Assessing the Accessibility, Engagement, and Value of the Virtual Global Spine Conference as an Educational Platform for Spine: A Three-Year Review.

INTRODUCTION: The Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic ushered a paradigm shift in medical education, accelerating the transition to virtual learning in select cases. The Virtual Global Spine Conference (VGSC), launched at the height of the pandemic, is a testament to this evolution, providing an independent educational series for spine care professionals worldwide. This study assesses VGSC's 3-year performance, focusing on accessibility, engagement, and educational value. METHODOLOGY: Through retrospective data analysis from April 2020 to August 2023, we examined our social media metrics to measure VGSC's reach and impact. RESULTS: Over the study period, VGSC's webinars successfully attracted 2337 unique participants, maintaining an average attendance of 47 individuals per session. The YouTube channel demonstrated significant growth, amassing over 2693 subscribers and releasing 168 videos. These videos collectively garnered 112,208 views and 15,823.3 hours of watch time. Viewer demographics reveal a predominant age group of 35-44 years, representing 56.81% of the audience, closely followed by the 25-34 age group at 40.2%. Male participants constituted 78.95% of the subscriber base. Geographically, the viewership primarily originates from the United States, with India, Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom also contributing substantial audience numbers. The VGSC's presence on the "X account" has grown to 2882 followers, significantly enlarging the digital community and fostering increased engagement. CONCLUSIONS: The VGSC has demonstrated significant value as a virtual educational tool in spine education. Its diverse content and ease of access will likely enable it to drive value well into the post-pandemic years. Maintaining and expanding engagement, beyond North America in particular, remains a priority.

Technical Nuances of the Posterior Transpedicular Thoracic Diskectomy: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Thoracic disk herniations are relatively rare when compared with cervical and lumbar disk pathology accounting for less than 3% of spinal disk herniations.1 In addition to this, a larger proportion of thoracic disk herniations are calcified making them challenging to remove because of adherence to the dura and anatomy of the thoracic spinal canal.2,3 Owing to these unique features of thoracic disk herniations, typical posterior approaches are not always feasible to provide adequate decompression of the thecal sac.4 In this video, we present a 64-year-old male patient who presented with progressive paraplegia and a large ventral, eccentric, calcified thoracic disk herniation causing severe canal stenosis. Because of the size and location of the disk, a thoracic laminectomy with costotransversectomy and pediculectomies for resection of the disk was performed. Ventral decompression was achieved, and the patient made a full neurologic recovery. This video highlights the principles and technical nuances used during thoracic disk resection. The patient provided informed consent for surgery and video recording.

Technical nuances for the resection of cervical dumbbell schwannomas.

The majority of spinal nerve sheath tumors are within the intradural/extramedullary compartment. A subset of these tumors develop extraforaminal components that gradually expand into potential spaces. Herein, the authors provide a 2D video demonstrating the technical nuances concerning resection of cervical dumbbell schwannomas with extraspinal extension. Although nerve sheath tumors with large extraforaminal extension are often associated with complications and pose unique challenges to surgeons, circumferential exposure with intradural exploration allows for gross-total resection and nerve root preservation, without need for adjuvant treatments. The use of intraoperative ultrasound, neurophysiological monitoring, Doppler imaging, and meticulous surgical techniques aided to circumvent complications.

Location-specific technical nuances of spinal meningioma resection: an operative video case series.

The objective of this video was to demonstrate technical nuances of intradural spinal meningioma (ISM) resection through a high-quality surgical video. The authors describe 3 patients with ISM in the cervicomedullary, cervical, and thoracic regions. Patients underwent surgery in the prone position with laminectomy, dorsal durotomy, and then resection of the mass. Case 1 required a suboccipital craniectomy and dissection of the tumor away from the vertebral artery. In case 2, special emphasis is placed on sectioning the dentate ligament with cord rotation. Case 3 highlights meticulous circumferential arachnoid release and the use of ultrasound. Patients saw significant neurological improvement postoperatively. This video provides clear instruction on location-specific technical nuances of ISM removal.

No Benefits in Using Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod as Temporary Internal Distraction Device in Staged Surgical Procedure for Management of Severe and Neglected Scoliosis in Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Severe spinal curvatures (SSCs) in children and adolescents have long been treated with preoperative Halo traction, in its various variations. There are also several radical techniques available for the management of neglected SSCs, such as osteotomies; however, these can be risky. Comparing the treatment outcomes when using preoperative Halo Gravity Traction (HGT) against the use of a Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod (MCGR) as a temporary internal distraction (TID) device, we evaluated the differences in surgical and radiological outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 30 patients with SSCs, treated with HGT followed by posterior spinal fusion (PSF; Group 1, n = 18) or treated using a temporary MCGR as a TID followed by PSF (Group 2, n = 12). All patients underwent surgical treatment between 2016 and 2022. The inclusion criteria were SSC > 90°, flexibility < 30%, and the use of preoperative HGT followed by PSF or the two-stage surgical procedure with initial TID rod placement (Stage 1) followed by PSF (Stage 2). The evaluated parameters were as follows: rib hump, trunk height, and radiographic outcomes. All parameters were collected preoperatively, after the initial surgery, after final correction and fusion, and during the final follow-up. RESULTS: In Group 1, we evaluated 18 patients with a mean age of 15.5 years; in Group 2, we evaluated 12 patients with a mean age of 14.2 years. The interval between the staged procedures averaged 32.7 days. The mean preoperative main curves (MC) were 118° and 112° in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. After definitive surgery, the MC was corrected to 42° and 44° in G1 and G2, respectively. The mean percentage correction of the MC was similar in both groups (65% vs. 61% in G1 and G2, respectively). The mean preoperative thoracic kyphosis was 92.5° in G1 and 98° in G2, corrected to 43.8° in G1 and 38.8° in G2. Trunk height increased by 9 cm on average. CONCLUSIONS: There are no benefits in using a MCGR as a temporary internal distraction device in the management of neglected scoliosis in adolescents. Surgical treatment of severe scoliosis may be safe, with a reduced risk of potential complications, when using preoperative HGT. A specific intraoperative complication when using a MCGR as a temporary internal distraction device was a 50% risk of transient neuromonitoring changes, due to significant force applied to the spine and radical distraction of the spine. We achieved similar clinical, radiographic, and pulmonary function outcomes for both techniques. The use of HGT causes less blood loss with a shorter overall time under anesthesia. Partial correction significantly aids the subsequent operation by facilitating a gradual reduction in the curvature, thereby reducing the difficulty of surgical treatment and the risk of neurological deficits.

Illustrative resection of mixed intra- and extramedullary thoracic spinal cord capillary hemangioma.

Background: Capillary hemangiomas are typically superficial benign tumors of the cutaneous and mucosal tissues of the face and neck in pediatric patients. In adults, they typically occur in middle-aged males who present with pain, myelopathy, radiculopathy, paresthesias, and bowel/bladder dysfunction. The optimal treatment for intramedullary spinal cord capillary hemangiomas is gross total/en bloc resection. Methods: Here, we present a 63-year-old male with increasing right greater than left lower extremity numbness/ weakness, attributed to a T8-9 mixed intra- and extramedullary capillary hemangioma. Results: One year following complete lesion resection, the patient used an assistive device to ambulate and continued to improve neurologically. Conclusion: We presented a 63-year-old male whose paraparesis was attributed to a T8-9 mixed intra- and extramedullary capillary hemangioma who did well following total en bloc lesion resection. In addition to this case study/technical note, we provide a 2-D intraoperative video detailing the resection technique.

Pedicle subtraction metallectomy with complex posterior reconstruction for fixed cervicothoracic kyphosis: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic cervical deformity is a devastating complication that can result from a well-intended operation but a poor understanding of the individual biomechanics of a patient's spine. Patient factors, such as bone fragility, high T1 slope, and undiagnosed myopathies often play a role in perpetuating a deformity despite an otherwise successful surgery. This imbalance can lead to significant morbidity and a decreased quality of life. OBSERVATIONS: A 55-year-old male presented to the authors' clinic with a chin-to-chest deformity and cervical myelopathy. He previously had an anterior C2-T2 fixation and a posterior C1-T6 instrumented fusion. He subsequently developed screw pullout at multiple levels, so the original surgeon removed all of the posterior hardware. The T1 cage (original corpectomy) severely subsided into the body of T2, generating an angular kyphosis that eventually developed a rigid osseous circumferential union at the cervicothoracic junction with severe cord compression. An anterior approach was not feasible; therefore, a 3-column osteotomy/fusion in the upper thoracic spine was planned whereby 1 of the T2 screws would need to be removed from a posterior approach for the reduction to take place. LESSONS: This case highlights the devastating effect of a hardware complication leading to a fixed cervical spine deformity and the complex decision making involved to safely correct the challenging deformity and restore function.

Less-Invasive Approach to Early-Onset Scoliosis-Surgical Technique for Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod (MCGR) Based on Treatment of 2-Year-Old Child with Severe Scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Spinal deformities in children can be caused by various etiologies, such as congenital, syndromic, neuromuscular, or idiopathic. Early-onset scoliosis (EOS) is diagnosed before the age of ten years, and when the curvature continues to progress and exceeds a Cobb angle of 60-65 degrees, surgical treatment should be considered. Initial minimally invasive surgery and the implantation of magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGRs) allows for the noninvasive distraction of the spine, growing, and avoids multiple operations associated with the classic distractions of standard growing rods. CASE PRESENTATION: A 2-year-old girl was admitted to our clinic with rapidly progressive thoracic scoliosis. The major curve of the thoracic spine Cobb angle was 122° at 30 months. No congenital deformities were detected. The surgical technique was the less-invasive percutaneous and subfascial implantation of MCGRs, without long incisions on the back and the non-invasive ambulatory lengthening of her spine over the next 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: MCGR is a safe procedure for EOS patients. It is extremely effective at correcting spinal deformity; controlling the growth and curvature of the spine as the child develops during growth; reducing the number of hospitalizations and anesthesia; and minimizing the physical and mental burden of young patients, parents, and their families.

Applications of Carbon Fiber Instrumentation in Spinal Oncology: Recent Innovations in Spinal Instrumentation and 2-Dimensional Illustrative Operative Video.

BACKGROUND: The management of spinal oncology necessitates a multimodal approach, with surgical intervention, radiation-based therapy, and postoperative advanced imaging. These systems must work well together to provide optimal patient outcomes. Traditional metallic spinal implants produce image artifacts and lead to radiation dose attenuation, which inhibit both disease monitoring and disease treatment, respectively. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility of an improved biomaterial implant that provides structural stability, while also allowing for disease monitoring and treatment in spinal oncology patients. METHODS: From February 2021 to September 2021, 3 patients with spinal oncologic deformity requiring resection and posterior spinal stabilization underwent fixation with polyether ether ketone-carbon fiber implants at a single academic institution. RESULTS: Patient ages ranged from 23 to 74 years (mean: 44.7 years). All patients underwent posterior spinal fixation using standard approaches. They each received polyether ether ketone-carbon fiber pedicle screw and rod implants, placed in standard fashion. There were no dural tears, postoperative wound infections, or other complications related to their treatment. Postoperative surveillance revealed gross total resection of the targeted tumor on postoperative radiographic imaging. CONCLUSION: Polyether ether ketone-carbon fiber implants are a safe and effective option for the treatment of thoracolumbar posterior spinal pathology. The utilization of this novel type of instrumentation in posterior spinal approaches may provide benefit to patients with spinal tumors over existing forms of posterior spinal instrumentation.

Single-Position Transpsoas Corpectomy and Posterior Instrumentation in the Thoracolumbar Spine for Different Clinical Scenarios.

BACKGROUND: The concept of single-position spine surgery has been gaining momentum because it has proven to reduce operative time, blood loss, and hospital length of stay with similar or better outcomes than traditional dual-position surgery. The latest development in single-position spine surgery techniques combines either open or posterior pedicle screw fixation with transpsoas corpectomy while in the lateral or prone positioning. OBJECTIVE: To provide, through a multicenter study, the results of our first patients treated by single-position corpectomy. METHODS: This is a multicenter retrospective study of patients who underwent corpectomy and instrumentation in the lateral or prone position without repositioning between the anterior and posterior techniques. Data regarding demographics, diagnosis, neurological status, surgical details, complications, and radiographic parameters were collected. The minimum follow-up for inclusion was 6 months. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were finally included in our study (24 male patients and 10 female patients), with a mean age of 51.2 (SD ± 17.5) years. Three-quarter of cases (n = 27) presented with thoracolumbar fracture as main diagnosis, followed by spinal metastases and primary spinal infection. Lateral positioning was used in 27 cases, and prone positioning was used in 7 cases. The overall rate of complications was 14.7%. CONCLUSION: This is the first multicenter series of patients who underwent single-position corpectomy and fusion. This technique has shown to be safe and effective to treat a variety of spinal conditions with a relatively low rate of complications. More series are required to validate this technique as a possible standard approach when thoracolumbar corpectomies are indicated.

Surgical Correction of Distal Junctional Kyphosis.

Distal junctional kyphosis (DJK) is defined as the development of a kyphotic angulation over 10 degrees below a fusion construct and has been described as a complication of the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, Scheuermann kyphosis, adult spinal deformity, and cervical deformity. There are some inherent risk factors to DJK: multilevel fusions, damage to the midline soft tissues including interspinous/supraspinous ligaments, T5-T12 thoracic kyphosis, T11-L2 thoracolumbar kyphosis, and increased mismatch between cervical lordosis and T1 slope. A 53-year-old male presented with cervicalgia, inability to sustain horizontal gaze, and kyphosis-enabled forward head posture. He underwent C3-T1 posterior decompression and fusion as treatment for cervical myelopathy 18 months prior. Neurologic examination was normal, with appreciable protrusion of the T1 vertebral spinous process. Surgery was initiated through subperiosteal exposure of C2-T6, followed by removal of previously set instrumentation, placement of new screws, and posterior column osteotomies of selected segments. Final steps involved compression across excised portions, locking pedicle screws, and a multirod insertion after closure of the posterior column osteotomies by compression maneuvers. Correction for DJK encompasses sagittal alignment restoration, a stable construct, and a good biological environment for healing. Failure of DJK realignment can occur if the patient's ligaments deteriorate distal to the construct or fractures develop in vertebral bodies at the lowest instrumented vertebra or lowest instrumented vertebra +1. One year after surgery, the patient's condition improved, evidenced from both patient self-report and a standing posture radiograph.

Mediastinal metastases from a primary immature teratoma of the CNS.

Primary intracranial germ cell tumors are rare, occurring more frequently in children and young adults in midline locations of the brain. Teratomas are an uncommon variant of germ cell neoplasm, although they account for a high proportion of fetal brain tumors. Here, we report a 27-year-old male who presented with a heterogeneously enhancing lesion in the left thalamus, without evidence of systemic disease. Histologic and immunohistochemical analysis were consistent with immature teratoma; next-generation sequencing was negative for targetable molecular alterations. The patient received chemotherapy and radiotherapy post-excision. Following the initial resection, ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement was performed due to left temporal horn entrapment. Nine months later, imaging revealed mediastinal and hilar adenopathy as well as pleural disease, with encasement and compression of pulmonary vasculature, and multiple, bilateral pulmonary nodules. Fine needle aspiration showed malignant cells with an immunohistochemical profile similar to the original tumor, consistent with metastases. Though germ cell tumors are known to spread via cerebrospinal fluid or blood, metastasis outside of the CNS from a primary intracranial germ cell tumor is a rare complication. Spread via ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which may have occurred in the present case, has also rarely been observed.

Operative Technique for Resection of a Ventral Transdural Retro-Odontoid Pannus: A 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

BACKGROUND: Retro-odontoid pseudotumors are rare inflammatory complications of atlantoaxial instability often associated with cervical degenerative disease and rheumatoid arthritis. While propagation of these lesions has been shown to cause spinal cord compression and cervical myelopathy, intradural extension has rarely been reported. METHODS: In this manuscript and 2-dimensional illustrative intraoperative video, we demonstrate cervical decompression, removal of the intradural component, and stabilization with C1-2 instrumentation using a posterior approach. A 71-year-old patient presented with progressive cervical myelopathy. Preoperative imaging demonstrated a large retro-odontoid pannus causing severe spinal cord compression and an associated contrast-enhancing intradural lesion, in the absence of obvious C1-2 instability or fractures on computed tomography scan. C1-2 posterior decompression and fusion were performed with maximally safe intradural pannus resection and ventral dural reconstruction. RESULTS: Postoperatively, the patient experienced significant improvement in myelopathic symptoms. Imaging demonstrated good spinal cord decompression with complete intradural pannus resection and debulking of the extradural component. CONCLUSIONS: Our outcome in this rare complication suggests a posterior approach may be effective in treating similar patients.

Intraspinal pilocytic astrocytomas: An overview and 2-D illustrative resection technique video.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) are rare and typically occur in pediatric patients. While PAs are often well-circumscribed and amenable to gross total resection, they sometimes harbor infiltrative components that can invade normal cord parenchyma. METHODS: Here, we present a 59-year-old female with a progressive right-sided hemi-sensory loss, right-sided hemiparesis, and gait imbalance. The preoperative T2 magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large loculated cystic tumor that focally compressed the dorsal medulla, while the contrast study revealed a 1.3 cm homogenously enhancing expansile intramedullary mass centered at the C1 level. RESULTS: The patient underwent a C1-2 laminectomy followed by gross total intramedullary tumor resection utilizing intraoperative dorsal column mapping. There were no operative complications. The patient had preserved motor strength and an expected dorsal column dysfunction, which largely resolved over 9 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Here, we provide a broad overview of PAs, in addition to a case study/technical note that includes a 2-D intraoperative video detailing the resection technique.

Cement-Augmented and Dual-Headed Posterior Screw Reconstruction After Corpectomy for Metastatic Tumor Resection.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic spinal tumors have a well-documented deleterious effect on the overall strength of the bony spine. Surgical interventions must address not only removal of the tumor itself, but the integrity of reconstructive hardware constructs as well. METHODS: We present a series of 8 patients with metastatic spine tumors who were successfully treated with tumor resection and reconstruction of residual 3-column defect with cement-augmented fenestrated pedicle screws and dual-rod posterior stabilization. RESULTS: All patients demonstrated resolution of their presenting neurologic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This series supports the use of the aforementioned constructs in conjunction to provide added stability and reduce hardware failure when treating a diversity of spinal tumors.

A transpedicular approach to complex ventrally situated thoracic intradural extramedullary tumors: technique, indications, and multiinstitutional case series.

OBJECTIVE: Ventrally situated thoracic intradural extramedullary tumors are surgically challenging and difficult to access, and they may be complicated by extensive adhesions and calcifications. Selecting an approach for adequate ventral access is key to complete resection and optimization of outcomes. The authors present a case series of patients who underwent resection of ventral thoracic intradural extramedullary tumors and discuss indications and considerations for this technique. Additionally, they describe the use of a posterolateral transpedicular approach for resection of ventral thoracic intradural extramedullary tumors compared with other techniques, and they summarize the literature supporting its application. METHODS: From May 2017 to August 2020, 5 patients with ventral thoracic intradural extramedullary tumors underwent resection at one of the two academic institutions. RESULTS: Patient ages ranged from 47 to 75 (mean 63.4) years. All tumors were diagnosed as meningiomas or schwannomas by histological examination. Three of the 5 patients had evidence of partial or extensive tumor calcification. Four of the 5 patients underwent an initial posterolateral transpedicular approach for resection, with positive radiographic and clinical outcomes from surgery. One patient initially underwent an unsuccessful traditional direct posterior approach and required additional resection 2 years later after interval disease progression. There were no postoperative wound infections, CSF leaks, or other complications related to the transpedicular approach. CONCLUSIONS: Posterolateral transpedicular tumor resection is a safe technique for the treatment of complex ventrally situated thoracic intradural extramedullary tumors compared with the direct posterior approach. Anecdotally, this approach appears to be particularly beneficial in patients with calcified tumors.

Surgical management of symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Vertebral hemangiomas (VHs) are common benign tumors that only rarely become symptomatic. There is a paucity of data regarding their surgical management and outcomes. Here, we reported a case involving an aggressive cervical VH, discussed its surgical management and outcomes, and reviewed the literature. METHODS: We assessed the clinical, radiological, and surgical outcomes for a patient with an aggressive cervical VH. We also performed a systematic review of the literature according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to describe surgical outcomes for symptomatic VH. RESULTS: A total of 154 studies including 535 patients with VH were included in the study. The majority of patients were female (62.8%), the average age was 43 years, and the thoracic spine was most commonly involved (80.6%). Utilizing Odom's criteria, outcomes were excellent in 81.7% (95% CI 73.2-90.2) of cases. For those presenting with myelopathy (P = 0.045) or focal neurological deficits (P = 0.018), outcomes were less likely to be excellent. Preoperative embolization was not associated with excellent outcome (P = 0.328). CONCLUSION: Surgical outcomes for VH are predominantly favorable, but aggressive VHs have the potential to cause significant residual postoperative neurological morbidity.

C2 quad-screws facilitate 4-rod fixation across the cervico-thoracic junction.

BACKGROUND: Cervical spine deformity is a potentially devitalizing problem. Contemporary techniques for repair and reconstruction include fusion using rods of tapered diameter alone, or quadruple-rod constructs in which primary rods are joined to floating accessory rods by connectors. Here, we present how we utilized a quadruple-rod construct to perform five C2 to thoracic spine fusions. METHODS: Our hospital electronic medical record revealed five patients who underwent the four rod C2-thoracic spine fixation. Patients ranged in age from 14-years-old to 78-years-old. The mean operative time was 715.8 min (range 549-987 min), and average estimated blood loss was 878 cc (range 40-1800 cc). RESULTS: None of the five patients sustained any intraoperative complications, and none demonstrated progressive kyphotic deformity over the average follow-up interval of 8 months. CONCLUSION: We successfully treated five patients with degenerative or oncologic cervical pathology requiring fixation across the cervicothoracic junction utilizing a 4-rod C2-cervicothoracic fusion technique.