Lumbar Fixation Using the Cortical Bone Trajectory Fixation: A Single Surgeon's Experience With 3-Year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Pedicle screw fixation with a cortical bone trajectory (CBT) has emerged as an effective alternative to traditional techniques of lumbar fusion, especially in osteoporotic patients. The proposed benefits of CBT screws include a stronger grip in the elderly and osteoporotic population and low surgical morbidity. We present a prospective study with a 3-yr follow-up of 80 patients operated on by the same surgeon. OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcomes of the CBT technique in patients with at least 3-yr follow-up. METHODS: Eighty patients who underwent lumbar fusion using the CBT fixation by the same surgeon were included in the study. The outcomes, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), back pain visual analog scale (VAS), leg pain VAS, walking distance, opioid use, nonopioid analgesia use, and EuroQol 5D-5L index were measured preoperatively and during the 1- and 3-yr postoperative follow-up visits. Time from surgery, indication for surgery, intervertebral cage insertion, body mass index (BMI), and their interactions were analyzed as predictors in a separate mixed-effects model for each outcome. We assessed all outcomes as 1 group of patients, but we also elaborated on a classification scheme based on a combination of radiological and dynamical assessment of microinstability, macroinstability, and spondylolisthesis. RESULTS: The relationship between the outcomes and time showed considerable interpatient heterogeneity because all intercepts (all P < .001) and the linear trend temporal slopes for walking distance (P = .019) and nonopioid analgesics use (P < .001) varied across patients. The intercepts and the linear trend slopes for nonopioid use were significantly correlated (P = .039). Time from surgery significantly predicted all outcomes (P < .001). Intervertebral cage insertion was associated with significantly less opioid use (P = .017). The indication for surgery significantly modified the effect of time on the ODI (P = .042) and the VAS for leg pain (P = .025). Moreover, higher BMI was also associated with a significantly steeper linear trend in the VAS for leg pain (P = .028). Among patients with microinstability, the linear trend for the EuroQol 5D-5L index was significantly steeper with, rather than without, spondylolisthesis (P = .024). CONCLUSION: In all patients who underwent CBT-based lumbar fusion, there was a steep trend toward improvement in ODI, VAS score for leg pain, and opioid use at 1 yr after surgery. Patients with normal BMI and microinstability alone had a decline in the rate of improvement at 3 yr, whereas the rest continued to show improvement at 3 yr postprocedure. Spinal fixation and fusion using CBT shows satisfactory outcomes. Larger series and a double-blind randomized trial would be helpful for further identifying the pros and cons of this technique.

Pineal cyst surveillance in adults - a review of 10 years' experience.

Objective: Pineal cysts are common benign incidental findings in adults. There are no commonly accepted criteria for follow up or indications for intervention. We looked at our outcomes for this condition to explore their natural history and review our surveillance criteria.Method: Retrospective review of multidisciplinary team meetings at a tertiary neurosurgical centre over 10 years. Data relating to demographics, presenting symptoms, maximum diameter, duration of surveillance, final diagnosis and overall outcome were extracted from electronic patient records and available MRI. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 24.Result: Seventy-seven pineal cysts were identified. Female to male ratio was 1.43, female mean age was 38.6 and male mean age was 50.4. An increase in referral frequency was observed over the study period (mean increase of 1.4 cases per year). Presenting symptoms of headache in 45% and visual and hearing symptoms in 38.5% were recorded and baseline mean maximum diameter was 13.4mm. 20 patients were discharged on presentation, 54 were booked for at least one follow-up scan with a median follow up period of 14 months. The mean change in maximum diameter was 0.04mm over 18 months. Three patients (3.9%) underwent endoscopic biopsy and CSF diversion for cysts all more than 20mm with radiological evidence of hydrocephalus. In 100% of cases, the initial MDT diagnosis and final diagnosis were concordant.Conclusions: No patient under surveillance required surgical treatment and those managed surgically were symptomatic with large cysts and hydrocephalus on presentation. A majority of pineal cysts remained unchanged during the MRI follow-up, therefore our review suggests that routine follow-up of pineal cysts is not necessary in the absence of unusual radiological characteristics or related clinical symptoms.

Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles for Trace Colorimetric Sensing of Enzyme Disrupter Fungicide Vinclozolin.

We report a novel, simple, efficient, and green protocol for biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in aqueous solution using clove (Syzygium aromaticum) extract as a reducing and protecting agent. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy was employed to monitor the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band of clove extract-derived AgNPs prepared under various conditions. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis provided information about the surface interaction of the clove extract with the AgNPs. Ultrahigh-resolution transmission electron microscopy (UHRTEM) results confirmed the formation of spherical, uniformly distributed clove extract-capped AgNPs with sizes in the range of 2-20 nm (average size: 14.4 ± 2 nm). Powder X-ray diffractometry analysis (PXRD) illustrated the formation of pure crystalline AgNPs. These AgNPs were tested as a colorimetric sensor to detect trace amounts of vinclozolin (VIN) by UV-Vis spectroscopy for the first time. The AgNP-based sensor demonstrated very sensitive and selective colorimetric detection of VIN, in the range of 2-16 µM (R2 = 0.997). The developed sensor was green, simple, sensitive, selective, economical, and novel, and could detect trace amounts of VIN with limit of detection (LOD) = 21 nM. Importantly, the sensor was successfully employed for the determination of VIN in real water samples collected from various areas in Turkey.

Management of elderly patients with glioblastoma-multiforme-a systematic review.

The management of elderly patients with glioblastoma-multiforme (GBM) remains poorly defined with many experts in the past advocating best supportive care, in view of limited evidence on efficacy of more aggressive treatment protocols. There is randomised evidence (NORDIC and NA-O8 studies) to support the use of surgery followed by adjuvant monotherapy with either radiotherapy (RT) using hypofractionated regimes (e.g. 36 Gy in 6 fractions OR 40 Gy in 15 fractions) or chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) in patients expressing methylation of promoter for O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase enzyme. However, the role of combined-modality therapy involving the use of combined RT and TMZ protocols has remained controversial with data from the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer)-NCIC (National Cancer Institute of Canada) studies indicating that patients more than 65 years of age may not benefit significantly from combining standard RT fractionation using 60 Gy in 30 fractions with concurrent and adjuvant TMZ. More recently, randomised data has emerged on combining hypofractionated RT with concurrent and adjuvant TMZ. We provide a comprehensive review of literature with the aim of defining an evidence-based algorithm for management of elderly glioblastoma-multiforme population.