Super-Obesity is Associated With an Increased Risk of Complications Following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30, is an ever-growing epidemic, with > 35% of adults in the United States currently classified as obese. Super-obese individuals, defined as those who have a BMI ≥ 50, are the fastest-growing portion of this group. This study sought to quantify the infection risk as well as the incidence of surgical, medical, and thromboembolic complications among super-obese patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: An all-payer claims database was used to identify patients who underwent elective, primary TKA between 2016 and 2021. Patients who had a BMI ≥ 50 were compared to those who had a normal BMI of 18 to 25. Demographics and the incidence of 90-days postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups. Univariate analysis and multivariable regression were used to assess differences between groups. RESULTS: In total, 3,376 super-obese TKA patients were identified and compared to 17,659 patients who had a normal BMI. Multivariable analysis indicated that the super-obese cohort was at an increased postoperative risk of periprosthetic joint infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1 to 6.4, P < .001), pulmonary embolism (aOR 2.2, 95%-CI: 1.0 to 5.0, P = .047), acute respiratory failure (aOR 4.1, 95%-CI: 2.7 to 6.1, P < .001), myocardial infarction (aOR 2.5, 95%-CI: 1.1 to 5.8, P = .026), wound dehiscence (aOR 2.3, 95%-CI: 1.4 to 3.8, P = .001), and acute renal failure (aOR 3.2, 95%-CI: 2.4 to 4.2, P < .001) relative to patients who have normal BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Super-obese TKA patients are at an elevated risk of postoperative infectious, surgical, medical, and thromboembolic complications. As such, risk stratification, as well as appropriate medical management and optimization, is of utmost importance for this high-risk group.

The Evolution of Risk Assessment in Spine Surgery: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Risk assessment is critically important in elective and high-risk interventions, particularly spine surgery. This narrative review describes the evolution of risk assessment from the earliest instruments focused on general surgical risk stratification, to more accurate and spine-specific risk calculators that quantified risk, to the current era of big data. METHODS: The PubMed and SCOPUS databases were queried on October 11, 2023 using search terms to identify risk assessment tools (RATs) in spine surgery. A total of 108 manuscripts were included after screening with full-text review using the following inclusion criteria: 1) study population of adult spine surgical patients, 2) studies describing validation and subsequent performance of preoperative RATs, and 3) studies published in English. RESULTS: Early RATs provided stratified patients into broad categories and allowed for improved communication between physicians. Subsequent risk calculators attempted to quantify risk by estimating general outcomes such as mortality, but then evolved to estimate spine-specific surgical complications. The integration of novel concepts such as invasiveness, frailty, genetic biomarkers, and sarcopenia led to the development of more sophisticated predictive models that estimate the risk of spine-specific complications and long-term outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: RATs have undergone a transformative shift from generalized risk stratification to quantitative predictive models. The next generation of tools will likely involve integration of radiographic and genetic biomarkers, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to improve the accuracy of these models and better inform patients, surgeons, and payers.

The Incidence of Vertebral Artery Injury in Cervical Spine Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Previously reported estimates of vertebral artery injuries (VAIs) during cervical spine surgery relied on self-reported survey studies and retrospective cohorts, which may not be reflective of national averages. The largest study to date reports an incidence of 0.07%; however, significant variation exists between different cervical spine procedures. This study aimed to identify the incidence of VAIs in patients undergoing cervical spine procedures for degenerative pathologies. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, a national insurance database was used to access data from the period 2010-2020 of patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, anterior corpectomy, posterior cervical fusion (C3-C7), or C1-C2 posterior fusion for degenerative pathologies. Patients who experienced a VAI were identified, and frequencies for the different procedures were compared. RESULTS: This study included 224,326 patients, and overall incidence of VAIs across all procedures was 0.03%. The highest incidence of VAIs was estimated in C1-C2 posterior fusion (0.12%-1.10%). The number of patients with VAIs after anterior corpectomy, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, and posterior fusion was 14 (0.06%), 43 (0.02%), and 26 (0.01%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study to date to our knowledge that provides frequencies of VAIs in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery in the United States. The overall incidence of 0.03% is lower than previously reported estimates, but significant variability exists between procedures, which is an important consideration when counseling patients about risks of surgery.

Delivery of Growth Factors to Enhance Bone Repair.

The management of critical-sized bone defects caused by nonunion, trauma, infection, malignancy, pseudoarthrosis, and osteolysis poses complex reconstruction challenges for orthopedic surgeons. Current treatment modalities, including autograft, allograft, and distraction osteogenesis, are insufficient for the diverse range of pathology encountered in clinical practice, with significant complications associated with each. Therefore, there is significant interest in the development of delivery vehicles for growth factors to aid in bone repair in these settings. This article reviews innovative strategies for the management of critical-sized bone loss, including novel scaffolds designed for controlled release of rhBMP, bioengineered extracellular vesicles for delivery of intracellular signaling molecules, and advances in regional gene therapy for sustained signaling strategies. Improvement in the delivery of growth factors to areas of significant bone loss has the potential to revolutionize current treatment for this complex clinical challenge.

The Role of Psychosocial Screening in Patient Selection for Spine Surgery: A Review.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this review is to provide a brief history of previous attempts at developing patient screening tools and to further examine the definitions of these psychological concepts, relevance to clinical outcomes, and implications for spine surgeons during preoperative patient assessments. METHODS: A literature review was performed by 2 independent researchers to identify original manuscripts related to spine surgery and novel psychological concepts. The history of presurgical psychology screening was also studied, and definitions of frequently utilized metrics were detailed. RESULTS: Seven manuscripts were identified that utilized psychological metrics for preoperative risk assessments and correlated outcomes with these scores. The metrics most frequently used in the literature included resilience, patient activation, grit, and self-efficacy. DISCUSSION: Current literature favors resilience and patient activation as important metrics for preoperative patient screening. Available studies demonstrate significant associations between these character traits and patient outcomes. Further research is warranted to investigate the roles of preoperative psychological screening to optimize patient selection in spine surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The purpose of this review is to provide clinicians with a reference for available psychosocial screening tools and their relevance to patient selection. This review also serves to guide future research directions given the importance of this topic.

Recurrence Rates of Dorsal Wrist Ganglion Cysts After Arthroscopic Versus Open Surgical Excision: A Retrospective Comparison.

BACKGROUND: This study directly compares the recurrence rates of dorsal wrist ganglion cysts in patients treated via open surgical excision versus arthroscopic surgical excision. We hypothesized that there would be no difference between recurrence rates with these 2 surgical options. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all patients with a dorsal ganglion cyst undergoing either open or arthroscopic surgical excision at a single academic center with 3 fellowship-trained attending hand surgeons from 2012 to 2017. Charts were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes and were reviewed using postoperative office notes for preoperative and postoperative symptoms, episodes of recurrence, time at which recurrence occurred, subsequent operations, and outcome at final follow-up. RESULTS: The charts of 172 patients undergoing either arthroscopic or open dorsal ganglion excision were reviewed. Nine of 54 (16.7%) arthroscopic excisions resulted in cyst recurrence, while 8 of 118 (6.8%) open excisions resulted in cyst recurrence (P = .044). Two of 9 (22%) recurrences after arthroscopic ganglion excision versus 2 of 8 (25%) recurrences after open ganglion excision underwent repeat surgical intervention. Time to recurrence, as well as final follow-up, was not statistically different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Dorsal wrist ganglion cysts are the most common benign soft tissue mass of the upper extremity, but it remains unknown whether arthroscopic or open surgical excision leads to lower recurrence rate. Scant literature exists directly comparing these 2 methods of surgical excision. This study suggests that open excision of dorsal wrist ganglia leads to a lower recurrence rate than does arthroscopic excision.

Contraindications to magnetically controlled growing rods: consensus among experts in treating early onset scoliosis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe contraindications to the magnetically controlled growing rod (MCGR) in patients with early onset scoliosis (EOS) by establishing consensus amongst expert surgeons who treat these patients frequently. METHODS: Nine pediatric spine surgeons from an international EOS study group participated in semi-structured interviews via email to identify factors that influence decision making in the use of MCGR. A 39-question survey was then developed to specify these factors as contraindications for MCGR-these included patient age and size, etiology, medical comorbidities, coronal and sagittal curve profiles, and skin and soft tissue characteristics. Pediatric spine surgeons from the EOS international study group were invited to complete the survey. A second 29-item survey was created to determine details and clarify results from the first survey. Responses were analyzed for consensus (> 70%), near consensus (60-69%), and no consensus/variability (< 60%) for MCGR contraindication. RESULTS: 56 surgeons of 173 invited (32%) completed the first survey, and 64 (37%) completed the second survey. Responders had a mean of over 15 years in practice (range 1-45) with over 6 years of experience with using MCGR (range 2-12). 71.4% of respondents agreed that patient size characteristics should be considered as contraindications, including BMI (81.3%) and spinal height (84.4%), although a specific BMI range or a specific minimum spinal height were not agreed upon. Among surgeons who agreed that skin and soft tissue problems were contraindications (78.6%), insufficient soft tissue (98%) and skin (89%) to cover MCGR were specified. Among surgeons who reported curve stiffness as a contraindication (85.9%), there was agreement that this curve stiffness should be defined by clinical evaluation (78.2%) and by traction films (72.3%). Among surgeons who reported sagittal curve characteristics as contraindications, hyperkyphosis (95.3%) and sagittal curve apex above T3 (70%) were specified. Surgeons who indicated the need for repetitive MRI as a contraindication (79.7%) agreed that image quality (72.9%) and not patient safety (13.6%) was the concern. In the entire cohort, consensus was not achieved on the following factors: patient age (57.4%), medical comorbidities (46.4%), etiology (53.6%), and coronal curve characteristics (58.9%). CONCLUSION: Surgeon consensus suggests that MCGR should be avoided in patients who have insufficient spinal height to accommodate the MCGR, have potential skin and soft tissue inadequacy, have too stiff a spinal curve, have too much kyphosis, and require repetitive MRI, particularly of the spine. Future data-driven studies using this framework are warranted to generate more specific criteria (e.g. specific degrees of kyphosis) to facilitate clinical decision making for EOS patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V-expert opinion.

Spinal fusion in pediatric patients with marfan syndrome: a nationwide assessment on short-term outcomes and readmission risk.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to utilize the National Readmission Database (NRD) to determine estimates for complication rates, 90-day readmission rates, and hospital costs associated with spinal fusion in pediatric patients with Marfan syndrome. METHODS: The 2012-2015 NRD databases were queried for all pediatric (< 19 years old) patients diagnosed with Marfan syndrome undergoing spinal fusion surgery. The primary outcome variables in this study were index admission complications and 90-day readmissions. RESULTS: A total of 249 patients with Marfan syndrome underwent spinal fusion surgery between 2012 and 2015 (mean age ± standard deviation at the time of surgery: 14 ± 2.0, 132 (53%) female). 25 (10.1%) were readmitted within 90 days of the index hospital discharge date. Overall, 59.7% of patients experienced at least one complication during the index admission. Unplanned 90-day readmission could be predicted by older age (odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3-4.2, p = 0.006), Medicaid insurance status (56.0, 3.8-820.0, p = 0.003), and experiencing an inpatient medical complication (42.9, 4.6-398.7, p = 0.001). Patients were readmitted for wound dehiscence (8 patients, 3.2%), nervous system related complications (3 patients, 1.2%), and postoperative infectious related complications (4 patients, 1.6%). CONCLUSION: This study is the first to demonstrate on a national level the complications and potential risk factors for 90-day hospital readmission for patients with Marfan syndrome undergoing spinal fusion. Patients with Marfan syndrome undergoing spinal fusion often present with multiple medical comorbidities that must be managed carefully perioperatively to reduce inpatient complications and early hospital readmissions.

Symptomatic cervical spinal stenosis in spastic cerebral palsy.

AIM: To describe the prevalence of symptomatic cervical spinal stenosis (CSS) in spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and associated characteristics. METHOD: This cross-sectional study of adults (>18y) with CP (2006-2016) at a single institution compared the patient characteristics (demographics, comorbidities, surgical history, medications, Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] level, and CP type) of patients with and without CSS. RESULTS: Of 424 patients (mean age 33y 4mo, SD 13y 6mo, range 18-78y; 225 females, 199 males), 32 patients (7.5%) had symptomatic CSS. GMFCS levels in the study cohort were distributed as follows: level I, 25%; level II, 25%; level III, 22%; level IV, 19%; level V, 9%. Twenty-five out of 32 (78.1%) patients had spastic CP, two (6.3%) had dystonic CP, and one (3.1%) had mixed characteristics. Individuals with CSS were older (mean age 54y 6mo, SD 10y 5mo vs mean age 31y 7mo, SD 12y 1mo, p<0.05) and had a higher body mass index (26.1, SD 4.8 vs 23.4, SD 6.2, p<0.05) than those without CSS. Presentations included upper-extremity symptoms (73%), ambulation decline (70%), neck pain (53%), and incontinence (30%). Common stenosis levels were C5-C6 (59%), C4-C5 (56%), and C6-C7 (53%). INTERPRETATION: Symptomatic CSS was identified in 7.5% of this adult cohort during the 2006 to 2016 period. Diagnosis in CP is difficult due to impaired communication and pre-existing gait abnormalities and spasticity. Given the high prevalence of symptomatic CSS in adults, we propose developing screening guidelines. Physicians must maintain a high level of suspicion for CSS if patients present with changes in gait or spasticity.

Variability in stable sagittal vertebra (SSV) during full-length biplanar xrays can affect the choice of fusion levels in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

PURPOSE: Surgical planning for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) relies on the coronal and sagittal plane to determine the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV). Failure to include the stable sagittal vertebra (SSV) within the construct can increase the incidence of postoperative distal junctional kyphosis (DJK). The purpose of this study is to assess the variability of SSV within patients and to identify positional parameters that may lead to its change. METHODS: This is a case-control study of AIS patients with changes in SSV throughout serial radiographs. Radiographic sagittal parameters and hand positioning for the patients with changes in SSV were compared to patients with stable SSV. Additionally, a subgroup analysis was conducted to compare the positional parameters of only the patients with changes in SSV. RESULTS: 46 patients with a mean age of 15 ± 1.8 years old at the time of surgery were included in this study. 33/76 (43.4%) image pairs were found to have a change in SSV. Positional parameters associated with the more distally measured SSV were found to have a more negative sagittal vertebral axis (p = 0.001), more positive pelvic shift (p = 0.023), and more negative Global Sagittal Axis (p = 0.001) when compared to the more proximally measured SSV. CONCLUSION: Significant variability exists in the determination of SSV in AIS patients undergoing serial radiographs. Positional parameters associated with the proximal and distally measured SSV also have variability which indicates that posture has a significant impact on this measure. Surgeons need to be aware of SSV variability during preoperative planning and must consider multiple parameters for the determination of LIV. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Skip constructs in spinal muscular atrophy: outcomes of a novel approach for posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion.

PURPOSE: Many children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) develop progressive spinal deformity, worsening already compromised pulmonary function and global spinal balance. Early results demonstrate that intrathecal administration of nusinersen, a recent FDA-approved drug, improves motor function and ventilator-free survival, necessitating preservation of intrathecal access when considering PSIF. The purpose of this study is to assess medium-term outcomes of a specialized approach for posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion (PSIF) to preserve intrathecal access in patients with SMA. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with SMA undergoing PSIF at a single tertiary academic medical center during a 3-year period was completed. To facilitate intrathecal drug administration, the traditional approach to PSIF was modified to "skip" one or more intervertebral levels at the thoracolumbar junction. Clinical notes and radiographs were reviewed for postoperative outcomes including major coronal curve correction and complications, including loss of correction, hardware failure and surgical revision. RESULTS: Eight patients were identified, with a mean age of 12.7 ± 1.6 years and follow-up of 4 years. These patients had a mean preoperative major coronal curve of 56.4°, with mean curve correction of 35.2°. At follow-up, no patients experienced rod breakage, loss of correction, or postoperative chronic pain. Only one patient required revision surgery due to bony overgrowth at the skipped level after three and a half years. CONCLUSION: Implementing the skip construct approach for PSIF in patients with SMA allows for scoliosis correction without compromising intrathecal drug delivery. Follow-up at 4 years reveals no adverse clinical events, hardware failure or loss of correction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Lumbar Spine Injuries in Sports: Review of the Literature and Current Treatment Recommendations.

Low back pain is one of the most prevalent complaints of athletes at all levels of competition. The purpose of this literature review is to provide an overview of sport-specific injuries and treatment outcomes that can be used by healthcare providers to better recognize injury patterns and treatment options for different groups of athletes. To our knowledge, no prior comprehensive review of lumbar spine injuries in sports is currently available in the literature, and it is essential that healthcare providers understand the sport-specific injury patterns and treatment guidelines for athletes presenting with low back pain following an athletic injury. Injury mechanisms were found to vary significantly by sport, although some broad recommendations can be made with regards to optimal treatment for these injuries and return to play. Additionally, it was found that certain treatments were more beneficial and resulted in higher rates of return to play depending on the specific sport of the injured athlete. Healthcare providers need to be aware of the different injury patterns seen in specific sports in order to properly evaluate and treat these injuries. Furthermore, an individualized treatment plan needs to be selected in a sport-specific context in order to meet the needs of the athlete in the short and long term.