Journal of neurosurgery. Spine最新文献

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the rate of postoperative new-onset sacroiliac joint pain (SIJP) following adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery with pelvic fixation.

Methods: Patients undergoing ASD surgery with pelvic fixation, without baseline SIJP, and with a minimum 1-year follow-up were included. Patients were screened for SIJP by self-reported buttock/groin pain and/or posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) pain scores ≥ 4. Patients with positive results on questionnaires were indicated for an SIJ examination consisting of 5 provocative maneuvers with ≥ 3 positive examination findings considered to be indicative of SIJP. Types of pelvic fixation were then compared for rates of postoperative SIJP.

Results: A total of 346 patients were identified, with mean age of 65 (SD 10) years and BMI of 28 (SD 5); 71% of patients were female. Thirteen patients (4%) underwent SIJ fusion at the index procedure. At the 1-year follow-up, 82 patients (24%) had positive screening responses for SIJP on the questionnaire; 63 underwent an SIJ examination and only 3 patients (1%) had a positive result. At the 2-year follow-up, 138 patients were administered the SIJP screening questionnaire; 31 (22%) had a positive questionnaire response for SIJP, 17 underwent an SIJ examination, and only 2 patients (1%) had a positive result. There was no difference in SIJP between patients with traditional iliac fixation (n = 162, 0% at 1 and 2 years) and S2-alar-iliac screws (n = 184), where 2% developed SIJP by 1 (p = 0.25) and 2 (p = 0.52) years, respectively. There was also no difference in SIJP between patients with 4 points of pelvic fixation (n = 85, 0% at 1 and 2 years) and patients with fewer than 4 points of pelvic fixation (n = 261), where 1% (p = 0.57) and 2% (p > 0.99) developed SIJP at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Of the 79 patients with iliac crest harvesting, none developed SIJP at the 1- or 2-year follow-up.

Conclusions: Based on examination, the incidence of de novo SIJP following ASD surgery with pelvic fixation is low: only 1% at the 1- and 2-year follow-ups. The large discrepancy between at least moderate regional reported pain but a negative provocative examination warrants further investigation as to the source of substantial pain in nearly one-quarter of ASD patients postoperatively.

Objective: The objective was to compare incomplete (A3) versus complete (A4) thoracolumbar burst fractures managed nonoperatively or operatively with respect to reaching minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score.

Methods: A prospective observational international multicenter cohort study was conducted. After stratification using the AO Spine Thoracolumbar Injury Classification System, A3 and A4 outcomes were analyzed separately within nonoperative and operative management groups. Outcomes included absolute and relative improvement in ODI scores between discharge and 12-month follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated and compared with the log-rank test. Multivariable Cox regression models were constructed. The Cox regression models were adjusted using the key covariates of age, sex, thoracolumbar injury classification and severity (TLICS) score, and the interaction between fracture type and treatment type. Additional adjustment was performed for discharge ODI scores to compare relative improvement.

Results: In total, 198 neurologically intact patients were identified, with incomplete fractures (58.6%) being more common than complete burst fractures (41.4%). The rate of nonoperative management was significantly higher among A3 than A4 fractures (48.3% vs 24.4%, p < 0.01). A4 fractures demonstrated a higher mean TLICS score than A3 fractures (2.8 vs 2.4, p = 0.04). There were no significant functional differences in MCID in ODI scores, defined as an improvement in 12.8 points within 1 year after treatment (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.86-1.70, p = 0.28). Examination of only the surgically treated cohort of patients also revealed no significant difference in achieving relative ODI score improvement within 1 year after treatment between those with A4 and those with A3 fractures (HR 1.19, 95% CI 0.78-1.82, p = 0.43). A similar finding was demonstrated for the nonoperative cohort, with no difference between the incomplete or complete burst fracture morphologies (HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.68-2.27, p = 0.48). Odds of achieving an absolute ODI score of 20 or less were also similar between patients with A4 and A3 fractures, regardless of whether operative (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.52-1.25, p = 0.34) or nonoperative (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.38-1.35, p = 0.30) management was pursued.

Conclusions: Patients with A3 and A4 fractures had similar odds to reach MCID in ODI score at 1 year. Even when exclusively considering the nonoperative cohort of patients who sustained A4 fractures with perceived increased biomechanical stability, there was no difference in functional improvement compared to patients with A3 fractures. Further large prospective multicenter studies are required to specifically assess radiographic outcomes and compare surgical approaches in the management of A3 and A4 fractures.

Objective: Posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF) is an established motion-preserving alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical radiculopathy. However, concerns remain regarding the efficacy of PCF in patients with vertically narrow foramina, where decompression in the craniocaudal direction is limited. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of narrow foraminal height (FH; < 6 mm) on clinical and radiographic outcomes following PCF.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study reviewed the records of 82 patients who underwent PCF with ≥ 2 years of follow-up. Patients were categorized into narrow FH (n = 30) and high FH (n = 52) groups. Clinical outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS) scores for neck and arm pain, the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the achievement of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Radiographic parameters and revision surgery rates were also assessed.

Results: The narrow FH group had a significantly higher rate of revision surgeries (13.3% vs 0%, p = 0.016). Although both groups experienced significant pain reduction, only the high FH group showed significant improvement in NDI scores at 3 months. The proportion of patients achieving MCID for arm pain was significantly lower in the narrow FH group (p = 0.021). Postoperative cervical range of motion was also more restricted in the narrow FH group. FH did not significantly change postoperatively in either group.

Conclusions: Narrow FH adversely affects clinical outcomes and increases the risk of revision surgery following PCF. Surgeons should consider alternative approaches, such as ACDF, for patients with preoperative FH < 6 mm.

Objective: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health-10 (PROMIS-10) has not been validated for use in anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS). The PROMIS-10 distinctly measures global physical health (GPH) and global mental health (GMH) domains, setting it apart from other patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This study aimed to validate the PROMIS-10 and identify minimum clinically important differences (MCIDs) in PROMIS-10 GPH and GMH scores in ACSS.

Methods: A prospectively collected quality registry was retrospectively reviewed. PROMIS-10 scores were obtained from patients undergoing ACSS at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months postoperatively. Other validated PROMs assessing quality of life (QOL) were also collected, including the Neck Disability Index (NDI), EuroQol 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) Index, EuroQol visual analog scale (EQ-VAS), and visual analog scales for neck (NP-VAS) and arm pain (AP-VAS). Pearson correlation coefficients assessed the relationship between the PROMIS-10 and other PROMs at baseline (r0) and 12 months (r12), as well as changes from baseline to 12 months (rΔ12). Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate the internal consistency of PROMIS-10 GPH and GMH at the same time points (α0, α12, and αΔ12). MCIDs were calculated for GPH and GMH using 4 established anchor-based methods, with North American Spine Society patient satisfaction index scores as the anchor.

Results: A total of 700 patients completed baseline and 12-month PROMIS-10 questionnaires. GPH demonstrated moderate to strong correlations with the EQ-5D (r0 = 0.68, r12 = 0.75, rΔ12 = 0.49), NDI (r0 = -0.66, r12 = -0.67, rΔ12 = -0.52), EQ-VAS (r0 = 0.58, r12 = 0.68, rΔ12 = 0.51), NP-VAS (r0 = -0.50, r12 = -0.57, rΔ12 = -0.46), and AP-VAS (r0 = -0.38, r12 = -0.47, rΔ12 = -0.37). GMH had moderate correlations with the EQ-5D (r0 = 0.58, r12 = 0.68, rΔ12 = 0.45), NDI (r0 = -0.49, r12 = -0.54, rΔ12 = -0.37), EQ-VAS (r0 = 0.55, r12 = 0.63, rΔ12 = 0.44), NP-VAS (r0 = -0.32, r12 = -0.45, rΔ12 = -0.31), and AP-VAS (r0 = -0.24, r12 = -0.36, rΔ12 = -0.21). Strong internal consistency reliability was observed in GPH (α0 = 0.71, α12 = 0.78, αΔ12 = 0.60) and GMH (α0 = 0.76, α12 = 0.87, αΔ12 = 0.74). Based on 12-month score changes, MCID thresholds ranged from 4.4 to 10.1 for GPH and 4.7 to 8.6 for GMH. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) approach was deemed most appropriate for calculating MCIDs.

Conclusions: PROMIS-10 GPH and GMH have strong validity and reliability, with moderate to strong correlations to established PROMs and high internal consistency. Based on the ROC approach, MCID thresholds were 9.05 for GPH and 7.25 for GMH. These findings support the use of the PROMIS-10 in capturing QOL in patients undergoing ACSS.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine minimal clinically important difference (MCID) values for patient-reported outcomes (PROs) including the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) Physical Component Summary (PCS), SF-12 Mental Component Summary (MCS), and Neck Disability Index (NDI) in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) undergoing surgery, and to assess whether MCID values vary by baseline disease severity.

Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network for DCM patients treated surgically between 2015 and 2023. Inclusion required a baseline modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score and 3- or 12-month follow-up PROs with domain-specific anchor responses. Patients were stratified by baseline mJOA score into mild (score ≥ 15), moderate (score 12-14), and severe (score < 12) groups. MCID values for the SF-12 PCS, SF-12 MCS, and NDI were calculated using anchor-based receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, with responder status defined by anchor questions. Discriminative performance was assessed via area under the curve, and 95% confidence intervals were estimated by bootstrapping.

Results: Among 290 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 77 (26.6%) were classified as having mild myelopathy, 120 (41.4%) moderate, and 93 (32.1%) severe. In the overall cohort, the MCID values were estimated as 8.9 (95% CI 7.5-10.9) for SF-12 PCS, 4.3 (95% CI 2.3-5.6) for SF-12 MCS, and 13.5 (95% CI 11.5-15.5) for NDI. Stratified SF-12 PCS MCID values increased from an estimated 4.8 (95% CI 1.1-7.7) in mild cases to 8.4 (95% CI 6.1-11.3) in moderate and 14.8 (95% CI 10.4-17.7) in severe cases. The NDI MCID values similarly rose from 10.5 (95% CI 6.5-12.5) to 15.0 (95% CI 10.5-19.0) to 17.5 (95% CI 14.5-21.0) across the mild, moderate, and severe groups, respectively. In contrast, the SF-12 MCS MCID values were 4.5 (95% CI 1.4-7.4) for mild, 3.8 (95% CI 0.4-5.8) for moderate, and 4.4 (95% CI 1.9-8.3) for severe patients, which did not differ significantly across severities.

Conclusions: MCID values for PROs in DCM patients undergoing surgery increase with baseline severity. These findings indicate the importance of stratifying patients by disease severity to enhance the clinical relevance of MCID values, facilitate personalized treatment goals, and improve outcome assessments.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and postoperative clinical outcomes of lateral interbody cage migration (LCM) in patients undergoing multilevel stand-alone lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) compared with an aged-matched cohort undergoing LLIF with posterior pedicle screw instrumentation.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of patients who underwent multilevel LLIF between 2017 and 2024 at a single institution and had ≥ 1 year of follow-up and postoperative radiographic follow-up. Demographic, operative, and postoperative data were collected and analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-square test and independent-sample t-tests to assess the differences between continuous and categorical variables comparing both cohorts (stand-alone vs posterior instrumentation). Age-matched cohort analysis was performed, evaluating the distribution of both cohorts using a frequency matching analysis with the posterior instrumentation cohort as the control group and confirming equal distribution with the chi-square statistical test. Confounding factors were evaluated using logistic regression analyses.

Results: Eighty-seven patients met the inclusion criteria (43 in the stand-alone cohort, 44 in the posterior instrumentation cohort). For the stand-alone cohort, the mean (SD) age was 70.2 (8.2) years (30 [70%] males, 13 [30%] females). For the posterior instrumentation cohort, the mean (SD) age was 69.6 (7.1) years (28 [64%] females, 16 [36%] males). In the stand-alone cohort, 43 surgeries were performed involving the following 110 levels: L1-2 (n = 9), L2-3 (n = 36), L3-4 (n = 42), L4-5 (n = 23), and L5-S1 (n = 0). In the posterior instrumentation cohort, 44 surgeries were performed involving the following 112 levels: L1-2 (n = 6), L2-3 (n = 21), L3-4 (n = 44), L4-5 (n = 41), and L5-S1 (n = 0). The incidence of LCM was 7% in the stand-alone cohort and 5% in the posterior instrumentation cohort, with no statistically significant differences observed between the 2 cohorts. There were no statistically significant confounding factors. Patient-related outcomes, including Oswestry Disability Index and visual analog scale scores, showed postoperative improvement in both cohorts.

Conclusions: The difference in the incidence of LCM between the stand-alone cohort and the posterior instrumentation cohort was not statistically significant. Although posterior instrumentation has traditionally been used to enhance construct stability, multilevel stand-alone LLIF can be a safe procedure. Prospective study designs are warranted to validate these findings and elucidate factors contributing to cage migration in multilevel stand-alone LLIF versus LLIF with posterior pedicle screw instrumentation procedures.

Objective: Older patients are increasingly undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Although studies have examined complication rates in older patients, the correlation between age and achieving specific patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is lacking. The authors sought to determine whether older patients undergoing ACDF are independently associated with lower odds of achieving minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for pain and physical function.

Methods: The authors queried the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MSSIC) registry for patients who underwent 1- to 4-level ACDF (March 2014 to July 2019) for degenerative conditions. PROs were measured at baseline, 90 days, 1 year, and 2 years using the neck and arm numerical rating scale (NRS), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Physical Function (PROMIS-PF), EQ-5D, and North American Spine Society (NASS) satisfaction index. Patients were divided into older (≥ 70 years old) versus younger (< 70 years) groups. The authors used univariate analysis to compare demographic characteristics, operative characteristics, and proportions that achieved MCID between the age groups.

Results: This study included 7732 patients (6887 [89.1%] < 70 years old and 845 [10.9%] ≥ 70 years old). Unadjusted results demonstrated that older patients had a significantly higher rate of any complication within 90 days (26% vs 19%, p < 0.001), longer length of stay (2.6 days vs 1.7 days, p < 0.001), higher rates of MCID in neck NRS score at any time (76.9% vs 70.3%, p = 0.02) and at 90 days (71.3% vs 60.6%, p = 0.002), and lower rates of MCID in PROMIS-PF score at 1 year (52.7% vs 59.6%, p = 0.044) and 2 years (45.9% vs 57.7%, p = 0.002). Age was not independently associated with any PRO. Independent preoperative ambulation (OR 1.80, p < 0.001) and ambulation at postoperative day 0 (OR 1.25, p < 0.001) were independently associated with significantly increased odds of achieving MCID in PROMIS-PF score. Minor complications within 90 days (OR 0.67, p < 0.001) and lower baseline PROMIS-PF score (OR 0.89, p < 0.001) were independently associated with significantly decreased odds of achieving PROMIS-PF score. For the older subgroup, independent preoperative ambulation (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.44-3.09, p < 0.001) had significantly increased odds of achieving MCID in PROMIS-PF score.

Conclusions: Unadjusted results demonstrated that older patients had significantly longer length of stay and complication rates within 90 days. Adjusted analyses demonstrated that advanced age was not independently associated with PROs in patients undergoing ACDF. However, independent early postoperative and preoperative ambulation were associated with significantly increased odds of improved PROs following ACDF.

Objective: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are established therapeutics for weight loss that are increasingly used for BMI optimization prior to spine surgery. However, emerging evidence has suggested that GLP-1 agonists might reduce bone mineral density (BMD), increasing the risk of postoperative biomechanical complications. CT-based Hounsfield units (HUs) have gained popularity as a method for measuring spinal BMD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of GLP-1 agonist-induced weight loss on spinal BMD as measured by opportunistic CT-based HUs.

Methods: Patients who were treated with any GLP-1 agonist (2017-2022) for > 3 months were retrospectively identified. Patient body weight (BW), BMI, and HU measurements in the L1 vertebral body were measured before and after GLP-1 therapy. Patients were grouped according to the percentage of weight loss during GLP-1 therapy. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the mean changes in spinal HUs across the groups.

Results: Among the 102 included patients, the mean ± standard error of the mean BW reduction was 14.5 ± 2.5 kg over 15.9 ± 1.2 months of GLP-1 agonist therapy. Of these, 7 patients (6.9%) lost > 20% BW (mean decrease of 31.9 ± 7.0 HU, p = 0.011), 14 (13.7%) lost 15%-20% BW (mean decrease of 19.1 ± 8.3 HU, p = 0.038), 14 (13.7%) lost 10%-15% BW (mean decrease of 12.2 ± 5.1 HU, p = 0.036), 24 (23.5%) lost 5%-10% BW (mean decrease of 15.7 ± 3.3 HU, p < 0.0001), 26 (25.5%) lost < 5% BW (mean decrease of 14.7 ± 6.0 HU, p = 0.022), and 17 (16.7%) gained BW during GLP-1 therapy (mean decrease of 6.3 ± 5.0 HU, p = 0.229). One-way ANOVA testing did not show a significant difference in HU reduction across the weight loss groups (F = 1.12, p = 0.355). In addition, there was a significant correlation between the decrease in L1 HUs and the duration of GLP-1 therapy (r = -0.38, p = 0.0001) but not the amount of weight loss (r = -0.18, p = 0.070). In the multivariate analysis, the duration of GLP-1 therapy (p = 0.032) was a significant independent predictor of vertebral HU reduction, but the amount of weight loss (p = 0.664) was not.

Conclusions: Despite similar pretreatment BW and HU measurements, all weight loss groups had significant decreases in vertebral HUs following GLP-1 agonist therapy, with a significant correlation observed between HU reduction and treatment duration. This suggests that long-term GLP-1 agonist therapy can significantly diminish spinal BMD regardless of the amount of weight loss achieved.

Objective: While health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures have been extensively quantified in cervical deformity (CD), this clinical dimension has not yet been fully integrated into understanding CD radiographic subtypes prior to surgery. The aim of this study was to identify distinct patterns of HRQOL deficits among patients with CD by focusing on clinical scores and to examine the association of these patterns with radiographic morphotypes of CD.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospective multicenter database of patients with CD aged 18 years or older. Patient-reported outcome measures consisted of the Neck Disability Index (NDI), modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale, and Swallowing Quality of Life (SWAL-QOL) questionnaire. After performing a principal component analysis on the individual questions of the NDI, mJOA, and SWAL-QOL, 4 factors with eigenvalues > 1 were retained and included in a cluster analysis to assign patients into homogeneous groups of outcomes. Moreover, a subgroup of patients with severe deformity was described and analyzed.

Results: Overall, 134 patients (59% female, mean age ± SD 60.9 ± 10.8 years) were included in this analysis. The mean HRQOL scores were NDI, 49.1 ± 17.6; mJOA, 13.5 ± 2.7; and EQ-5D, 0.7 ± 0.1). The factor analysis involving NDI, SWAL-QOL, and mJOA revealed 4 clusters. Cluster A represented patients with a predominant sleep problem. Cluster B was patients with the lowest neck disability. Cluster C represented the most disabled patients in terms of dysphagia and neck disability. Cluster D represented patients with myelopathy. Among the 71 patients with severe deformity, the distribution of cervical morphotypes significantly differed across the 4 clusters of disability (p = 0.009). Cluster C mainly consisted of patients with cervicothoracic deformity (66.7%, p = 0.002). Cluster D had a large proportion of patients (66.7%) with focal deformity (p = 0.007). In clusters A and B, 57.9% and 46.4% of patients, respectively, presented with "flat neck" deformity (p = 0.02).

Conclusions: Distinct patterns of HRQOL deficits were observed across a heterogeneous population of patients with CD, and these patterns were associated with specific radiographic morphotypes. These findings provide a framework for the next generation of CD classification, wherein HRQOL measures are combined with radiographic parameters.