Admission levels of serum biomarkers have additive and cumulative prognostic value in traumatic brain injury.

Elevated levels of CNS-derived serum proteins are associated with poor outcome in traumatic brain injury (TBI), but the value of adding acute serum biomarker levels to common clinical outcome predictors lacks evaluation. We analyzed admission serum samples for Total-Tau (T-Tau), Neurofilament light chain (Nfl), Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) in a cohort of 396 trauma patients including 240 patients with TBI. We assessed the independent association of biomarkers with 1-year mortality and 6-12 months Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) score, as well as the additive and cumulative value of biomarkers on Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Marshall Score for outcome prediction. Nfl and T-Tau levels were independently associated with outcome (OR: Nfl = 1.65, p = 0.01; T-Tau = 1.99, p < 0.01). Nfl or T-Tau improved outcome prediction by GCS (Wald Chi, Nfl = 6.8-8.8, p < 0.01; T-Tau 7.2-11.3, p < 0.01) and the Marshall score (Wald Chi, Nfl = 16.2-17.5, p < 0.01; T-Tau 8.7-12.4, p < 0.01). Adding T-Tau atop Nfl further improved outcome prediction in majority of tested models (Wald Chi range 3.8-9.4, p ≤ 0.05). Our data suggest that acute levels of serum biomarkers are independently associated with outcome after TBI and add outcome predictive value to commonly used clinical scores.

Coccydynia-The Efficacy of Available Treatment Options: A Systematic Review.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic Review. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of available treatment options for patients with persistent coccydynia through a systematic review. METHODS: Original peer-reviewed publications on treatment for coccydynia were identified using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines by performing a literature search of relevant databases, from their inception to January 17, 2020, combined with other sources. Data on extracted treatment outcome was pooled based on treatment categories to allow for meta-analysis. All outcomes relevant to the treatment efficacy of coccydynia were extracted. No single measure of outcome was consistently present among the included studies. Numeric Rating Scale, (NRS, 0-10) for pain was used as the primary outcome measure. Studies with treatment outcome on adult patients with chronic primary coccydynia were considered eligible. RESULTS: A total of 1980 patients across 64 studies were identified: five randomized controlled trials, one experimental study, one quasi-experimental study, 11 prospective observational studies, 45 retrospective studies and unpublished data from the DaneSpine registry. The greatest improvement in pain was achieved by patients who underwent radiofrequency therapy (RFT, mean Visual Analog Scale (VAS) decreased by 5.11 cm). A similar mean improvement was achieved from Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT, 5.06), Coccygectomy (4.86) and Injection (4.22). Although improved, the mean change was less for those who received Ganglion block (2.98), Stretching/Manipulation (2.19) and Conservative/Usual Care (1.69). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the progressive nature of treatment for coccydynia, starting with noninvasive methods before considering coccygectomy. Non-surgical management provides pain relief for many patients. Coccygectomy is by far the most thoroughly investigated treatment option and may be beneficial for refractory cases. Future randomized controlled trials should be conducted with an aim to compare the efficacy of interventional therapies amongst each other and to coccygectomy.

The efficacy of coccygectomy in patients with persistent coccydynia.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of coccygectomy in patients with persistent coccydynia and coccygeal instability. METHODS: The Danish National Spine Registry, DaneSpine, was used to identify 134 consecutive patients who underwent surgery, performed by a single surgeon between 2011 and 2019. Routine demographic data, surgical variables, and patient-reported outcomes, including a visual analogue scale (VAS) (0 to 100) for pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D), and the Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) were collected at baseline and one-year postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 112 (84%) patients with a minimum follow-up of one year had data available for analysis. Their mean age was 41.9 years, and 15 (13%) were males. At 12 months postoperatively, there were statistically significant improvements (p < 0.001) from baseline for the mean VAS for pain (70.99 to 35.34), EQ-5D (0.52 to 0.75), ODI (31.84 to 18.00), and SF-36 PCS (38.17 to 44.74). A total of 78 patients (70%) were satisfied with the outcome of treatment. CONCLUSION: Patients with persistent coccydynia and coccygeal instability resistant to nonoperative treatment may benefit from coccygectomy. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(3):542-546.

Opioid tapering after spine surgery: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients are often prescribed opioids at discharge from hospital following surgery. Several studies have shown that a large number of patients do not taper off but continue to use opioids after surgery. Tapering plans and follow-up after discharge may reduce opioid consumption. METHODS: This is a single-centre, investigator-initiated, randomized, controlled trial. One hundred and ten preoperative opioid users, scheduled to undergo spine surgery at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, are randomized into two groups: 1) an intervention group receiving an individually customized tapering plan at discharge combined with telephone counselling one week after discharge; 2) a control group receiving no tapering plan or telephone counselling. The primary outcome is number of patients exceeding their preoperative intake one month after discharge. Secondary outcomes are withdrawal symptoms during the first month after discharge, number of patients tapering off to zero three months after discharge, patient satisfaction and contacts with the health care system within the first two weeks after discharge. CONCLUSION: Our study is expected to provide valuable information on opioid tapering after surgery in patients with preoperative opioid use.

Repair of myelomeningocele using autologous amnion graft and local flaps. A report of two cases.

We describe two cases where autologous amnion grafts were used to cover the neurosurgical repair of myelomeningocele (MMC) and the reconstructive flaps used for the skin defects. MMC is a severe fetal defect that evolves during embryonic development as a result of the neural tubes failure to close. In postnatal MMC closure, early timing of surgical repair is essential. We found that a free amnion graft is a viable choice in reconstructive surgery for myelomeningocele and that a multidisciplinary surgical team involving obstetrician, neurosurgeon and plastic surgeon is essential.

A retrospective study of infections after primary VP shunt placement in the newborn with myelomeningocele without prophylactic antibiotics.

PURPOSE: We aim to correlate the frequency of infections after ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement in neonates with myelomeningocele (MMC) who did not receive prophylactic antibiotics to the timing of VP shunt placement and the frequency of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage at the MMC wound. METHODS: Fifty-nine newborns with MMC underwent VP shunt insertion in the period 1983-2007. We reviewed retrospectively all records. RESULTS: After MMC closure, 24 out of 59 newborns had an infection. The relative risk (RR; 95%) of having an infection is significantly higher [RR = 4,69 (1.145397-19.23568; P = .03761817)], and neuroinfection showed a tendency towards RR = 3.5 (.7067445-17.03112; P = .15414095) in newborns without symptomatic hydrocephalus at birth when we had a wait-and-watch policy (late shunt placement) compared with newborns with prompt shunt placement. The RR (95%) of having an infection [RR = 6,8 (3.314154-13.95228; P = 1.235e-07)] and also neuroinfections [RR = 4,76 (2.043019-11.09025; P = .00044478)] was highly significant if the child presented with MMC wound with CSF leakage before VP shunt insertion (Table 3). CONCLUSIONS: Centers with a conservative antibiotic policy should be even more careful to avoid CSF leakage before shunt placement as this gives a highly significant increased risk of both infections in total and neuroinfections, and they should reconsider this conservative policy in newborns with MMC due to the significantly high infection rate.