Global Spine Journal最新文献

Study design: Systematic review.

Objective: This systematic review aims to identify prognostic factors, encompassing biomedical and psychosocial variables, linked to outcome of fusion surgery for chronic low back pain (CLBP) in single or two-level lumbar degenerative spinal disorders. Identifying these factors is crucial for decision making and therefore long-term treatment outcome.

Methods: A systematic search (PROSPERO ID: CRD4202018927) from January 2010 to October 2022 was conducted, utilizing Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR, CENTRAL). Prognostic factors associated with various outcomes, including functional status, back and leg pain, health-related quality of life, complications, return to work, and analgesic use, were assessed. Risk of bias was determined using QUIPS, and the quality of evidence was evaluated using GRADE approach.

Results: Of the 9852 initially screened studies, eleven studies (n = 16,482) were included in the analysis. In total, 161 associations were identified, with 67 prognostic factors showing statistical significance (P < 0.05). Thirty associations were supported by two or more studies, and only eight associations were eligible for meta-analyses: female gender remained statistically significant associated with decreased postoperative back pain, but negatively associated with complication rates and functional status, and smoking with increased postoperative back pain.

Conclusion: Only female gender and smoking were consistently associated with outcome of fusion for CLBP. Most of the included studies exhibited low to moderate methodological quality, which may explain the relatively weak associations identified for the assessed prognostic factors.

Study design: Scoping review.

Objective: To identify which markers are used as surrogates for malnutrition in metastatic spine disease and which are the most studied outcomes associated with it.

Methods: A scoping review was performed by searching the PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases up to July 2022. We searched for articles exploring markers of malnutrition in spine oncology patients including but not limited to albumin, body weight, weight loss, and nutrition indices. A narrative synthesis was performed.

Results: A total of 61 articles reporting on 31,385 patients met inclusion criteria. There were 13 different surrogate markers of nutrition, with the most common being albumin in 67% of studies (n = 41), body weight/BMI in 34% (n = 21), and muscle mass in 28% (n = 17). The most common studied outcomes were survival in 82% (n = 50), complications in 28% (n = 17), and length of stay in 10% (n = 6) of studies. Quality of life and functional outcomes were assessed in 2% (n = 1) and 3% (n = 2) of studies, respectively. Out of 61 studies, 18% (n = 11) found no association between the examined markers and outcome.

Conclusion: Assessment of nutritional status in patients with spinal metastases is fundamental. However, there is lack of a comprehensive and consistent way of assessing malnutrition in oncologic spine patients and therefore inconsistency in its relationship with outcomes. A consensus agreement on the assessment and definition of malnutrition in spine tumor patients is needed.

Study design: Prospective cohort study.

Objectives: In this study we aim to assess the difference in triggered EMG readings throughout different depths in the psoas muscle during the lateral approach to the lumbar spine and their effect on surgeon decision making.

Methods: Three surgeons, practicing at different institutions, assessed triggered EMG readings during the trans psoas approach at the level of the disc and 5,10 and 15 millimeters into the psoas muscle with sequential dilators. Measurement of distance into the psoas muscle was done with a specially designed instrument. Results of anterior and posterior directed stimulation as well as the delta value between these were recorded and underwent statistical analysis. Patients who had partial readings were excluded from the study.

Results: A total of 40 levels in 35 patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference found between means of anterior or posterior threshold readings along the different distance groups. A significant difference was found (P = .024) in the mean difference between the distance groups with a decrease in the difference between anterior and posterior threshold values found as the distance from the disc space increased. None of the surgeons reported a decision to abort the fusion of a spinal level.

Conclusions: In the trans-psoas approach to the lumbar spine, the assessment of the location of the femoral nerve using directional neuromonitoring when advancing in the psoas muscle shows no clear benefit as opposed to stimulating solely when adjacent to the disc space.

Study design: An e-mail-based online survey for adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgeons.

Objective: Wound closure and dressing techniques may vary according to the discretion of the surgeon as well as geographical location. However, there are no reports on most common methods. The purpose of this study is to clarify the consensus.

Methods: An online survey was distributed via email to AO Spine members. Responses from 164 ASD surgeons were surveyed. The regions were divided into 5 regions: Europe and South Africa (ESA), North America (NA), Asia Pacific (AP), Latin America (LA), and Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Wound closure methods were evaluated by glue(G), staples(S), external non-absorbable sutures (ENS), tapes(T), and only subcuticular absorbable suture (SAS). Wound Dressings consisted of dry dressing (D), plastic occlusive dressing (PO), G, Dermabond Prineo (DP).

Results: The number of respondents were 57 in ESA, 33 in NA, 36 in AP, 22 in LA, and 16 in MENA. S (36.4%) was the most used wound closure method. This was followed by ENS (26.2%), SAS (14.4%), G (11.8%), and T (11.3%). S use was highest in ESA (44.3%), NA (28.6%), AP (31.7%), and MENA (58.8%). D was used by 50% of surgeons postoperatively. AP were most likely to use PO (36%). 21% of NA used DP, while between 0%-9% of surgeons used it in the rest of the world.

Conclusion: Wound closure and dressings methods differ in the region. There are no current guidelines with these choices. Future studies should seek to standardize these choices.

Study design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the failure of the caudal end of lumbar posterior fixation in terms of pre-operative and post-operative spinopelvic parameters, correction performed, demographic and clinical data.

Methods: The lumbar, thoraco-lumbar and lumbo-sacral posterior fixations performed with pedicle screws and rods in 2017-2019 were retrospectively analyzed. As 81% failures occurred within 4 years, an observational period of 4 years was chosen. The revision surgeries due to the failure in the caudal end were collected in the junctional group. Fixations which have not failed were gathered in the control group. The main spinopelvic parameters were measured for each patient on standing lateral radiographs with the software Surgimap. Demographic and clinical data were extracted for both groups.

Results: Among the 457 patients who met the inclusion criteria, the junctional group included 101 patients, who required a revision surgery. The control group collected 356 primary fixations. The two most common causes of revision surgeries were screws pullout (57 cases) and rod breakage (53 cases). SVA, PT, LL, PI-LL and TPA differed significantly between the two groups (P = .021 for LL, P < .0001 for all the others). The interaction between the two groups and the pre-operative and post-operative conditions was significant for PT, SS, LL, TK, PI-LL and TPA (P < .005). Sex and BMI did not affect the failure onset.

Conclusions: Mechanical failure is more likely to occur in patients older than 40 years with a thoraco-lumbar fixation where PT, PI-LL and TPA were not properly restored.

Study design: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Restoration of lordosis in lumbar fusion reduces low back pain, decreases adjacent segment degeneration, and improves postoperative outcomes. However, the potential effects of changes in segmental lordosis on adjacent-level and global lordosis remain less understood. This study aims to examine the relationships between segmental (SL), adjacent-level, and global lumbar lordosis following L5-S1 Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF).

Methods: 80 consecutive patients who underwent single-level L5-S1 ALIF were divided into 3 groups based on the degree of change (∆) in index-level segmental lordosis: <5° (n = 23), 5°-10° (n = 29), >10° (n = 28). Radiographic parameters measured included global lumbar, segmental, and adjacent level lordosis, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, pelvic incidence, and PI-LL mismatch.

Results: Patients with ∆SL 5°-10° or ∆SL >10° both showed significant increases in global lumbar lordosis from preoperative to final follow-up. However, patients with ∆SL >10° showed statistically significant losses in adjacent level lordosis at both immediate postoperative and final follow-up compared to preoperative. When comparing patients with ∆SL >10° to those with ∆SL 5-10°, there were no significant differences in global lumbar lordosis at final follow-up, due to significantly greater losses of adjacent level lordosis in these patients.

Conclusion: The degree of compensatory loss of lordosis at the adjacent level L4-L5 correlated with the extent of segmental lordosis creation at the index L5-S1 level. This may suggest that the L4 to S1 segment acts as a "harmonious unit," able to accommodate only a certain amount of lordosis and further increases in segmental lordosis may be mitigated by loss of adjacent-level lordosis.

Study design: Delphi study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with the development and/or progression of neurological deficits in patients with metastatic spinal disease.

Methods: A three-round Delphi study was conducted between January-May 2023 including AO Spine members, comprising mainly neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons. In round 1, participants listed radiological factors, patient characteristics, tumor characteristics, previous cancer-related treatment factors and additional factors. In round 2, participants ranked the factors on importance per category and selected a top 9 from all factors. Kendall's W coefficient of concordance was calculated as a measure of consensus. In the final round, participants provided feedback on the rankings resulting from round 2. Lastly, the highest-ranking factors were more clearly defined and operationalized by an expert panel.

Results: Over two hundred physicians and researchers participated in each round. The factors listed in the first round were collapsed into 12 radiological factors, 14 patient characteristics, 6 tumor characteristics and 12 previous cancer-related treatment factors. High agreement was found in round 3 on the top-half lists in each category and the overall top 9, originating from round 2. Kendall's W indicated strong agreement between the participants. 'Epidural spinal cord compression', 'aggressive tumor behavior' and 'mechanical instability' were deemed most influential for the development of neurological deficits.

Conclusion: This study provides factors that may be related to the development and/or progression of neurological deficits in patients with metastatic spinal disease. This list can serve as a basis for future directions in prognostication research.