A Retrospective Study on the Incidence of Pulmonary Embolism in Immobilized Spinal Cord Injury Patients.

Introduction The development of pulmonary embolism (PE) remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with spinal cord injuries. Multiple factors have been identified to predict the presence of PE in spinal cord injury patients, however, local data is scarce. The objective of this study is to evaluate the incidence of PE among spinal cord injury patients and analysis of predictive risk factors. Material and methods This is a retrospective study among spinal cord injury patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Malaysia between January 2018 and December 2019. All spinal cord injury patients with symptoms suggestive of venous thromboembolism (VTE) such as tachycardia and shortness of breath were included in this study. Demographic data such as age, gender, types of VTE prophylaxis (mechanical or chemical), and radiological findings of computerized tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) were analyzed. Results A total of 373 patients were included in the study. 301 of them have undergone spinal surgery. There were 251 males (75.75%) and 124 females (33.24%). The mean age of the subjects was 48.63 ± 17.45 years. The mean length of hospital stay is 42.74 ± 41.51 days. 151 (40.48%) patients received DVT prophylaxis while 222 (59.52%) patients did not. The incidence of PE among spinal cord injury patients with VTE symptoms is 25 patients (6.70%). Of that, 15 patients received medical treatment only, seven received mechanical and pharmacological prophylaxis and three did not receive any prophylaxis. In the variable analyses, none of the variables (age and types of prophylaxis) could significantly predict the occurrence of VTE. Conclusion PE is a frequent complication in immobilized spinal cord injury patients despite receiving thromboprophylaxis treatment. No strong predictors for PE were identified in the present study. However, patients who received any type of thromboprophylaxis was found to be statistically significant when compared to patients who did not receive any thromboprophylaxis in term of the presence of PE.

Clinical Efficacies of the Minimal Retroperitoneal Approach for Infectious Spondylodiscitis: A Clinical Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: An anterior surgical approach for severe infectious spondylodiscitis in the lumbar region is optimal but not always atraumatic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a minimal anterior-lateral retroperitoneal approach, also known as a surgical approach for oblique lumbar interbody fusion, for cases with severe infectious spondylodiscitis with osseous defects. METHODS: Twenty-four consecutive patients who underwent anterior debridement and spinal fusion with an autologous strut bone graft for infectious spondylodiscitis with osseous defects were reviewed retrospectively. Eleven patients underwent the minimal retroperitoneal approach (Group M), and 13 underwent the conventional open approach (Group C). Peri- and postoperative clinical outcomes, that is, estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time (OT), creatine kinase (CK) level, visual analog scale (VAS), and rates of bone union and additional posterior instrumentation, were evaluated, and the differences between both groups were assessed statistically. RESULTS: Mean EBL, serum CK on the 1st postoperative day, and VAS on the 14th postoperative day were 202.1 mL, 390.9 IU/L, and 9.5 mm in Group M and 648.3 mL, 925.5 IU/L, and 22.3 mm in Group C, respectively, with statistically significant differences between the groups. There were no statistically significant intergroup differences in OT and rates of bone union and additional posterior instrumentation. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior debridement and spinal fusion using the minimal retroperitoneal approach is a useful and safe surgical technique. Although a preponderance of the minimal approach regarding early bone union is not validated, this technique has the advantages of conventional open surgery, but reduces blood loss, muscle injury, and pain postoperatively.

Modified Hemihamate Arthroplasty With Oblique Osteotomy of the Middle Phalanx Base to Reconstruct Proper Contour of the Articular Surface.

Treatments of unstable dorsal fracture dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint are very challenging. The authors performed modified hemihamate arthroplasty for these injuries in 13 patients (13 fingers). Our surgical technique was unique in the point that we put volarly oblique osteotomy in the coronal plane at the recipient site to create an adequate reconstruction of the volar lip of the articular surface of the middle phalanx. Affected fingers are index in 2, middle in 4, ring in 3, and little in 3, and the mean duration of follow-up was 14 months. Hemihamate arthroplasty was indicated if >30% to 50% of the volar articular surface of the middle phalangeal base showed comminuted fracture which was not large enough to allow open reduction and internal fixation. The average range of motion of the PIP joint was 17.7 degrees preoperatively, which was improved significantly to 71.3 degrees at final follow-up. Radiographically, all grafts were united but 1 showed mild graft absorption. Ten patients demonstrated normal joint space and other 3 showed mild degenerative change of PIP joints. Eleven patients showed good congruency of the PIP joint and other 2 demonstrated slight dorsal subluxation. Four patients complained of mild pain in flexion, but other 9 had no pain at all. The modified hemihamate arthroplasty is a reliable technique to treat comminuted dorsal fracture dislocations of the PIP joint.

Is neck massage safe? A rare case of tetraplegia and spinal shock after neck manipulation.

Neck manipulation is associated with spinal cord injury. However, occurrence of such cases is infrequent. This article presents a 33-year-old gentleman who sustained acute tetraplegia after neck manipulation. The aim of this case report is to create awareness that vigorous neck manipulation could cause injury to the spinal cord.