The management of high-grade spondylolisthesis and co-existent late-onset idiopathic scoliosis.

INTRODUCTION: It is relatively common for a scoliosis deformity to be associated with a lumbar spondylolisthesis in adolescents (up to 48 % of spondylolistheses). In the literature two types of curve have been described: 'sciatic' or 'olisthetic'. However, there is no consensus in the literature on how best to treat these deformities. Some authors advocate a single surgical intervention, where both deformities are corrected; whereas, others advocate treating them as separate entities. In this situation, it has been shown that the scoliosis will correct with treatment of the spondylolisthesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a 12-year-old girl who had a concomitant high-grade spondylolisthesis and scoliosis. Her main complaints were those of low back pain and an L5 radiculopathy. We took the decision to treat the spondylolisthesis surgically, but observe the scoliosis, rather than correcting them both surgically at the same sitting. RESULTS: Although the immediately post-operative radiographs showed persistence of the scoliosis, 1-year follow-up demonstrated full resolution of the deformity. This young lady also had relief of her low back pain and leg pain following the surgery. CONCLUSION: There are no standard guidelines and therefore, we discuss the management of this difficult problem, exemplifying a case of a young girl who had high-grade spondylolisthesis along with a clinically non-flexible scoliosis treated at our institution. We demonstrate that it is safe to observe the scoliosis, even in high-grade spondylolistheses.

Anxiety and depression predict poor outcomes in arthroscopic subacromial decompression.

BACKGROUND: Subacromial impingement is common and frequently treated with arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD); however, its efficacy has recently been questioned. Poor surgical outcomes have been associated with anxiety and depression within other orthopedic subspecialties but not within this group of patients. We hypothesized that anxiety and depression are associated with worse outcomes after ASD. METHODS: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was carried out of patients undergoing ASD. Inclusion criteria were short-term relief with injection therapy and presence of Hawkins sign. Rotator cuff tears were excluded. Patients completed the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and visual analog scale for pain before and after surgery in outpatient clinic follow-up at 6 weeks and by postal questionnaire at 6 months. RESULTS: The 86 patients who participated in the study were analyzed in 2 groups defined by HADS scores, group A being depressed and group B nondepressed. Both groups had less pain and improved OSS at 6 months; however, group B improved faster with improved scores at 6 weeks, which were maintained to 6 months. Group B had less pain and higher OSS at 6 months than group A. There was strong negative correlation (P < .01) between preoperative HADS score and 6-week and 6-month OSS and HADS scores. There was strong positive correlation (P < .01) between HADS score and 6-week and 6-month pain scores. High preoperative HADS score was negatively correlated to 6-month satisfaction (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Patients with HADS score >11 before ASD have worse outcomes. This should be taken into account when counseling patients for surgery.

Major neurological deficit following anterior cervical decompression and fusion: what is the next step?

INTRODUCTION: Major neurological deficit following anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) is a rare event, with incidences of up to 0.2 % now reported. Post-operative MRI is mandatory to assess for ongoing compression of the cord. In the past, the deficit has often been attributed to oedema or overzealous intra-operative manipulation of the cord. Reperfusion injury is a more recent concept. We describe a case of acute cervical disc prolapse with progressive neurology, and the difficult decision making one is faced with when the neurological deficit continues to deteriorate post ACDF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 30-year-old male was referred from the Emergency Department with acute left arm paraesthesia and left leg weakness. A cerebrovascular accident was ruled-out with a CT of the brain, and later an MRI of the cervical spine revealed a large C6/7 disc prolapse with significant compression of the spinal cord. A C6/7 ACDF was performed, but post-operatively the patient could no longer move his lower limbs. An urgent MRI was obtained which showed removal of the disc fragment, cord signal changes and the suggestion of ongoing cord compression. In part, this was due to his narrow cervical canal. The decision was made to proceed to posterior decompression and stabilisation, although cord reperfusion injury was one of the differential diagnoses considered at this stage. RESULTS: Post-operatively the patient's neurology started to improve over the next 48 h. He was discharged from in-patient rehabilitation at 2 months post-surgery and by 3 months he had returned to work. Latest follow-up revealed normal function with only mild paraesthesia in the T1 dermatome of his left arm. CONCLUSION: The management of patients in whom a neurological deficit has increased post-operatively is difficult. Urgent MRI scan is mandatory to assess for epidural haematoma which may need further decompression. Cord reperfusion injury is a diagnosis of exclusion. The difficulty the clinician faces is in interpreting the MRI for 'acceptable' decompression, and therefore excluding the need for further surgery.

The role of arthroscopy in the treatment of functional instability of the ankle.

BACKGROUND: Ankle sprains are common, the majority resolving with functional rehabilitation. Some patients are left with symptoms of functional instability (FI). Ankle arthroscopy in those with symptoms of FI is not well covered in the literature. Our aim was to assess its role in FI of the ankle. METHODS: Retrospective case note analysis of patients with FI following an ankle sprain from 2005 to 2007. All underwent arthroscopy, provided mechanical instability was excluded (EUA and stress X-rays), and there were no signs of soft tissue impingement. These patients had exhausted all options of conservative therapy. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients with a mean age of 38.1: five had true mechanical instability and were excluded. 72 underwent arthroscopy: 67 (93.1%) had significant amounts of scar tissue needing debridement, most commonly in the antero-lateral corner (58.3%). 52 patients improved (72.2%) at a minimum of 6 months follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study supports the role of ankle arthroscopy in the treatment of FI following trauma. It should be considered when conservative measures have failed.

Safety of fluoroscopy guided percutaneous access to the thoracic spine.

BACKGROUND: Fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous access to thoracic vertebrae is technically demanding due to the complex radiological anatomy and close proximity of the spinal cord, major vessels and pleural cavity. There is a trend towards computed tomography (CT) guidance due to a perceived reduction in the risk of spinal canal intrusion by instrumentation causing neurological injury. Due to limited access to CT guidance, there is a need for safe fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous access to the thoracic spine. PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety of a strict radio-anatomical protocol in avoiding access-related neurological complications due to tool misplacement in fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous procedures on the thoracic spine. METHOD: A combined two-surgeon prospective case series of 444 procedures (biopsy, vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty) covering all thoracic vertebral levels T1-T12. Clinical examination and routine observations were used to identify access-related complications including neurological, vascular and visceral injury using physiological parameters. RESULTS: No patient in our series was identified to have sustained a neurological deficit or deterioration of preoperative neurological status. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous access to the thoracic spine using fluoroscopic guidance is safe. The crucial step of the protocol is not to advance the tool beyond the medial pedicle wall on the anterior-posterior projection until the tip of the instrument has reached the posterior vertebral cortex on the lateral projection.

Freehand determination of the trajectory angle for cervical lateral mass screws: how accurate is it?

Different methods of lateral mass screw placement in the cervical spine have been described with separate trajectories for each technique in the sagittal and parasagittal planes. In the latter, plane 30° has been recommended in the modified Magerl's technique as the optimum angle to avoid injury to the vertebral artery and nerve root. The estimation of this angle remains arbitrary and very much operator dependant. The aim of this study was to assess how accurately the lateral trajectory angle of 30° is achieved by visual estimation amongst experienced surgeons in a tertiary spinal unit and to determine the likelihood of neurovascular injury during the procedure. We chose an anatomical 'sawbone' model of the cervical spine with simulated lordosis. The senior author marked the entry points. Five spinal consultants and five senior spinal fellows were asked to insert 1.6-mm K wires into the lateral masses of C3 to C6 bilaterally at 30° to the midsagittal plane using the marked entry points. The lateral angulation in the transverse plane was measured using a custom protractor and documented for each surgeon at each level and side. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the data were obtained to determine the inter observer variability. Utilising this data, measurements were then made on a normal axial computerised tomography (CT) scan of the cervical spine of an anonymous patient to determine if there would have been any neurovascular compromise. Among the 10 surgeons, a total of 80 insertion angles were measured from C3 to C6 on either side. The overall mean angle of insertion was 25.15 (range 20.4-34.8). The overall SD was 4.78. Amongst the 80 measurements between the ten surgeons, two episodes of theoretical vertebral artery violation were observed when the angles were simulated on the CT scan. A moderate but notable variability in trajectory placement exists between surgeons during insertion of cervical lateral mass screws. Freehand estimation of 30° is not consistently achieved between surgeons and levels. In patients with gross degenerative or deformed cervical spine anatomy, this may increase the risk of neurovascular injury. The use of the ipsilateral lamina as an anatomical reference plane is supported.

Lumbar microdiscectomy versus sequesterectomy/free fragmentectomy: a long-term (>2 y) retrospective study of the clinical outcome.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term outcome of microdiscectomy versus sequestrectomy/free fragmentectomy for lumbar disc herniation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Conventional lumbar microdiscectomy involves substantial excision of disc material from the intervertebral disc space to prevent reherniation. However, in selected patients removal of free-disc fragment sequestrectomy, without clearing the disc space can be as beneficial as conventional microdiscectomy. METHODS: During the study period, we performed 196 lumbar microdiscectomies for disc herniation. Of these 101 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. Seventy-seven of 101 patients underwent microdiscectomy and the remaining 24 patients received microscopic sequestrectomy. The following parameters were compared in these 2 groups: operating time, perioperative complications, the pre- and postoperative Visual Analog Scale (VAS), reherniation rate, and the use of analgesics at the time of follow-up. The patients were assessed at the final follow-up. Mean follow-up was 33.4 (24 to 47) months in the sequestrectomy group and 32.4 (24 to 45) months in the microdiscectomy group. RESULTS: The operating time for the microdiscectomy patients was longer than that for the sequestrectomy patients, 32 (19 to 51) versus 24 (15 to 40) minutes. The reherniation rate was slightly lower in the sequestrectomy group than in the microdiscectomy group, 4.17% versus 5.56%. (P=1.00). The complication rate was higher in the microdiscectomy population, 6.4% versus 4.17%. Postoperative improvement in pain in the sequestrectomy group was slightly better than that in the microdiscectomy cohort, VAS 1.6 versus VAS 1.2. (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: We argue that microscopic sequestrectomy is more successful with lesser operating time, fewer intraoperative complications, and lesser reherniation rate compared with conventional microdiscectomy in which patients are selected according to well-defined criteria, which is largely dependent on the competence of the annulus/posterior longitudinal ligament.

The ipsilateral lamina-pedicle angle: can it be used to guide pedicle screw placement in the sub-axial cervical spine?

Pedicle screws in the sub-axial spine are infrequently used because of concerns over their safety and difficulty in placement, despite their superior pullout strength. In the sub-axial cervical vertebrae, we have observed that the lamina appears to project at right angles to the ipsilateral pedicle axis. The aim of this investigation was to confirm the lamina orientation as a reliable landmark for pedicle screw placement. 80 digital cervical spine CT were analysed. The angle formed by the ipsilateral outer lamina cortex to the pedicle axis was recorded. A total of 398 vertebrae were analysed from patients with a mean age of 39.5 years (range 18-78). Average axial lamina-pedicle angle ranged from 96.6 degrees at C3 to 87.2 degrees at C7 in males, and from 95.6 degrees to 87.5 degrees in females. The angle formed by the posterior cortex of the lamina and the ipsilateral pedicle shows a high level of consistency for sub-axial cervical vertebrae ranging from 96 degrees at C3 to 87 degrees at C7. Although the angle is not exactly 90 degrees at all levels as hypothesised, the orientation of the lamina, nevertheless, forms a useful reference plane for insertion of pedicle screws in the sub-axial cervical spine.

Lamina-guided lateral mass screw placement in the sub-axial cervical spine.

Lateral mass (LM) screws are commonly used in posterior instrumentation of the cervical spine because of their perceived safety over pedicle screws. A possible complication of cervical LM screw placement is vertebral artery injury or impingement. Several screw trajectories have been described to overcome the risks of neurovascular injury; however, each of these techniques relies on the surgeon's visual estimation of the trajectory angle. As the reliability hereof is poorly investigated, alignment with a constant anatomical reference plane, such as the cervical lamina, may be advantageous. The aim of this investigation was to determine whether alignment of the LM screw trajectory parallel to the ipsilateral cervical lamina reliably avoids vertebral artery violation in the sub-axial cervical spine. 80 digital cervical spine CT were analysed (40 female, 40 male). Exclusion criteria were severe degeneration, malformations, tumour, vertebral body fractures and an age of less than 18 or greater than 80 years. Mean age of all subjects was 39.5 years (range 18-78); 399 subaxial cervical vertebrae (C3-C7) were included in the study. Measurements were performed on the axial CT view of C3-C7. A virtual screw trajectory with parallel alignment to the ipsilateral lamina was placed through the LM. Potential violation of the transverse foramen was assessed and the LM width available for screw purchase measured. There was no virtual violation of the vertebral artery of C3-C7 with lamina-guided LM screw placement. LM width available for screw purchase using this technique ranged from 5.2 to 7.4 mm. The sub-axial cervical lamina is a safe reference plane for LM screw placement. LM screws placed parallel to the ipsilateral lamina find sufficient LM width and are highly unlikely to injure the vertebral artery, even in bi-cortical placement. Placing LM screws parallel to the lamina appears favourable over conventional techniques.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Routine Bone Biopsy During Augmentation of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures.

STUDY DESIGN: Multi-center prospective study. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cost of routine biopsy during augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF) and the affect it has on further treatment. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Vertebroplasty (VP) and Balloon Kyphoplasty (BKP) are accepted treatments for VCF. Bone biopsy is routinely performed during every VCF surgery in many centers around the world to exclude an incidental finding of malignancy as the cause of the pathological VCF. The incidence been reported as 0.7% to 7.3%, however the published cohorts are small and do not discuss cost-benefit aspects. METHODS: From 2008 to 2016 we performed 122 vertebral biopsies routinely on 116 patients in three hospitals. Twenty-three patients had history of malignancy (26 biopsies) and four were suspected of having malignancy based on imaging findings. The remaining 86 patients (99 biopsies) were presumed osteoporotic VCF. RESULTS: Out of 99 biopsies in the VCF cohort group only one yielded an unsuspected malignancy (1.16%), positive for multiple myeloma (MM). The ability of clinical assessment and imaging alone to diagnose malignancy was found to be 91.7% sensitive and 84.2% specific in our cohort. CONCLUSION: Routine bone biopsy during vertebral augmentation procedure is a safe option for evaluating the cause of the VCF but has significant cost to the health system. The cost of one diagnosed case of unsuspected malignancy was $31,000 in our study. The most common pathology was MM, which has not been proven to benefit from early diagnosis. When comparing clinical diagnosis with imaging, a previous history of malignancy was found in only 40.7% of VCF patients, while imaging was 100% accurate in predicting presence of malignancy on biopsy. This study reassures spine surgeons in their ability to diagnose malignant VCFs and does not support the significant cost of routine bone biopsies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Percutaneous approach to the upper thoracic spine: optimal patient positioning.

Percutaneous access to the upper thoracic vertebrae under fluoroscopic guidance is challenging. We describe our positioning technique facilitating optimal visualisation of the high thoracic vertebrae in the prone position. This allows safe practice of kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty and biopsy throughout the upper thoracic spine.

Clinical outcomes of sacroplasty in sacral insufficiency fractures: a review of the literature.

Sacral insufficiency fractures (SIFs) are an increasingly recognised cause of back pain in the elderly. They can cause significant pain and disability in the elderly population and until recently, the mainstay of treatment has been analgesia and physical therapy. We undertook a review of the literature looking at the outcome with various operative techniques currently used in the treatment of SIF. A thorough literature search was undertaken to identify the various techniques used in the surgical treatment of SIF and their outcome. Keywords used included sacroplasty, SIF and cement augmentation. We analysed the number of cases presented, surgical technique, follow-up and clinical outcome. The techniques described include sacroplasty (injection of cement into fractured sacrum) and augmented iliosacral (trans-sacral) screws. Fifteen papers were published in the English literature between 2002 and 2008. No Level I, II or III evidence was available. In total, 108 patients were included. Computerised tomography combined with fluoroscopy was the most common image guidance technique used (80 patients). Where documented, there was significant improvement in mean visual analogue score (VAS) from 8.9 to 2.6 (P < 0.001, paired Student's t test). In conclusion, cement augmentation techniques such as sacroplasty with or without iliosacral screw fixation can produce significant improvements in VAS scores. They appear to be a suitable alternative to analgesia and rehabilitation. However, more robust evidence is required to validate these promising early results with cement augmentation techniques.