Infinity: A Prospective Trial for Safety and Accuracy of Navigated Posterior Cervical and Thoracic Instrumentation in long-segment Fusions.

STUDY DESIGN: Unblinded single-arm prospective clinical trial. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate safety and accuracy of navigation for placement of posterior cervicothoracic instrumentation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Computer assisted stereotactic navigation for placement of spinal instrumentation has been widely studied and implemented in the thoracic and lumbar spine. However less literature exists regarding the use of computer assisted navigation for posterior cervical instrumentation, particularly with lateral mass fixation. Here we present the first prospective study of navigated cervical lateral mass screw placement for cervicothoracic fusion. METHODS: Patients who met indications for posterior cervical fusion were screened, consented, and enrolled preoperatively for instrumentation with Medtronic Infinity Occipital-Cervical-Thoracic implants, with use of intraoperative O-arm and stereotactic Stealth navigation. Postoperative CTs of the instrumented levels were obtained during the same hospital admission. Primary outcome of the trial was safety. Secondary outcomes were screw accuracy assessed by Gertzbein-Robbins grade, neurologic exams, and patient reported outcomes on the PROMIS 29 questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients underwent surgery, and 557 screws were placed. There were no adverse events related to the use of navigation or screw malposition. Gertzbein-Robbins grade A or B placement comprised 95% of navigated screws. There was a decrease in positive Hoffmann sign rate postoperatively, and sensory and motor exams remained stable. There was improvement in patient reported pain and sleep domains. CONCLUSIONS: Navigation for cervicothoracic instrumentation is safe overall and leads to high rates of accurately placed screws. Longer term follow up could provide more insight to whether the use of this technology results in durable improvement in spinal alignment parameters and patient reported outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Retinal Tear and Retinal Detachment Following Cataract Surgery in Eyes with a Previous History of Treated Phakic Retinal Tears.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and outcomes of retinal tear (RT) and retinal detachment (RD) after cataract extraction in patients with a history of previous phakic RT. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SUBJECTS: Phakic eyes with RT that were successfully treated with laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy and subsequently underwent cataract surgery. METHOD: A retrospective review of phakic eyes treated for RTs between April 1, 2012 and May 31, 2023 was performed. Exclusions included prior vitreoretinal surgery before cataract removal and follow-up of less than 6 months post-cataract surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The incidence of RTs and RDs after cataract surgery, along with visual and anatomic outcomes. RESULTS: Of 12,109 phakic eyes treated for RTs, 1039 (8.6%) eyes underwent cataract surgery. After exclusions, 713 eyes of 660 patients were studied. The mean (standard deviation, SD) follow-up period post-cataract surgery was 34.8 (24.6) months with a median of 239 and 246 days to a new RT or RD development. The overall incidence for diagnosis of post-cataract surgery RT and RD was 7.3% (52/713) (2.9% and 4.3%, respectively), with a one-year incidence of 5.6% (2.2% and 3.4%, respectively). Multivariable regression analysis identified a higher risk of RT/RD among younger individuals (odds ratio [OR] 1.034; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.004-1.065, P=0.028), males (OR 2.058; 95% CI 1.110-3.816, P=0.022), and those with shorter interval between laser treatment and cataract surgery (OR 1.001; 95% CI 1.001-1.001, P=0.011). Single surgery anatomic success for the RD repair was achieved in 25 eyes (80.6%) at 3 months, with a 100% final reattachment rate. The median final logMAR visual acuity was 0.10 (20/25) for RT, showing no significant change from post-cataract surgery, and 0.18 (20/30) for RD, a significant worsening from after cataract surgery. CONCLUSION: One year post-cataract surgery, the rate of diagnosed RT and RD in patients with previously treated RTs was relatively high, occurring in nearly 1 in 18 eyes. Higher risk was noted among younger individuals, males, and patients with a shorter interval between initial treatment for RT and cataract surgery. RD repair achieved good anatomical results, but vision declined.

Microbial etiology of vertebral osteomyelitis/discitis amid the opioid epidemic.

OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of this study was to establish the current microbial trends in vertebral osteomyelitis/discitis (VOD) amid the opioid epidemic and to determine if intravenous drug use (IVDU) predisposes one to a unique microbial profile of infection. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective cohort study consisting of 1175 adult patients diagnosed with VOD between 2011 and 2022 at a single quaternary center. Data were acquired through retrospective chart review, with pertinent demographic and clinical information collected. RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureus was the most cultured organism in both the IVDU and non-IVDU groups at 56.1% and 40.7%, respectively. In the IVDU cohort, Serratia marcescens was the next most prevalently cultured organism at 13.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that in the IVDU population S. marcescens is an organism of high concern. The potential for Serratia spp. infection should be accounted for when selecting empirical antimicrobial therapy in VOD patients.

Rotational Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Lateral Repair of Thoracic Cerebrospinal Fluid-Pleural Fistula: Case Report.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Giant calcified thoracic discs are challenging surgical pathologies that tend to be more centrally located and calcified. This complicates the removal process and potentiates the formation of dural defects, resulting in persistent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and the formation of pleural fistulas. The typical intervention for this is CSF diversion through external ventricular drain or lumbar drain placement, followed by direct repair. However, if all these measures fail, subsequent salvage techniques have not been described previously. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old man with past medical history of obesity (body mass index: 58), hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to the emergency department with thoracic myelopathy symptoms. MR demonstrated a giant calcified thoracic discs at T7-T8 with severe spinal cord compression. Intraoperatively, the disc was found fused to the dura and removal caused a large ventrolateral dural dehiscence. CSF diversion and direct repair were attempted unsuccessfully, so a salvage procedure with a rotational pedicled latissimus dorsi flap was performed. The patient's latissimus dorsi was exposed and resected from attachments, maintaining thoracodorsal blood supply, while removing thoracodorsal innervation. The flap was then rotated into the previous corpectomy site. The dural defect was repaired with a sealant patch, overlayed with a parietal pleural flap and the latissimus dorsi flap. By the patient's last follow-up, he had full functional independence at home. CONCLUSION: We present a surgical case highlighting the challenges of managing postoperative CSF-pleural fistula occurring after giant calcified thoracic disc removal and the successful use of a novel rotational latissimus dorsi flap to definitively repair the fistula after unsuccessful primary interventions.

VITREORETINAL OUTCOMES FOLLOWING SECONDARY INTRAOCULAR LENS IMPLANTATION WITH PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY.

BACKGROUND: Retrospective cohort study of 561 adult patients undergoing secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation by vitreoretinal surgeons at a single institution from April 2015 to December 2020. METHODS: Patient historical factors, intraoperative/postoperative complications, and outcomes of IOL type (anterior chamber IOL versus scleral sutured IOL versus scleral fixated IOL versus. sulcus) were assessed. Primary outcomes were rates of postoperative retinal tears and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Secondary outcomes were rates of intraoperative endolaser, intraoperative retinal tear, and further IOL surgery. RESULTS: The incidence of intraoperative retinal tears was 7.3% and not significantly different between techniques. Rates of intraoperative endolaser use were 17.5% among all techniques and not significantly different between techniques. Rates of postoperative retinal tear were low (0%-2.7%). Rates of postoperative rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were not significantly different between techniques (anterior chamber IOL 9/198 [4.5%], SFIOL 1/54 [1.9%], scleral sutured IOL 14/274 [5.1%], sulcus 2/35 [5.7%], total 26/561 [4.6%], P = 0.79). Rates of repeat IOL surgery trended higher in sulcus lenses (anterior chamber IOL 5/198 [2.5%], SFIOL 4/54 [7.4%], scleral sutured IOL 16/274 [5.8%], sulcus 5/35 [14.3%], total 30/561 [5.3%], P = 0.12). CONCLUSION: Intraoperative endolaser use and intraoperative retinal tear are not uncommon in secondary IOL surgery and underscore the importance of careful vitreoretinal management among these patients.

SUPRACHOROIDAL TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE FOR REFRACTORY POSTOPERATIVE CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA.

PURPOSE: To investigate outcomes of suprachoroidal triamcinolone acetonide (XIPERE, Bausch + Lomb) for the treatment of refractory postoperative cystoid macular edema. METHODS: Medical records of patients receiving suprachoroidal triamcinolone acetonide for postoperative cystoid macular edema were reviewed. Primary outcomes were visual acuity and central foveal thickness. RESULTS: A total of 32 eyes from 32 patients with a median (interquartile range) follow-up duration of 6 (2-7) months and 1 (1-2) suprachoroidal triamcinolone acetonide injection were included; 19 (59.4%) had a history of vitrectomy. The median (interquartile range) central foveal thickness decreased from 492 (379-629) µm to 267 (187-388) µm at 1 month (P < 0.001), 362 (218-521) µm at 3 months (P = 0.005), and 339 (206-514) µm at the final visit (P < 0.001). The median logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution visual acuity improved from 0.65 (0.48-0.97, 20/89) at baseline to 0.54 (0.35-0.88, 20/69) (P = 0.058) at 1 month, 0.54 (0.33-0.84, 20/69) at 3 months (P = 0.121), and 0.60 (0.33-0.88, 20/80) at the final visit (P = 0.021). Vitrectomized eyes had similar findings. Six eyes (18.8%) developed elevated intraocular pressure (>24 mmHg) (range: 25-49 mmHg) with a median intraocular pressure elevation of 13.5 mmHg compared with baseline, and all had prior glaucoma or ocular hypertension. CONCLUSION: Suprachoroidal triamcinolone acetonide reduced macular edema and improved vision in refractory postoperative cystoid macular edema, including vitrectomized eyes. Intraocular pressure should be monitored, especially in those with a history of glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Structure-aware dual-target drug design through collaborative learning of pharmacophore combination and molecular simulation.

Dual-target drug design has gained significant attention in the treatment of complex diseases, such as cancers and autoimmune disorders. A widely employed design strategy is combining pharmacophores to leverage the knowledge of structure-activity relationships of both targets. Unfortunately, pharmacophore combination often struggles with long and expensive trial and error, because the protein pockets of the two targets impose complex structural constraints. In this study, we propose AIxFuse, a structure-aware dual-target drug design method that learns pharmacophore fusion patterns to satisfy the dual-target structural constraints simulated by molecular docking. AIxFuse employs two self-play reinforcement learning (RL) agents to learn pharmacophore selection and fusion by comprehensive feedback including dual-target molecular docking scores. Collaboratively, the molecular docking scores are learned by active learning (AL). Through collaborative RL and AL, AIxFuse learns to generate molecules with multiple desired properties. AIxFuse is shown to outperform state-of-the-art methods in generating dual-target drugs against glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3ß) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3). When applied to another task against retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γ-t (RORγt) and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), AIxFuse exhibits consistent performance while compared methods suffer from performance drops, leading to a 5 times higher performance in success rate. Docking studies demonstrate that AIxFuse can generate molecules concurrently satisfying the binding mode required by both targets. Further free energy perturbation calculation indicates that the generated candidates have promising binding free energies against both targets.

Machine Learning in Spine Oncology: A Narrative Review.

STUDY DESIGN: Narrative Review. OBJECTIVE: Machine learning (ML) is one of the latest advancements in artificial intelligence used in medicine and surgery with the potential to significantly impact the way physicians diagnose, prognose, and treat spine tumors. In the realm of spine oncology, ML is utilized to analyze and interpret medical imaging and classify tumors with incredible accuracy. The authors present a narrative review that specifically addresses the use of machine learning in spine oncology. METHODS: This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) methodology. A systematic review of the literature in the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases since inception was performed to present all clinical studies with the search terms '[[Machine Learning] OR [Artificial Intelligence]] AND [[Spine Oncology] OR [Spine Cancer]]'. Data included studies that were extracted and included algorithms, training and test size, outcomes reported. Studies were separated based on the type of tumor investigated using the machine learning algorithms into primary, metastatic, both, and intradural. A minimum of 2 independent reviewers conducted the study appraisal, data abstraction, and quality assessments of the studies. RESULTS: Forty-five studies met inclusion criteria out of 480 references screened from the initial search results. Studies were grouped by metastatic, primary, and intradural tumors. The majority of ML studies relevant to spine oncology focused on utilizing a mixture of clinical and imaging features to risk stratify mortality and frailty. Overall, these studies showed that ML is a helpful tool in tumor detection, differentiation, segmentation, predicting survival, predicting readmission rates of patients with either primary, metastatic, or intradural spine tumors. CONCLUSION: Specialized neural networks and deep learning algorithms have shown to be highly effective at predicting malignant probability and aid in diagnosis. ML algorithms can predict the risk of tumor recurrence or progression based on imaging and clinical features. Additionally, ML can optimize treatment planning, such as predicting radiotherapy dose distribution to the tumor and surrounding normal tissue or in surgical resection planning. It has the potential to significantly enhance the accuracy and efficiency of health care delivery, leading to improved patient outcomes.

Google Search Trends to Assess Public Interest and Concern About Pegcetacoplan for the Treatment of Geographic Atrophy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess global trends in interest surrounding the newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for geographic atrophy, (GA), Syfovre (pegcetacoplan), and related searches. METHODS: We utilized Google Trends, in order to gauge the public interest in "Syfovre" from October 16, 2022, to October 8, 2023. RESULTS: Notable spikes in relative search volumes (RSV)s for "Syfovre" were observed in mid-to-late February 2023, and in March and April 2023, coinciding with the drug's FDA approval and introduction to the market. Of the various side effects, retinal vasculitis garnered the most significant attention, with a sharp rise in RSV in mid-July 2023. Geographic variation was evident, with the highest RSVs for "Syfovre" originating from users on the East Coast. CONCLUSION: Google Trends proves to be a useful tool for gaining insight into public interest in pegcetacoplan as a treatment for GA. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:XX-XX.].

Pars plana vitrectomy and scleral-fixated intraocular lenses: comparison of Gore-Tex suture and flanged intrascleral haptic fixation techniques.

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical outcomes of combined pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and secondary scleral fixation of an intraocular lens (IOL) using Gore-Tex suture versus flanged intrascleral haptic fixation (FIHF) using double needles. DESIGN: Single-centre retrospective cohort series. PARTICIPANTS: Eyes undergoing PPV with simultaneous scleral fixation of an IOL. METHOD: Eyes that underwent fixation of a Bausch & Lomb Akreos AO60 or enVista MX60E IOL using Gore-Tex suture or a Tecnis ZA9003 or Zeiss CT LUCIA 602 IOL using FIHF were included. The primary outcome was change from baseline visual acuity to postoperative month 3. Secondary outcomes included deviation from refractive target aim and rates of postoperative complications. RESULTS: Seventy-nine eyes of 72 patients were included. Mean (±SD) follow-up was 16 ± 10.5 months (range, 4.5-45.2 months). Fifty-three eyes (67.1%) underwent Gore-Tex suture fixation, and 26 eyes (32.9%) underwent FIHF. Across all eyes, mean visual acuity improved from 1.30 ± 0.74 logMAR (20/399 Snellen equivalent) preoperatively to 0.36 ± 0.36 logMAR (20/45 Snellen equivalent) at 3 months (p < 0.001). No difference in visual acuity at month 3 was noted between the 2 techniques (p = 0.34). Mean deviation from refractive target aim was not significantly different between the Gore-Tex and FIHF groups (+0.14 ± 1.33 D vs -0.16 ± 0.88 D; p = 0.45). Reoperation rates were similar between groups (2 of 53 eyes in the Gore-Tex group vs 3 of 26 eyes in the FIHF group; p = 0.32). CONCLUSION: Combined PPV and scleral fixation of IOLs with Gore-Tex suture and FIHF resulted in similar improvements in visual acuity. No significant differences in refractive outcome and postoperative complication profiles were noted.

A Comparative Study of Responses to Retina Questions from Either Experts, Expert-Edited Large Language Models, or Expert-Edited Large Language Models Alone.

Objective: To assess the quality, empathy, and safety of expert edited large language model (LLM), human expert created, and LLM responses to common retina patient questions. Design: Randomized, masked multicenter study. Participants: Twenty-one common retina patient questions were randomly assigned among 13 retina specialists. Methods: Each expert created a response (Expert) and then edited a LLM (ChatGPT-4)-generated response to that question (Expert + artificial intelligence [AI]), timing themselves for both tasks. Five LLMs (ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4, Claude 2, Bing, and Bard) also generated responses to each question. The original question along with anonymized and randomized Expert + AI, Expert, and LLM responses were evaluated by the other experts who did not write an expert response to the question. Evaluators judged quality and empathy (very poor, poor, acceptable, good, or very good) along with safety metrics (incorrect information, likelihood to cause harm, extent of harm, and missing content). Main Outcome: Mean quality and empathy score, proportion of responses with incorrect information, likelihood to cause harm, extent of harm, and missing content for each response type. Results: There were 4008 total grades collected (2608 for quality and empathy; 1400 for safety metrics), with significant differences in both quality and empathy (P < 0.001, P < 0.001) between LLM, Expert and Expert + AI groups. For quality, Expert + AI (3.86 ± 0.85) performed the best overall while GPT-3.5 (3.75 ± 0.79) was the top performing LLM. For empathy, GPT-3.5 (3.75 ± 0.69) had the highest mean score followed by Expert + AI (3.73 ± 0.63). By mean score, Expert placed 4 out of 7 for quality and 6 out of 7 for empathy. For both quality (P < 0.001) and empathy (P < 0.001), expert-edited LLM responses performed better than expert-created responses. There were time savings for an expert-edited LLM response versus expert-created response (P = 0.02). ChatGPT-4 performed similar to Expert for inappropriate content (P = 0.35), missing content (P = 0.001), extent of possible harm (P = 0.356), and likelihood of possible harm (P = 0.129). Conclusions: In this randomized, masked, multicenter study, LLM responses were comparable with experts in terms of quality, empathy, and safety metrics, warranting further exploration of their potential benefits in clinical settings. Financial Disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of the article.

A novel technique for decortication of the lumbar facet joints for posterolateral fusion with percutaneous exposure: A cadaveric feasibility study.

Background: Percutaneous approaches to the spine have been explored recently for various procedures, including transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. It is known that facet decortication leads to higher rates of fusion, but effective percutaneous approaches have not been well documented. There are a set of instruments used in the cervical spine for percutaneous decortication, the CORUS™ Spinal System-X (DI# 00852776006508), which may be useful in this setting. Our aim was to investigate the feasibility of decorticating the lumbar facet joints with these instruments in cadavers to aid in minimally invasive lumbar fusion. Methods: We performed percutaneous facet joint decortication at each facet joint in the lumbar spine in two adult cadavers. We tested varying degrees of laterality for entry points and angulation for access at each level to optimize the innovative procedure. Results: When using the CORUS™ Spinal System-X to obtain percutaneous access for facet decortication in the lumbar spine, we successfully dissected down to the facet joint without neurovascular injury. At the L1-L2 and L2-L3 levels, access was best obtained at 4 cm from midline with an angulation of 10°. At the L3-L4 and L4-L5 level, access was best obtained at 4 cm from midline with an angulation of 20°. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that percutaneous lumbar facet joint decortication is feasible with the CORUS™ Spinal System-X instruments, and warrants further, comparative study in the clinical setting.

ChatGPT enters the room: what it means for patient counseling, physician education, academics, and disease management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review seeks to provide a summary of the most recent research findings regarding the utilization of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot, in the field of ophthalmology in addition to exploring the limitations and ethical considerations associated with its application. RECENT FINDINGS: ChatGPT has gained widespread recognition and demonstrated potential in enhancing patient and physician education, boosting research productivity, and streamlining administrative tasks. In various studies examining its utility in ophthalmology, ChatGPT has exhibited fair to good accuracy, with its most recent iteration showcasing superior performance in providing ophthalmic recommendations across various ophthalmic disorders such as corneal diseases, orbital disorders, vitreoretinal diseases, uveitis, neuro-ophthalmology, and glaucoma. This proves beneficial for patients in accessing information and aids physicians in triaging as well as formulating differential diagnoses. Despite such benefits, ChatGPT has limitations that require acknowledgment including the potential risk of offering inaccurate or harmful information, dependence on outdated data, the necessity for a high level of education for data comprehension, and concerns regarding patient privacy and ethical considerations within the research domain. SUMMARY: ChatGPT is a promising new tool that could contribute to ophthalmic healthcare education and research, potentially reducing work burdens. However, its current limitations necessitate a complementary role with human expert oversight.

Protocol to generate traceable CAR T cells for syngeneic mouse cancer models.

The efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy is limited by insufficient infiltration and activation of T cells due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Preclinical studies with optimized mouse CAR T cells in immunocompetent mouse cancer models will help define the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance. Here, we present a protocol for preparing mouse T cells and generating CAR T cells. We then detail procedures for testing their therapeutic efficacy and tracking them in a syngeneic mouse glioma model. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zhang et al.1.

Sub-Diffraction Correlation of Quantum Emitters and Local Strain Fields in Strain-Engineered WSe2 Monolayers.

Strain-engineering in atomically thin metal dichalcogenides is a useful method for realizing single-photon emitters (SPEs) for quantum technologies. Correlating SPE position with local strain topography is challenging due to localization inaccuracies from the diffraction limit. Currently, SPEs are assumed to be positioned at the highest strained location and are typically identified by randomly screening narrow-linewidth emitters, of which only a few are spectrally pure. In this work, hyperspectral quantum emitter localization microscopy is used to locate 33 SPEs in nanoparticle-strained WSe2 monolayers with sub-diffraction-limit resolution (≈30 nm) and correlate their positions with the underlying strain field via image registration. In this system, spectrally pure emitters are not concentrated at the highest strain location due to spectral contamination; instead, isolable SPEs are distributed away from points of peak strain with an average displacement of 240 nm. These observations point toward a need for a change in the design rules for strain-engineered SPEs and constitute a key step toward realizing next-generation quantum optical architectures.

CT guided biopsy for osteodiscitis reduces cost of hospitalization in the landscape of increasing intravenous drug use: A single center retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Osteodiscitis has been demonstrated to show significant morbidity and mortality. Cultures and CT guided biopsy (CTB) are commonly used diagnosis of osteodiscitis. This study's purpose is to evaluate the cost burden of CTB and to evaluate how IVDU affects patient management in the setting of osteodiscitis. METHODS: Patients admitted for osteodiscitis from 2011-2021 were retrospectively reviewed and stratified into cohorts by CTB status. Additional cohorts were stratified by Intravenous Drug Use (IVDU). Patient demographics, total cost of hospitalization, length of hospitalization, time to biopsy, IVDU status, and other factors were recorded. T-Test, Chi-squared analysis, and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Total cost of hospitalization was recorded for 140 patients without CTB and 346 patients with CTB. Average cost of hospitalization for non-CTB was $227,317.86 compared to CTB at $119,799.20 (p < 0.001). Length of stay (LOS) was found to be 18.01 days for non-CTB and 14.07 days for CTB patients (0.00282). When stratified by days until biopsy, patients who had CTB sooner, had significantly reduced cost of hospitalization (p = 0.0003). Patients with IVDU history were significantly younger (p < 0.001) with lower BMI (p < 0.001) and a significantly different clinical profile. There was a significant difference in positive open biopsy when separated by IVDU status (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: CTB was associated with significantly reduced cost of hospitalization and LOS compared to non-CTB. IVDU patients with osteodiscitis have significantly different clinical profiles than non-IVDU that may impact diagnosis and treatment. Further work is indicated to elucidate causes of these differences to provide high value care to patients with osteodiscitis.

Impact of obesity on adult spinal deformity (ASD) long-segment spinal fusion radiographic and clinical outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of patients receiving long-segment fusion during a five-year period. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether obese patients receive comparable benefits when receiving long-segment fusion compared to non-obese patients and to identify factors that may predict hardware failure and post-surgical complications among obese patients. METHODS: Demographic, spinopelvic radiographic, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and complications data was retrospectively collected from 120 patients who underwent long-segment fusion during a five-year period at one tertiary care medical center. Radiographic measurements were pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt (PT), lumbar lordosis, L4-S1 lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, sagittal vertical axis, PI-LL mismatch, and proximal junction cobb angle at upper instrumented vertebrae + 2 (UIV+2). PROMs were Oswestry disability index, numeric rating scale (NRS) Back Pain, NRS Leg Pain, RAND SF-36 pain, and RAND SF-36 physical functioning. Included patients were adults and had at least 2-years of postoperative follow-up. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis was performed with α = 0.05. RESULTS: Patients with a BMI ≥ 30 (n=63) and patients with a BMI < 30 (n=57) demonstrated comparable improvements (P>0.05) for all spinopelvic radiographic measurements and PROMs. Each cohort demonstrated significant improvements from pre-assessment to post-assessment on nearly all spinopelvic radiographic measurements and PROMs (P<0.05), except PT and L4-S1 lordosis where neither group improved (p=0.95 and 0.58 for PT and P=0.23 and 0.11 for L4-S1 lordosis fornon-obese and obese cohorts respectively) and SF-36 physical functioning where the non-obese cohort not statistically improve (P=0.08). Patients with a BMI ≥ 30 demonstrated an increased incidence of cardiovascular complications (P=0.0293), acute kidney injury (P=0.0241), rod fractures (P=0.0293), and reoperations (P=0.0241) when compared to patients with a BMI < 30. CONCLUSION: This study adds to a growing body of evidence linking demographic factors with risks of hardware failure. Further, this data challenges the assumption that obese patients may not receive sufficient benefit to be long-segment surgical candidates. However, given their elevated risk for post-operative and delayed hardware complications, obese patients should be appropriately counseling before undergoing surgery.

Risk factors for surgical failure after primary scleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for surgical failure after scleral buckling (SB) for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair. DESIGN: Single-centre retrospective consecutive case series. PARTICIPANTS: All patients who underwent SB for repair of primary RRD at Wills Eye Hospital between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018, were included. METHODS: Single-surgery anatomic success (SSAS) rate and risk factors associated with surgical failure were evaluated. A multivariable logistic regression model was completed to assess the effect of demographic, clinical, and operative variables on SSAS rate. RESULTS: A total of 499 eyes of 499 patients were included. Overall SSAS rate was 86% (n = 430 of 499). Using multivariate analysis, surgical failure was more likely in males (adjusted odds ratio [adjusted OR] = 2.98; 95% CI, 1.58-5.62; p = 0.0007) with a macula-off status on preoperative examination (adjusted OR = 2.15; 95% CI, 1.10-4.20; p = 0.03) and preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy (adjusted OR = 4.26; 95% CI, 1.10-16.5; p = 0.04). Time interval between initial examination and surgery (p = 0.26), distribution of buckle or band material used (p = 0.88), and distribution of tamponade used (p = 0.74) were not significantly different between eyes with and without surgical failure. CONCLUSION: Male sex, macula-off status, and preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy were factors with increased odds of surgical failure after SB for primary RRD repair. Operative characteristics, such as type of band or use of tamponade, were not associated with surgical failure.

Use of global sagittal flexibility to predict proximal junctional kyphosis after spinal deformity surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Sagittal alignment is an important predictor of functional outcomes after surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD). A rigid spinal column may create a large lever arm that may impact the rate of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) after ASD surgery. In this study, the authors sought to determine whether relatively low preoperative global spinal flexibility (i.e., rigid spine) predicts increased incidence of PJK at 1 year after ASD surgery. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed long-segment thoracolumbar fusions with pelvic fixation performed at a single tertiary care center between October 2015 and September 2020 in patients with a minimum of 1-year radiographic and clinical follow-up. Two cohorts were established on the basis of the optimal value for spinal flexibility, as defined by the absolute difference between the preoperative standing and supine C7 sagittal vertical axes, which the authors termed global sagittal flexibility (GSF). Demographic information, radiographs, various associated complications, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis using GSF to predict an increase in the proximal junctional sagittal Cobb angle (PJCA) greater than or equal to 10° at 1-year follow-up provided an area under the curve of 0.64 and identified an optimal GSF threshold value of 3.7 cm. Patients with GSF > 3.7 cm were considered globally flexible (48 patients), and those with GSF ≤ 3.7 cm were classified as rigid (37 patients). Rigid patients were noted to have a significantly higher risk of ΔPJCA ≥ 10° at 1-year follow-up (51.4% vs 29.3%, p = 0.049). No changes in the reoperation rates or PROMs based on GSF were observed in the 1- or 2-year postoperative window. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these retrospective data, preoperative global spinal rigidity portends an independently elevated risk for the development of PJK after ASD surgery. No differences in other complication rates or PROMs data were observed between groups. Data collection was limited to a 2-year postoperative window; therefore, longer follow-up is required to further elucidate the relationship between rigidity and reoperation rates. Based on these retrospective data, flexibility may influence the outcomes of patients with ASD.