Manual therapy interventions in the management of adults with prior cervical spine surgery for degenerative conditions: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical spine surgeries for degenerative conditions are rapidly increasing. Cervical post-surgery syndrome consisting of chronic pain, adjacent segment disease, recurrent disc herniation, facet joint pain, and/or epidural scarring is common. Repeat surgery is regularly recommended, though patients are often unable to undergo or decline further surgery. Manual therapy is included in clinical practice guidelines for neck pain and related disorders, however clinical guidance for utilization of manual therapy in adults with prior cervical spine surgery is lacking. This study aimed to synthesize available literature and characterize outcomes and adverse events for manual therapy interventions in adults with prior cervical spine surgery due to degenerative conditions. METHODS: Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews was followed. PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, physiotherapy evidence database, and Index to Chiropractic Literature were searched from inception through October 2021. English-language literature comprised of randomized clinical trials (RCT), case-control, cohort, and case report designs were included. Adults undergoing manual therapy, with or without combination of other interventions, with prior cervical spine surgery due to degenerative conditions were included. RESULTS: Twelve articles were identified, including 10 case reports, 1 low-quality RCT, and 1 acceptable-quality RCT. Eight case reports described 9 patients with history of fusion surgery. Two case reports described 2 patients with history of discectomy. One case report described one patient with separate operations of a discectomy at one level and a fusion at another level. One case report described 2 patients with history of cervical disc replacement surgery. The two RCTs included 63 and 86 participants, respectively. Use of manual joint mobilization/manipulation, table/instrument assisted mobilization/manipulation, and multimodal interventions were described in eligible studies. Favorable clinical outcomes were reported in 10 studies. Six case reports/series involving 8 patients described use of unclassified forms of manual therapy. Eight studies described the use of multimodal interventions along with manual therapy. One study described high patient satisfaction. Two studies, accounting for 3 patients, reported serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of literature informing evidence related to clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and adverse events associated with manual therapy for patients with prior cervical spine surgery due to degenerative conditions. High-quality studies of higher-level hierarchical study design are needed to understand the clinical utility and safety profile of manual therapy for this population.

Manipulative and manual therapies in the management of patients with prior lumbar surgery: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pain and disability may persist following lumbar spine surgery and patients may subsequently seek providers trained in manipulative and manual therapy (MMT). This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of MMT after lumbar surgery through identifying, summarizing, assessing quality, and grading the strength of available evidence. Secondarily, we synthesized the impact on medication utilization, and reports on adverse events. METHODS: Databases and grey literature were searched from inception through August 2020. Article extraction consisted of principal findings, pain and function/disability, medication consumption, and adverse events. RESULTS: Literature search yielded 2025 articles,117 full-text articles were screened and 51 citations met inclusion criteria. CONCLUSION: There is moderate evidence to recommend neural mobilization and myofascial release after lumbar fusion, but inconclusive evidence to recommend for or against most manual therapies after most surgical interventions. The literature is primarily limited to low-level studies. More high-quality studies are needed to make recommendations.

A Narrative Review of Lumbar Fusion Surgery With Relevance to Chiropractic Practice.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this narrative review was to describe the most common spinal fusion surgical procedures, address the clinical indications for lumbar fusion in degeneration cases, identify potential complications, and discuss their relevance to chiropractic management of patients after surgical fusion. METHODS: The PubMed database was searched from the beginning of the record through March 31, 2015, for English language articles related to lumbar fusion or arthrodesis or both and their incidence, procedures, complications, and postoperative chiropractic cases. Articles were retrieved and evaluated for relevance. The bibliographies of selected articles were also reviewed. RESULTS: The most typical lumbar fusion procedures are posterior lumbar interbody fusion, anterior lumbar interbody fusion, transforaminal interbody fusion, and lateral lumbar interbody fusion. Fair level evidence supports lumbar fusion procedures for degenerative spondylolisthesis with instability and for intractable low back pain that has failed conservative care. Complications and development of chronic pain after surgery is common, and these patients frequently present to chiropractic physicians. Several reports describe the potential benefit of chiropractic management with spinal manipulation, flexion-distraction manipulation, and manipulation under anesthesia for postfusion low back pain. There are no published experimental studies related specifically to chiropractic care of postfusion low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: This article describes the indications for fusion, common surgical practice, potential complications, and relevant published chiropractic literature. This review includes 10 cases that showed positive benefits from chiropractic manipulation, flexion-distraction, and/or manipulation under anesthesia for postfusion lumbar pain. Chiropractic care may have a role in helping patients in pain who have undergone lumbar fusion surgery.

Clinical factors affecting intraocular pressure change after orbital decompression surgery in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To report the physiological monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP) during the postoperative periods after orbital decompression surgery and ascertain the correlation between the clinical factors and IOP changes. METHODS: The medical records of 113 orbits from 60 patients who underwent orbital decompression surgery were reviewed retrospectively. IOP measurement during the postoperative periods was classified based on the postoperative day: week 1 (1-7 days), month 1 (8-41 days), month 2 (42-70 days), month 3 (71-97 days), month 4 (98-126 days), and final (after 127 days). The mean postoperative follow-up was 286.5 days for orbits with at least 6 months of follow-up. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to assess the correlation between the IOP reduction percentage and clinical factors. RESULTS: The mean IOP increased from 16.9 to 18.6 mmHg (10.1%) at postoperative week 1 and decreased to 14.4 mmHg (14.5%) after 2 months. Minimal little changes were observed postoperatively in the IOP after 2 months. Preoperative IOP had a significant positive effect on the reduction percentage both at postoperative week 1 (ß=2.51, P=0.001) and after 2 months (ß=1.07, P=0.029), and the spherical equivalent showed a positive correlation with the reduction level at postoperative week 1 (ß=1.71, P=0.021). CONCLUSION: Surgical decompression caused a significant reduction in the IOP in thyroid-associated orbitopathy, and the amount of reduction was closely related to preoperative IOP; however, it may also cause a transient elevation in the IOP during the early postoperative phase in highly myopic eyes.

Impact of the interval between coronary angiography and off-pump coronary bypass surgery on postoperative renal function.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant complication after coronary artery bypass surgery. Prior coronary angiography increases the likelihood of AKI due to the use of a radiocontrast dye. This study examined the effect of coronary angiography on the postoperative renal function after off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB). METHODS: The records of 110 patients who required OPCAB were reviewed. These patients also had at least two of the following conditions: chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, emergency surgery, congestive heart failure, age >75 years, hematocrit <30%, a left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, or the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers. The patients were divided into two groups; coronary angiography performed within two days of OPCAB (Control group, n = 55), and coronary angiography performed more than two days before OPCAB (Angio group, n = 55). The serum creatinine (SCr) and serum cystatin C levels were measured on the day before surgery, as well as on postoperative days 1, 2, 3 and 7. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was also obtained on those days. AKI was defined as an increase in Cr >/=50% or >/=0.3 mg/dl within 48 hours. RESULTS: The postoperative changes in the SCr, cystatin C and eGFR were similar in the two groups. The incidence of AKI and renal replacement therapy were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary angiography performed within two days of OPCAB does not affect the postoperative renal function.