. The dataset was used to train the machine learning algorithm in predicting MRI-derived diagnosis of CES. In the testing phase output predictions and Confidence of Prediction (CoP) were recorded for each case and further analysed.

Results: Of 499 patients, 12 (2.4%) had positive radiological outcomes for CES. Patients were divided into two subgroups based on their CoP: high (< 0.9) and low (< 0.9). High CoP was observed in 482 (96.6%) cases. In this group all predictions were correct: 476 negative and 6 positives. Low CoP was observed in 17 (3.4%) cases, of which 6 predictions were incorrect - false negatives. Performing MRI scans only in cases with high CoP positive predictions and all low CoP cases would reduce scans to 5% of the original number.

Conclusion: With our dataset, the trained algorithm demonstrated the potential for safely reducing the number of emergency MRI scans by over 95%. Prior to the wide clinical application, large volume prospective data is needed for continuous training of the algorithm, in order to improve accuracy and confidence of prediction.

Background: The surprising increase observed in recent years in the use of minimally invasive sacroiliac joint arthrodesis techniques as a treatment for low back pain justifies an objective review of this results.

Purpose: carry out a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the clinical results of patients with low back pain treated with percutaneous arthrodesis of the SIJ.

Study design: Systematic review.

Methods: Systematic search of the medical literature. The words used in the Search were: "Hollow screw system", "percutaneous sacroiliac joint stabilization", "sacroiliac joint", "minimally invasive", "sacroiliac pain", "sacroiliac dysfunction". With logical connectors such as "and", "not" and "or".

Databases: Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, Ovid, EBSCO host and google scholar. The search extended from the beginning of the databases until September 2024. The "Rayyan" program was used to collect the information and facilitate the analysis process.

Inclusion criteria: Systematic review from the literature, clinical trials, observational studies and case series. They followed PRISMA principles.

Results: 661 articles were found, of which 108 articles were duplicates. The criteria (Inclusion/Exclusion) were applied to the 553 articles identified based on the independent reading of the summaries by each of the authors on the Rayyan platform and 434 articles were excluded. The 119 selected articles were completely reviewed to finally obtain 102 articles included in the review. Epidemiological data were extracted into an Excel table, methodological and related to clinical results and safety of procedures made. The Prisma checklist for systematic reviews was applied in each article. The epidemiological quality of the articles was evaluated based on the checklists STROBE and CONSORT. The results regarding clinical improvement were overwhelming. However, most of the studies were sponsored by industry and with a limited population and follow-up not always prolonged.

Conclusions: Although the clinical results regarding the effectiveness of SIJ fusion are forceful for their effectiveness, we recommend considering some aspects for their analysis and especially long-term studies.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of minimally invasive PCF using an interfacet joint fusion cage.

Methods: The inclusion criteria consisted of patients who underwent a PCF using an interfacet device (Cavux, Providence Medical Technology Inc.) at a single institution and were at least 6 months postoperative. Charts were reviewed for pre-, intra- and postoperative data including arm and neck pain scores, Neck Disability Index (NDI), complications, and reoperations.

Results: A consecutive series of 51 patients were included. Mean age was 54.9 years and 72.6% of patients (n = 37) were female. Most patients (n = 39, 76.5%) had a prior anterior cervical fusion resulting in pseudarthrosis. In total, 157 interfacet devices were implanted in 79 levels. There was statistically significant improvement from pre- to postoperative arm pain (3.8 vs. 2.4), neck pain (6.2 vs. 4.0), and NDI (42.2 vs. 34.9). With the exception of neck pain, these changes would not generally be considered clinically relevant. Ten (19.6%) reoperations occurred, with 4 (7.8%) involving interfacet device removal. The removals were due to: nonunion, device malpositioning, osteophytic overgrowth, trauma, and implantation of additional posterior instrumentation.

Conclusion: Performing a minimally invasive facet fusion may be an effective option for treating patients with a history of nonunion. Although the reoperation rate was high in this challenging cohort, only 4 out of 10 reoperations required device removal. More research is warranted to refine indications for this procedure and review larger samples of patients.

Purpose: Little information exists on the potential differential response to functional restoration between non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP) individuals with and those without Modic type 1 changes. Therefore, this case-control study investigated the response profile of NSCLBP patients with and without Modic type 1 changes undergoing functional restoration.

Methods: The present study included patients participating in a functional restoration program (day-hospital program lasting five weeks) at a French tertiary care center from 2009 to 2019. Each case with Modic type 1 changes was matched to one to two controls without Modic type 1 changes by sex, working incapacity, and lumbar spine surgery history. The primary effectiveness outcome was the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS) score (0-100, with higher scores indicating higher disability). There were multiple secondary outcomes, such as subjective improvement and return to work.

Results: The study included 83 patients (cases: median [IQR] age 47.8 [11.6] years, 77.4% women; controls: median [IQR] age 46.0 [16.2] years, 75.0% women). At three months, there were no statistically significant differences between cases and controls in the QBPDS score (34.0 versus 31.5), subjective improvement (67.7% versus 69.2%), return to work in those who were not working at the inclusion (72.7% versus 52.6%), and the consumption of different analgesics.

Conclusion: The response profile of NSCLBP adults undergoing functional restoration did not statistically differ between the groups with and without Modic type 1 changes. These findings suggest that patients may benefit from such a program irrespective of their Modic type 1 status.

Objective: To construct a nomogram model based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics combined with clinical characteristics and evaluate its role and value in predicting the prognosis of patients with cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI).

Methods: In this study, we assessed the prognosis of 168 cSCI patients using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scale. The study involved extracting radiomics features using both manually defined metrics and features derived through deep learning via transfer learning methods from MRI sequences, specifically T1-weighted and T2-weighted images (T1WI & T2WI). The feature selection was performed employing the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression across both radiomics and deep transfer learning datasets. Following this selection process, a deep learning radiomics signature was established. This signature, in conjunction with clinical data, was incorporated into a predictive model. The efficacy of the models was appraised using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) to assess their diagnostic performance.

Results: Comparing the effectiveness of the models by linking the AUC of each model, we chose the best-performance radiomics model with clinical model to create the final nomogram. Our analysis revealed that, in the testing cohort, the combined model achieved an AUC of 0.979 for the ASIA and 0.947 for the FIM. The training cohort showed more promising performance, with an AUC of 0.957 for ASIA and 1.000 for FIM. Furthermore, the calibration curve showed that the predicted probability of the nomogram was consistent with the actual incidence rate and the DCA curve validated its effectiveness as a prognostic tool in a clinical setting.

Conclusion: We constructed a combined model that can be used to help predict the prognosis of cSCI patients with radiomics and clinical characteristics, and further provided guidance for clinical decision-making by generating a nomogram.

Objective: This study systematically assesses the learning curve of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic (UBE) techniques across various spinal surgeries, focusing on its influence on operative efficiency and complication rates to guide optimized training and practice.

Methods: Systematic searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library identified studies on UBE learning curves for patients aged 18 or older, comparing early and mastery phases. Two reviewers independently extracted data on surgery type, operative time, and complications. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We performed subgroup analyses based on different UBE surgery types, examining variations in operative time and complication rates across each procedure.

Results: Thirteen studies, including 1217 patients, were included, focusing on lumbar spine surgeries. The average learning curve cutoff for UBE procedures was 32.18 cases, with the mastery phase reducing operative time by an average of 48.14 min (95% CI 35.80, 60.47; p < 0.001), although high heterogeneity observed. In the mastery phase, single-group analysis of 707 patients showed a mean operative time of 92.38 min (95% CI 77.35, 107.41). Complication analysis across 12 studies (1182 patients) revealed a significantly lower rate in the mastery phase (odds ratio, OR = 0.29; p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed significant reductions in both operative time and complications for UBE-LIF and UBE-LD/ULBD during the mastery phase, while no significant changes were observed for UBE-PCF. Additionally, specific complications, such as dural tears and incomplete decompression, were significantly reduced in the mastery phase.

Conclusion: This systematic review confirms a learning curve in UBE surgery, with improvements in operative time and complications. Procedure-specific cutoff points provide guidance for training and future research.

Purpose: Disruptions in global sagittal spinal alignment can lead to changes in global sagittal spinal alignment, often manifesting as sagittal malalignment, where the trunk shifts forward. We proposed that these alignment changes are linked to degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DS). The objective was to assess global spinal alignment in low-grade DS using sagittal vertical axis (SVA) classification.

Methods: The patients with DS were categorized into three groups based on the adult spinal deformity classification: type I, defined by a SVA of less than 40 mm; type II, with an SVA ranging from 40 mm to 95 mm; and type III, where the SVA is 95 mm or greater. The study compared age and various sagittal parameters among these groups, including thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), and pelvic incidence (PI).

Results: Notable differences were observed between type I and type II, as well as between type I and type III, whereas no substantial variation was detected between type II and type III. Additionally, PI increased with advancing type classification, with a distinct contrast observed between type I and type III.

Conclusion: A high PI is a key risk factor for worsening SVA in DS, and it may contribute to the initiation and progression of the condition.