Impact of implant removal on quality of life and loss of correction in the treatment of traumatic fractures of the thoracolumbar spine.

Background: Benefit of implant removal in spine surgery remains unclear. While there is mostly consensus about necessity of implant removal in posterior-only stabilized patients, the effect of this measure in cases with combined anterior-posterior stabilization is undetermined. With this work we present a retrospective analysis of 87 patients with traumatic thoracolumbar vertebral fractures concerning quality of life (QOL), loss of correction (LOC) and range of motion (ROM). The effect of implant removal on the outcome 18-74 months after surgery was analyzed to determine how implant removal affects radiologic, functional and quality-of life-related parameters. Patients and methods: 87 patients suffering from a traumatic vertebral body fracture (T11 - L2) were included. Quality of life was determined using four different scoring systems (SF 36, VAS, Oswestry, LBOS). Clinical examination included range of motion. Radiologic findings were correlated with QOL. Results: Patients with removal of the internal fixator had a trend towards better range of motion than patients with posterior instrumentation left in place. Radiologic findings showed no correlation to QOL. Implant removal led to better values in Oswestry and SF-36. 69% of patients after removal reported a reduction of their symptoms.All patients with persistence of severe pain after implant removal belonged to subgroup II.2 (anterior monosegmental fusion with bone graft). Conclusion: Removal of the internal fixator can lead to a reduction of symptoms. Patient selection is crucial for successful indication. Radiologic findings do not correlate with QOL.

Injury patterns of the spine following blunt trauma: A per-segment analysis of spinal structures and their detection rates in CT and MRI.

Rationale and objectives: To provide a detailed analysis of injury patterns of the spine following blunt trauma and establish the role of supplementary MRI by evaluating discrepancies in the detection rates of damaged structures in CT and MRI. Method: 216 patients with blunt trauma to the spine who underwent CT followed by supplementary MRI were included in this study. Two board-certified radiologists blinded to clinical symptoms and injury mechanisms independently interpreted all acquired CT and MRI images. The interpretation was performed using a dedicated catalogue of typical findings associated with spinal trauma and assessed for spinal stability using the AO classification systems. Results: Lesions to structures associated with spinal instability were present in 31.0% in the cervical spine, 12.3% in the thoracic spine, and 29.9% in the lumbar spine. In all spinal segments, MRI provided additional information regarding potentially unstable injuries. Novel information derived from supplementary MRI changed clinical management in 3.6% of patients with injury to the cervical spine. No change in clinical management resulted from novel information on the thoracolumbar spine. Patients with injuries to the vertebral body, intervertebral disc, or spinous process were significantly more likely to benefit from supplementary MRI. Conclusion: In patients that sustained blunt spinal trauma, supplementary MRI of the cervical spine should routinely be performed to detect injuries that require surgical treatment, whereas CT is the superior imaging modality for the detection of unstable injuries in the thoracolumbar spine.

Motor Vehicle Accident during Pregnancy with Two Lifes at Risk: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Major trauma is the leading non-pregnancy-related cause of maternal and fetal deaths. In particular, traffic accidents account for the majority of accident causes and present the highest mortality for the mother and fetus. Seat belt use has reduced mortality rates for both the mother and the unborn child, however, certain potential patterns of injury occur due to the restraining mechanical forces of the worn seat belts on the body. Since life-threatening injuries in pregnancy are nevertheless rare, trauma care of pregnant women continues to be an exceptional situation and a particularly stressful situation for the attending physicians, including the fact that two lives are potentially at stake. CASE REPORT: In this article, we report on a patient in the 37th week of pregnancy who was involved in a high-speed trauma as a front passenger of a car. Initially awake as well as responsive and hemodynamically stable, the patient's condition deteriorated on the way to the emergency room (ER). On arrival in the ER, according to the Advanced Trauma Life Support concept, interdisciplinary consensus had to be reached between the departments involved regarding further diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. With the knowledge of the special anatomical and physiological changes in the context of pregnancy, both the mother and the child could be stabilized in order to subsequently gain further important information about the present injury pattern during the performed diagnostics and finally to be able to adequately treat the trauma sequelae. CONCLUSION: Because the care of traumatic life-threatening injuries in pregnancy is rare overall, it poses a special challenge for the attending trauma team in the ER. In order to avert the fatal fate of both the mother and the unborn child, a structured, symptom and patient-oriented interdisciplinary approach is indispensable, especially in these exceptional situations, in order to achieve the best possible outcome for those affected.

The Inverse Spacer-A Novel, Safe, and Cost-Effective Approach in Routine Procedures for Revision Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: A major disadvantage of current spacers for two-stage revision total knee arthroplasty (R-TKA) is the risk of (sub-) luxation during mobilization in the prosthesis-free interval, limiting their clinical success with detrimental consequences for the patient. The present study introduces a novel inverse spacer, which prevents major complications, such as spacer (sub-) luxations and/or fractures of spacer or bone. METHODS: The hand-made inverse spacer consisted of convex tibial and concave femoral components of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement and was intra-operatively molded under maximum longitudinal tension in 5° flexion and 5° valgus position. Both components were equipped with a stem for rotational stability. This spacer was implanted during an R-TKA in 110 knees with diagnosed or suspected periprosthetic infection. Postoperative therapy included a straight leg brace and physiotherapist-guided, crutch-supported mobilization with full sole contact. X-rays were taken before and after prosthesis removal and re-implantation. RESULTS: None of the patients experienced (sub-) luxations/fractures of the spacer, periprosthetic fractures, or soft tissue compromise requiring reoperation. All patients were successfully re-implanted after a prosthesis-free interval of 8 weeks, except for three patients requiring an early exchange of the spacer due to persisting infection. In these cases, the prosthetic-free interval was prolonged for one week. CONCLUSION: The inverse spacer in conjunction with our routine procedure is a safe and cost-effective alternative to other articulating or static spacers, and allows crutch-supported sole contact mobilization without major post-operative complications. Maximum longitudinal intra-operative tension in 5° flexion and 5° valgus position appears crucial for the success of surgery.

A minimally invasive, 3D-fluoroscopy-navigation-guided, 3D-controlled pedicle approach in spine surgery: first reliable results and impact on patient safety.

PURPOSE: Safe pedicle screw placement is a daily challenge to every spine surgeon. Introduction of minimally invasive approaches in spinal surgery led to an impaired facility of inspection of the surgical field increasing the importance of intraoperative imaging and navigation. During the past years, we established a minimally invasive, navigated approach in our clinical setting. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the accuracy of pedicle approaches in patients treated due to traumatic or osteoporotic fractures, spondylitis/discitis, and tumoral lesions. Guide wires for pedicle screws or kyphoplasty cannulas were inserted in a 3D-navigation-guided, minimally invasive technique. Positioning of the guide wires was verified via 3D-scan, and pedicle screws/kyphoplasty cannulas were then visualized via a.p./lateral radiographs. Accuracy data were compared to a standard navigated open approach control group with indications similar to the MIS-group. RESULTS: 23 MIS patients were included in this study (25-84 years, mean 70 years) with a total of 154 placed guide wires. Handling of the navigated Jamshidi needle was easy and secure. The guide wires showed correct placement in 151/154 cases. Three wires (1.9%) needed correction of placement after control scan. There were no vascular or neurologic complications due to wire misplacement. In the open-surgery control group, 7/181 screws (3.9%) needed intraoperative correction presenting no significant difference compared to the correction rate of the MIS-group (p = 0.35). CONCLUSION: Our study shows the feasibility and reliability of a navigation-guided, minimally invasive pedicle approach in the clinical setting. Therefore, reduced morbidity due to minimized approaches can be combined with higher accuracy of navigated pedicle screw/kyphoplasty cannula placement improving patient safety.

Outcome of traumatic intervertebral disk lesions after stabilization by internal fixator.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal treatment of intervertebral disk lesions accompanying thoracolumbar fractures remains controversial. To evaluate short- and medium-term progression of intervertebral disk lesions accompanying vertebral fractures, MRI scans obtained after trauma were compared with scans obtained at an average follow-up of 1 year, by means of our clinically useful classification of traumatic intervertebral disk lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI scans of 54 disks in patients with trauma-induced single-level thoracolumbar fractures were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent posterior stabilization using a titanium internal fixator. Exclusion criteria were malignant vertebral collapse, spondylodiskitis, osteoporotic fractures, and degenerative disk disease in the uninjured disks. Morphologic changes and signal alterations of the adjacent disks were compared using routine MRI scans obtained after trauma and at an average follow-up of 1 year. Disks were divided according to their signals into four categories, from grade 0 to grade 3. RESULTS: Of the disks studied after trauma (n = 54), 27.8% were determined to be grade 0, 31.5% were grade 2, and 40.7% were grade 3. In the follow-up examination, MRI detected grade 0 in 13% of disks. Hence, more than 50% of the disks with grade 0 after trauma changed into grade 2 lesions, resulting in 46.3% grade 2 lesions. Grade 3 disk lesions (40.7%) remained the same without any sign of recovery. CONCLUSION: In the current study, we found progressive disk degradation and creeping in instrumented and nonfused segments in thoracolumbar fractures. For further validation, randomized controlled long-term outcome investigations seem mandatory as the next step in future clinical research.

A clinically useful classification of traumatic intervertebral disk lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Lesions of the intervertebral disk accompanying vertebral fractures are the subject of controversy regarding the extent of surgical intervention, in part due to the lack of a comprehensive classification. The purpose of this study is to present a novel and clinically useful classification system for traumatic disk lesions after vertebral fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI of 204 disks in 102 patients with trauma-induced single-level thoracolumbar fractures referred to our trauma center between 2007 and 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Exclusion criteria were malignant vertebral collapse, spondylodiskitis, osteoporotic fractures, and degenerative disk disease in the uninjured disks. Morphologic changes and signal alterations of the adjacent disks were determined using routine MRI of these patients and a grading system was developed. Disks were divided according to their signals into four categories from grade 0 to grade 3. Intra- and interobserver reliabilities were measured by calculating the Cohen kappa coefficient. RESULTS: Of the 204 disks studied, 28.9% (59/204) were determined to be grade 0 (uninjured), 4.9% (10/204) grade 1 (disk edema), 25.5% (52/204) grade 2 (bleeding/rupture), and 40.7% (83/204) grade 3 (displacement). The kappa value for the intra- and interobserver agreement was 0.96. CONCLUSION: This novel classification may improve communication between spine surgeons and radiologists as well as facilitate clinical decision making in spine surgery. Further studies need to be conducted to verify clinical relevance.

Outcome after operative treatment of Vancouver type B1 and C periprosthetic femoral fractures: open reduction and internal fixation versus revision arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: The rate of periprosthetic femoral fractures after hip arthroplasty is rising and the estimated current lifetime incidence is 0.4-2.1%. While most authors recommend revision arthroplasty in patients with loose femoral shaft components, treatment options for patients with stable stem are not fully elucidated. METHOD: Against this background we performed a retrospective chart analysis with clinical follow-up examination of 32 cases that sustained a Vancouver type B1 or C periprosthetic fracture (stable stem). PATIENTS: Overall 16 cases were treated by open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) by plate osteosynthesis and 16 cases by revision arthroplasty (RA). Both groups were comparable regarding age, gender, follow-up time interval, time interval from primary hip arthroplasty to fracture and rate of cemented femoral components, but more type C fractures were treated by ORIF. RESULTS: Functional outcome expressed by the median timed "Up and Go" test did not differ significantly (30 s ORIF vs. 24 s RA, P = 0.19). However, by comparable systemic complications surgery-related complications were significantly more frequent in plate osteosynthesis (ORIF n = 10 vs. RA n = 3, P = 0.03). Based on our results, further studies, preferable via a multicenter approach, should focus on identifying patients that benefit from ORIF in periprosthetic fractures. A misinterpretation of type B2 fractures with loose implant as type B1 fractures may cause implant failure in case of ORIF. CONCLUSION: The use of angular stable implants, additional cable wires or bone enhancing means is recommended.

Chance Fracture of the Upper Thoracic Spine in a Child.

We report on a three-year-old girl who fell accidentally from the fourth floor. She suffered multiple trauma, including severe head injury, unstable T2-T3 Chance fracture, pneumothorax with lung contusion and serial rib fractures on the left side, liver laceration, splenic injury and fracture of the sacral bone on the right side. The progressive intracranial pressure was released by trepanation and bifrontal craniectomy. The abdominal injuries were treated conservatively. After stabilization of the intracranial situation, dorsal spondylodesis from T2 to T4 was performed employing the cannulated NEON system (Ulrich(®)) with CT-controlled positioning of guide wires. One year on, the implants have been removed and the patient has good function, with only a small atactic dysfunction as residuum. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pediatric Chance fracture located in the upper thoracic spine following a fall from great height that describes how this treatment approach led to a very favorable outcome.

Kinetics of PME/Pi in pig kidneys during cold ischemia.

Quality assessment of renal grafts via (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been investigated since 1986. As ATP concentrations decay rapidly during cold ischemia, the ratio of phosphomonoesters (PME) to inorganic phosphate (Pi(O)) within the organ (PME/Pi(O)) is commonly used as a quality marker and is considered to be the most reliable parameter. MRS did not lead to any delay in the transplantation procedure since it was performed during the time necessary for immunological matching (cross-match). Differences in the time period until transplantation call for extrapolation of the measured ratio to the end of cold ischemia before correlating with graft performance after transplantation. Therefore, quantitative determination of PME/Pi(O) kinetics is essential. As a model for metabolite decay in human renal grafts, pig kidneys obtained from a slaughterhouse were monitored for up to 80 h via (31)P MRS at 2 T. By employing chemical shift imaging (CSI) with a spatial resolution of approximately 1 x 1 x 4 cm(3), it was possible to reduce partial volume effects significantly. The improved spectral resolution gained through CSI enabled reliable PME/Pi(O) ratios to be determined only from those voxels containing renal tissue. Spectra were fitted automatically using the magnetic resonance user interface (MRUI), with prior knowledge obtained from unlocalized spectra when necessary. A monoexponential time dependence of PME/Pi(O) for histidine-tryptophane-alpha-ketoglutarate (HTK)-perfused kidneys during cold ischemia was observed, and the determined value of the decay constant alpha was 0.0099 +/- 0.0012 h(-1). In University of Wisconsin solution (UW)-perfused kidneys, an alpha of 0.0183 +/- 0.0053 h(-1) was determined. Determination of the decay constant enables a usable extrapolation of PME/Pi(O) for quality assessment of UW perfusion and a reliable extrapolation for HTK-perfused human renal grafts.

Distribution of Spinal and Associated Injuries in Multiple Trauma Patients.

Injury to the spinal column and cord are often part of life-threatening multiple trauma. Epidemiological data could help to establish an evidence-based assessment and therapy of these patients. We present a retrospective chart analysis of 590 multiple traumatized patients admitted within a 4-year-period. Patients suffering from injuries of the spinal column were analysed regarding mechanism and distribution of their injuries to all body regions. Thirty-one percent (n = 183) of polytraumatized patients displayed a spine injury. Distribution analysis showed peaks in the cervical spine and the thoraco-lumbar junction. The risk of relevant associated injuries is mainly influenced from anatomical vicinity to the injured spinal segment. Injuries to the spinal column are frequent in the multiple trauma patients population. Diagnosed injuries to distinct body regions should make the trauma team suspicious of injury to the nearby spinal column. Appropriate treatment includes thorough assessment of all injuries to clarify the damage and carry on special protection of these spinal regions preventing from deterioration.

Diagnosis, Timing and Treatment of Cervical Spine Injuries in Polytraumatized Patients.

Treatment of polytrauma patients has been discussed extensively during the past decades. Management in the prehospital phase, on admission, and in the early postoperative/ICU-period has to refer to injury severity, priority of injuries, and likelihood of development of multi organ failure. Cervical spine injuries are reported in 4-34% of polytrauma cases. Securing the cervical spine by a hard collar is one of the basic procedures in the prehospital phase. Different strategies of assessing the cervical spine are still discussed controversially. Since plain radiographs, CT-scan, MRI, and flexion/extension fluoroscopy still play a role in early diagnosis of cervical spine injury, we present an analysis of cervical spine injuries in our multiple trauma patients to elucidate our algorithm. We reviewed our data between January 2003 and December 2006 concerning epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of cervical spine injury in polytrauma patients. Multislice-CT (MSCT) or Multidetector-CT was used as standard diagnostic procedures in the polytraumatized patient. In 97% of patients, CT-scanning showed to be a reliable tool in detecting injuries of the cervical spine. Only in two patients (3%), additional MRI lead to a change in treatment strategy. Of 66 polytraumatized patients with significant cervical spine injury, 25 (37.9%) received surgical treatment within 24 h. Sixteen patients (24.2%) were treated surgically after stabilization on ICU. There was a better outcome concerning length of hospitalization in the "day-onesurgery" group. We consider MSCT as standard approach towards diagnosis of cervical spine injury in polytrauma patients. MRI and flexion/extension fluoroscopy can give additional information in selected cases.

Improved pretransplant assessment of renal quality by means of phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy using chemical shift imaging.

BACKGROUND: Phosphorus-31 (P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been evaluated in several studies for pretransplant assessment of renal viability. As an indicator of graft quality, the ratio of phosphomonoesters (PME) to an organ's inorganic phosphate (Pio) is the parameter of choice. However, exact calculation of the PME/Pio ratio is disturbed by interference from the signal of phosphorus contained in the preservation solution (Pip). In this article, the authors present an improvement attained by using volume selective P-MRS using chemical shift imaging (CSI) enabling reduction in the disturbing influence of Pip. METHODS: Sixteen renal grafts were investigated using a 2.0-T whole-body scanner and a cross-coil setting with an active decoupled receiver coil. P-CSI was used to measure two-dimensional spectra of a 4-cm slice of the graft in a 12 x 12 matrix. Peaks of each spectrum were fitted with magnetic resonance user interface-MatLab software using VarPro and the mean PME/Pio ratio was calculated. RESULTS: Significant correlation between the PME/ Pio ratio and clinical kidney function was found. In comparison to former trials using PME/Pio ratios calculated from non-volume-selective spectra, the correlation outcome improved significantly. Furthermore, overlay of CSI-spectra matrix and corresponding slice image of the kidney illustrates the origin of different signals in the spectra. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' work demonstrates that the PME/Pio ratio calculated from CSI spectra is a reliable indicator of viability of renal grafts. Early knowledge of graft quality may allow therapy to be adapted to the conditions of the organ, for example, by initial withholding of nephrotoxic calcineurin-inhibitors in kidneys with high risk of delayed graft function.