International Journal of Spine Surgery最新文献

Background: Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) and oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) are widely used for treating spondylolisthesis patients, but there is no randomized controlled trial study that directly compared OLIF and MIS-TLIF.

Methods: Sixty patients who underwent single-level surgery at L4 to L5 were randomly allocated to the MIS-TLIF or OLIF group. Primary clinical outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) of back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and EQ-5D-5L. Secondary outcomes were radiological outcomes including disc height (DH), foraminal height (FH), foraminal area (FA), cross-sectional area of spinal canal, spinal canal diameter, and fusion rates.

Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in clinical outcomes from baseline to each subsequent postoperative period. Predicted mean change (95% CI) in VAS back, VAS leg, ODI scores, and EQ-5D-5L were -3.9 (-4.6 to -3.1), -5.6 (-6.2 to -5.1), -15.7 (-19.0 to -12.5), and 25.4 (21.3-29.6), respectively. Clinical differences in both groups over total follow-up were not statistically significant: VAS back -0.38 (-0.87 to 0.11); P = 0.18, VAS leg: -0.40 (-0.81 to 0.02); P = 0.08, ODI: 0.4 (-1.9 to 2.8); P = 0.7 and EQ-5D-5L: 0.1 (-1.9 to 2.2); P = 0.9. Radiological parameters significantly improved from baseline to early postoperation in both groups. Changes in DH, FH, and FA were lower in MIS-TLIF compared with OLIF. The cross-sectional area of spinal canal change was higher in MIS-TLIF compared with OLIF. Spinal canal diameter change was not different between groups. Fusion rates were similar in both groups.

Conclusions: Patient-reported outcomes were significantly improved in both MIS-TLIF and OLIF groups without significant differences between both procedures. OLIF demonstrated advantages in restoration of DH, FH, FA, and lower intraoperative blood loss compared with MIS-TLIF.

Clinical relevance: Both MIS-TLIF and OLIF offer comparable clinical benefits for patients with single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis. However, OLIF may be preferred in cases where greater restoration of disc and foraminal dimensions and reduced intraoperative blood loss are desired.

Level of evidence: 1:

Study design: Cross-sectional survey study BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly integrated into various aspects of medicine, including medical research. However, the scope and manner in which early-career surgeons utilize AI tools in their research remain inadequately understood.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the frequency and specific applications of AI tools in medical research among early-career surgeons, including their perceptions, concerns, and outlook regarding AI in research.

Methods: A survey comprising 25 questions was distributed among members of an international club of early-career spine surgeons (<10 years of experience). The survey assessed demographics, AI tool utilization, access to AI training resources, and perceptions of AI benefits and concerns in research.

Results: Sixty early-career surgeons participated, with 86.7% reporting AI tool use in their research. ChatGPT was the most frequently utilized tool, with a usage rate of 93.1%. AI tools were primarily used for grammatical proofreading (69.6%) and rephrasing (64.3%), while 26.8% of participants used AI for statistical analysis. While 80.4% perceived improved efficiency as a key benefit, 70.0% expressed concerns about reliability. None of the participants had received formal AI training, and only 15.0% had access to AI mentors. Despite these challenges, 91.6% anticipated a positive long-term impact of AI on research.

Conclusion: AI tools are widely adopted among early-career surgeons for various research tasks, extending from text generation to data analysis. However, the absence of formal training and concerns regarding the reliability of AI tools underscore the necessity of training for AI integration in medical research.

Clinical relevance: This study provides timely insights into AI adoption patterns among early-career surgeons, highlighting the urgent need for formal AI training programs to ensure responsible research practices.

Level of evidence: 4:

Objective: This study introduces the application of a 12° endoscope in unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) decompression surgery for lumbar disc herniation and discusses its advantages in UBE procedures.

Methods: From December 2019 to December 2020, 75 patients (33 men and 42 women) were treated with UBE decompression using a 12° endoscope. Patient ages ranged from 26 to 78 years (mean 53.2). Pre- and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) scores for low back and leg pain were recorded. Surgical outcomes were evaluated using MacNab criteria, with operative time and complications documented.

Results: The 12° endoscope demonstrated superior maneuverability with a distortion-free visual field. Compared with 30° endoscopes, it showed better applicability within the anatomical working triangle while providing broader visualization than 0° endoscopes. This enabled effective decompression of the superior articular process medial edge, nerve root canal, and lateral recess. Low back pain VAS scores decreased from 7.3 ± 1.3 to 1.9 ± 1.2 (P < 0.001), while leg pain scores improved from 8.1 ± 1.8 to 1.6 ± 1.0 (P < 0.001). At the 12-month follow-up, MacNab criteria outcomes were excellent in 65.3%, good in 25.3%, and unsatisfactory in 9.3% of cases (χ ² test, P = 0.002).

Conclusion: The 12° endoscope demonstrates clinical value as a feasible, safe, and effective option for UBE surgery in lumbar disc herniation treatment.

Clinical relevance: Key clinical advantages of the 12° endoscope include direct visualization of key anatomical structures, minimized bone resection (particularly at the medial spinous process base), and a reduction in instrument crowding. These technical benefits contribute to effective decompression, improved patient outcomes (as measured by VAS and MacNab criteria), and potentially a shorter learning curve for surgeons adopting the UBE technique.

Level of evidence: 3:

Peripheral injury-induced movement disorders encompass a broad spectrum of conditions characterized by involuntary movements resulting from injuries to the peripheral nervous system. While most reported cases are associated with traumatic events-such as nerve lacerations-surgical interventions are also recognized as potential triggers of such disorders. This article aims to report a rare presentation of dancing dorsal quadrilateral syndrome (DDQS) following spinal surgery with instrumentation. A 63-year-old man presented with back pain and neck pain and was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease. He underwent thoracic spinal fusion with pedicle screw instrumentation to correct hyperkyphosis. Six months after surgery, he began to experience a burning pain in the bilateral subscapular region along with abnormal and involuntary movements in the dorsal musculature. The motor unit potential followed an ascending-descending pattern, and these findings were compatible with dyskinesia, specifically DDQS. A joint management approach with a clinical neurologist was indicated, including the prescription of muscle relaxants and the administration of botulinum toxin in the dorsal quadrilaterals, resulting in partial improvement of the condition. Treatment options range from addressing afferent nerve injury, which can sometimes be curative in some focal dyskinesias, to the use of botulinum toxin for symptomatic relief, as presented in the above case. Additional research is warranted to better understand the pathophysiology of DDQS and to optimize treatment strategies for this uncommon but clinically significant condition.

Background: Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) often struggles to provide sufficient lordotic alignment restoration. The choice of cage design, including its height and lordotic angle, is critical. This study compares 2 expandable cage designs in MIS-TLIF: one that increases only disc height (group H) and another that expands both height and lordosis (group HL).

Methods: Seventy-five patients who underwent navigation-assisted MIS-TLIF using expandable cages were reviewed. These included 35 cases using expandable cages that increase only height (group H) and 40 cases using cages that expand both height and lordosis (group HL). Clinical outcomes, including a numeric rating scale of back pain, leg pain, and Oswestry Disability Index and radiographic parameters, including disc height, lordotic angle, subsidence, and fusion rates, were evaluated.

Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in clinical outcomes, with no differences between groups. Postoperative disc and foraminal height increased significantly. At the 1-year follow-up, group HL demonstrated greater improvements in segmental lordosis (4.0° ± 3.3° vs 1.9° ± 5.4°, P = 0.018) and disc angle (5.8° ± 4.1° vs 1.9° ± 4.2°, P < 0.001) compared with group H. The overall fusion rate was 92%, and the overall subsidence rate was 32%, which decreased to 20% after the first 20 cases. No neurological injuries occurred, and there were no significant differences in complications between the groups.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that MIS-TLIF with expandable cages designed to increase lordosis offers superior improvement in segmental lordosis at the 1-year follow-up, compared with expandable cages that only expand disc height. Both cage designs achieved high fusion rates and showed similar clinical outcomes.

Clinical relevance: The surgeon's experience in the use of expandable cages is a critical factor in reducing the risk of cage subsidence, a complication that may adversely affect clinical outcomes.

Level of evidence: 3:

Hemorrhagic facet cysts are a rare condition including both synovial and ganglion cysts. Here, the authors present the first-ever reported case of a hemorrhagic ganglion cyst of the facet joint at L1 to L2 causing cauda equina syndrome. In this report, a 72-year-old woman presented with symptoms of cauda equina syndrome requiring urgent surgical consideration. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography showed an extradural mass at the L1 to L2 level. Due to the giant size of the cyst, there was severe compression of the thecal sac and nerve roots. The patient underwent interlaminar contralateral decompression and cystectomy using a uniportal endoscopic approach. The patient had a quick postoperative recovery, with postoperative magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine showing recovery of the facet cyst with no sign of recurrence or stenosis. This case demonstrates the successful surgical technique of interlaminar endoscopic contralateral decompression combined with cystectomy, showing that a hemorrhagic ganglion cyst at the facet at L1 to L2 can be removed completely under endoscopic view.

Background: During lumbar total joint replacement (LTJR), component misalignment during implantation may affect the bearing surface interaction. In this study, validated computational models of the lumbar spine were used to investigate a range of clinically relevant misalignment scenarios.

Methods: A finite element model (FEM) of the LTJR, exposed to mode I (normal wear) and mode IV (impingement) wear boundary conditions, was previously validated following the ASME V&V 40 standard. The LTJR FEM was virtually implanted into a previously validated FEM of the lumbar spine (L3-L5) at L4 to L5. The model included vertebrae, major spinal ligaments, erector muscle forces, and intervertebral discs. Misalignment was introduced by adjusting the bilateral implant axial plane convergence angle (20°-40°), anterior-posterior offset (0-4 mm), and coronal plane tilt (±20°). Analyses were conducted using LS-DYNA3D (ANSYS) under boundary conditions simulating bending at the waist. Contact pressures and von Mises stresses were evaluated for each misalignment scenario and compared with those developed during mode I and mode IV impingement scenarios.

Results: Axial plane convergence angle had minimal impact on contact stress and von Mises stress magnitude and distribution. Increasing anterior-posterior offset led to higher stresses on the anteriorly shifted component but did not significantly alter the overall stress pattern. Coronal tilt had the most substantial effect on both stress magnitude and distribution.

Conclusion: Overall, polyethylene stresses in all misalignment scenarios remained below mode IV impingement levels. Contact areas remained within the intended spherical bearing surfaces without signs of impingement. LTJR contact stresses were found to be reasonably insensitive to misalignment under boundary conditions representing bending at the waist.

Clinical relevance: This work assesses the impact of clinically relevant implant misalignment scenarios on the polyethylene stresses associated with damage and wear for a novel LTJR and offers best practice guidelines for surgeons.

Level of evidence: 5:

Background: Adult isthmic spondylolisthesis often remains stable in adulthood, but progressive neural compression can occur due to scar tissue, bony overgrowth, and disc degeneration. Conventional endoscopic techniques such as the interlaminar or transforaminal approaches may be limited by anatomical constraints in adult isthmic spondylolisthesis, making complete decompression difficult.

Methods: A 70-year-old man presented with bilateral leg pain and neurogenic claudication. Imaging revealed bilateral L4 to L5 lateral recess narrowing, L5 foraminal stenosis, and a bulging L5 to S1 disc compressing the extraforaminal nerve roots. A novel craniocaudal interlaminar approach via unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery was used to decompress the central and contralateral foraminal regions. The residual ipsilateral extraforaminal lesion was accessed through a separate full endoscopic transforaminal approach. Three incisions of 7 mm each were used.

Results: The patient experienced immediate and significant relief of radicular symptoms and improved function and was discharged the next day. At 18-month follow-up, he remained pain-free and without new-onset back pain or signs of instability.

Conclusions: This is the first reported case combining unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery and full endoscopic spine surgery. The approach enabled full decompression from central to extraforaminal zones with minimal invasiveness. This dual-endoscopic strategy may serve as a model for treating complex spine cases not amenable to single-approach techniques.

Level of evidence: 4:

Background: This study aimed to compare a 3-dimensional (3D)-printed titanium cage with a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage in biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (BETLIF) using a double cage construct, evaluate differences in fusion stability and subsidence between the 2 cage types, and analyze factors influencing subsidence.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 89 patients who underwent BETLIF using a double cage (3D-printed titanium, 48 levels; PEEK, 46 levels). Fusion status and subsidence were assessed using dynamic plain lateral lumbar spine radiographs and computed tomography images at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Fusion was graded according to the Bridwell system, and significant subsidence was defined as ≥2 mm endplate depression on computed tomography. Demographic and clinical variables, including age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, history of tobacco smoking, diabetes mellitus, bone mineral density measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, cage length, and cage material, were collected and analyzed as potential risk factors.

Results: At 1-year follow-up, fusion grades were I (75.0%, 36 levels), II (20.8%, 10 levels), and III (4.2%, 2 levels) for 3D-printed titanium and I (53.2%, 25 levels), II (40.4%, 19 levels), and III (6.4%, 3 levels) for PEEK. The overall fusion rate (grades I and II) was similar for both cages (95.8% vs 93.6%, P = 0.629), but grade I was more prevalent with 3D-printed titanium than with PEEK (75.0% vs 53.2%, P = 0.027). No significant differences were observed in subsidence or complications between the 2 cages. Multivariate analysis revealed age as the only variable significantly associated with subsidence in BETLIF.

Conclusions: Both double 3D-printed titanium and PEEK cages demonstrated high fusion rates with no significant differences in overall success. However, double 3D-printed titanium cages showed better early fusion grades and comparable subsidence to that of PEEK cages. Although long-term follow-up is necessary to ascertain efficacy, these findings suggest that 3D-printed titanium cages offer advantages in early fusion quality in BETLIF. Further research is needed to optimize cage arrangement, cage design, and surgical techniques to improve outcomes.

Clinical relevance: The use of double 3D-printed titanium cages is recommended in BETLIF.

Level of evidence: 3:

Background: There are currently no studies that directly compare the previously established 2-dimensional (2D) sagittal technique with 3-dimensional (3D) templating for C2 pedicle screw.

Objective: To verify the accuracy of sagittal radiological analysis for safe placement of a C2 pedicle screw by performing a direct comparison between 2D planning with 3D templating methods.

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, forty-six sets of computed tomography scans that contained 2-mm bony cuts and 2D reconstructions in the axial, sagittal, and coronal planes of skeletally mature patients were analyzed. StealthStation S7 (Medtronic Surgical Navigation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States) trajectory planning was used to plan the ideal placement, maximum diameter pedicle screw into the C2 pedicle. Based on the parameters of ≤3 mm screw diameter as high risk, >3 mm and <5 mm as moderate risk, and ≥5 mm as low risk, frequency and percentage values were calculated for the left, right, and bilateral pedicle screws.

Results: Out of the 46 patients analyzed in this study, only 1 patient (2.2%) was classified as low risk (≥5 mm) bilaterally, 5 were classified as high risk (≤3 mm) bilaterally (10.8%), and 25 patients (54.3%) showed variability in pedicle width between the left and right sides. With analysis of both left and right pedicle, 7 out of 92 pedicles (7.6%) analyzed were classified as low risk (≥5 mm), 67 out of 92 (72.8%) were at moderate risk (>3 mm and <5 mm), and 18 out of 92 (19.6%) were at high risk (≤3 mm).

Conclusion: Both the previously described 2D sagittal planning method and the current 3D templating method allow for accurate preoperative planning for the placement of ≤4 mm C2 pedicle screws, which is important given the limited availability and amount of resources utilized for the 3D templating model. However, the 3D templating method more precisely identifies C2 pedicles where 3.0 to 4.5 mm screws can feasibly be placed.

Level of evidence: 3: