Surgical management of cervical kyphosis in larsen syndrome. Case report and review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: and importance: Larsen syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by multiple joint dislocations, flat faces that can also be referred to as "dish face", kyphoscoliosis, and anomalies of the vertebrae. Patients with this syndrome frequently develop various spinal deformities, one of them being kyphosis of the cervical spine. This deformity can lead to serious health manifestations if not surgically treated. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 6-month-old female, diagnosed with Larsen syndrome. She presented with progressive upper and lower limbs spasticity, flexed neck, and bilateral resistant developmental dysplasia of the hip. A C3 corpectomy with iliac crest allograft was done and 2.7 plates with screws in C2 and C4 were placed. An abduction brace (Pavlik harness) was used for 3 months after the surgery to prevent early collapse. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Our patient was the youngest patient reported in the literature to be operated on. Although the type of surgery for patients with Larsen who suffer from spinal deformities is dictated by the severity of the deformity; the literature agrees that surgical intervention is the most important step in its management. CONCLUSION: If cervical kyphosis in a patient with Larsen syndrome is left untreated; the progression of the condition can eventually lead to paralysis. Early surgical correction can spare the patient future deterioration due to chronic cord compression.

Spinal metastasis: The rise of minimally invasive surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Bone is the third most common site of metastatic cancer, of which the spine is the most frequently involved. As metastatic cancer prevalence rises and surgical techniques advance, operative intervention for spinal metastases is expected to rise. In the first operative cohort of spinal metastasis in Ireland, we describe the move towards less invasive surgery, the causative primary types and post-operative survival. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of all operative interventions for spinal metastasis in a tertiary referral centre over eight years. Primary spinal tumours and local invasion to the spine were excluded. Median follow up was 1895 days. RESULTS: 225 operative procedures in 196 patients with spinal metastasis were performed over eight years. Average cases per year increased form 20 per year to 29 per year. Percutaneous procedures became more common, accounting for the majority (53%) in the final two years. The most common primary types were breast, myeloma, lung, prostate and renal. Overall survival at 1 year was 51%. Primary type was a major determinant of survival, with breast and the haematological cancers demonstrating good survival, while lung had the worst prognosis. CONCLUSION: This is the first descriptive cohort of operative interventions for spinal metastasis in an Irish context. Surgery for spinal metastasis is performed at an increasing rate, especially through minimally-invasive means. The majority of patients survive for at least one year post-operatively. Prudent resource planning is necessary to prepare for this growing need.

The rise of metastatic bone disease in Ireland.

To describe the expected rise of metastatic bone disease in Ireland, the relative primary types, and the locations of spread within the skeleton. This was a population-based epidemiological study using cancer registry data. We included patients with known metastatic cancer to bone, within 1 year of the primary diagnosis, during the years 1994 to 2012 inclusive. Our main outcome measures were age-specific, gender-specific and age-standardised incidence rates of bone metastasis, primary types and metastatic location within the skeleton. There were 14,495 recognised cases of bone metastasis in Ireland, 1994-2012 inclusive. Cases consistently rose over the time period, with 108% case increase and 51% age-standardised incidence rise. Annual percentage change increased across both genders and over all age groups. Most of this rise was not due to demographic population change. Breast, prostate and lung accounted for the majority of primary types. GI cancers were the fourth most common primary type. There were proportional increases in breast and lung, with proportional decreases in prostate. The spine was the major metastatic site. Bone metastasis is a significant and rising healthcare concern in Ireland. This rise is disproportionate to demographic changes. Breast, prostate and lung cancers account for the majority. GI cancers are implicated in an unexpectedly high number of cases. Spine is the most common location of bony metastasis, especially at presentation. Prudent healthcare planning is necessitated to prepare for the growing consequences of bone metastasis in cancer patients.

An analysis of whiplash injury outcomes in an Irish population: a retrospective fifteen-year study of a spine surgeon's experience.

BACKGROUND: Whiplash injuries result from an acceleration-deceleration injury of the cervical spine. The associated symptoms may include neck pain/stiffness; cervicogenic headaches; interscapular pain; upper limb pain, paraesthesia and weakness. Current treatment protocols recommend conservative management of low-grade whiplash. AIMS: To assess changing practices over time in the management of whiplash-associated disorders in the practice of a specialist spine surgeon and to explore the impact of associated litigation on this patient cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: The private medical records of a specialist spine surgeon over a 15-year period (1996-2011) were reviewed. Three hundred one consecutive patients were identified: 169 females and 132 males with a mean age of 37 years ± 13. All were referred by primary care with potential soft tissue injury of the cervical spine following a road traffic accident. Fifty-eight percent had associated back pain. An initial conservative approach was adopted in all cases. Subsequently, 4 patients underwent surgical intervention. Ninety-three percent reported chronic neck pain > 6 months after their injury. Age was the only significant predictor of chronic neck pain (adjusted OR 1.29 for every 5-year increase, p = 0.03). All were ultimately involved in litigation. The establishment of the Personal Injuries Board did not influence the litigation duration during the study period. CONCLUSION: Whiplash poses a significant societal economic burden in Ireland and was associated with prolonged symptoms including neck pain and upper limb neuropathic symptoms in this cohort. Associated low-back pain was common. Litigation was linked with presentation in all cases.

Comparison of thermal spread with the use of an ultrasonic osteotomy device: Sonopet ultrasonic aspirator versus misonix bonescalpel in spinal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The development of high speed rotating burrs has greatly advanced spinal surgery in recent years. However, they produce unwanted frictional heat and temperature elevation during the burring process. We compare the misonix bone scalpel (MBS) and the Sonopet ultrasonic aspirator to assess which would be the safer device in terms of the risk of thermal injury following laminectomy. METHODS: We describe an experimental nonrandomized study comparing two ultrasonic osteotomy devices. We use the device tip temperature and temperature of inner cortex of the lamina, following laminectomy, as the primary outcome. Our secondary outcome is to assess which device is associated with a lower risk of osteonecrosis and potential thermal injury to surrounding dura and nerves. RESULTS: The average device tip temperature for the Sonopet ultrasonic aspirator following the process of laminectomy was 36.8 with a maximum temperature of 41.8°C. The average device tip temperature for the MBS following laminectomy was 48.6 with a maximum temperature of 85.3°C. CONCLUSION: Our results have demonstrated the safety of the Sonopet ultrasonic aspirator with the Nakagawa serrated knife with temperatures below the threshold for osteonecrosis and thermal neural injury. However, the MBS has shown to occasionally reach high temperatures above the threshold of potential thermal injury to surrounding nerves and dura for a very short period of time. We advise to withdraw and re-insert the ultrasonic tip repeatedly to re-establish adequate cooling and lubrication. Further studies should be carried out using cadaveric bone at body temperature to simulate more accurate results.

Sprain of the Subaxial Cervical Spine in Childhood.

Posterior atlantoaxial ligament disruption in children is a rare diagnosis. We present a case of a young girl with cervical spine posterior atlantoaxial ligament disruption post a fall from a climbing frame. Presenting with minimal symptoms other than neck pain, this case highlights the diagnostic difficulty and need for further radiological imaging in paediatric patients with neck pain post trauma.

Sternal metastasis - the forgotten column and its effect on thoracic spine stability.

Sternal metastases are not studied extensively in the literature. There is a paucity of information on their role in metastatic disease. The concept of the fourth column was described by Berg in 1993, and has been proven in case report, clinically and biomechanical studies. The role of the sternum as a support to the thoracic spine is well documented in the trauma patients, but not much is known about its role in cancer patients. This review examines what is known on the role of the fourth column. Following this we have identified two likely scenarios that sternal metastases may impact management: (1) sternal pathological fracture increases the mobility of the semi-rigid thorax with the loss of the biomechanical support of the sternum-rib-thoracic spine complex; and (2) a sternal metastasis increases the risk of fracture, and while being medical treated the thoracic spine should be monitored for acute kyphosis and neurological injury secondarily to the insufficiency of the fourth column.

A review of the application of vancomycin powder to posterior spinal fusion wounds with a focus on side effects and infection. A prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Deep wound infection after spinal surgery is a potentially devastating complication and is associated with higher morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Different measures including intraoperative application of vancomycin powder to wounds have been employed previously to decrease the infection rate. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this ongoing clinical study is to evaluate the systemic uptake of prophylactically applied vancomycin in instrumented spinal fusion surgery. Secondary outcomes are to show any side effects including nephrotoxicity related to its local application and record superficial and deep wound infections. METHODS: A prospective study has been designed to recruit consecutive patients, between September 2013 and September 2014, operated by a single surgeon. All patients undergoing instrumented spinal fusion surgery (elective and trauma) in a single institution over a 12-month period were included. One gram of vancomycin powder was applied to the subfascial layer, and serum levels were measured at 6, 12 and 24 h post-administration. All patients routinely had renal functions checked postoperatively to evaluate nephrotoxic effects. A second cohort of patients was then recruited to apply 2 g of vancomycin subfascially. The patients were followed up for a 2-year period. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients, both trauma and elective, had 1 g of vancomycin powder applied to the subfascial layer. Twenty-eight patients had 2 g of vancomycin powder applied to the subfascial layer. Four patients reached systemic levels in the 2-g group; however, only one patient had clinically detectable but nonsignificant levels in the 1-g group. There were no adverse effects detected. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that systemic uptake of vancomycin after local application to the wound is negligible for the vast majority of patients. However, it has shown clinical and biochemical safety for its use and remains a cost-effective and low-risk strategy to combat surgical site and deep wound infections.

Cellular Plasticity in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis.

Purpose. Experimental data suggest that tumour cells can reversibly transition between epithelial and mesenchymal states (EMT and MET), a phenomenon known as cellular plasticity. The aim of this review was to appraise the clinical evidence for the role of cellular plasticity in prostate cancer (PC) bone metastasis. Methods. An electronic search was performed using PubMed for studies that have examined the differential expression of epithelial, mesenchymal, and stem cell markers in human PC bone metastasis tissues. Results. The review included nineteen studies. More than 60% of the studies used ≤20 bone metastasis samples, and there were several sources of heterogeneity between studies. Overall, most stem cell markers analysed, except for CXCR4, were positively expressed in bone metastasis tissues, while the expression of EMT and MET markers was heterogeneous between and within samples. Several EMT and stemness markers that are involved in osteomimicry, such as Notch, Met receptor, and Wnt/ß pathway, were highly expressed in bone metastases. Conclusions. Clinical findings support the role of cellular plasticity in PC bone metastasis and suggest that epithelial and mesenchymal states cannot be taken in isolation when targeting PC bone metastasis. The paper also highlights several challenges in the clinical detection of cellular plasticity.

Hoffa's fracture - lateral meniscus obstructing the fracture reduction - a case report.

Hoffa's fracture is a coronal fracture of the posterior femoral condyle and is an unusual injury. It can be easily missed on plain radiographs. There is no dearth of literature on Hoffa's fracture, its various presentations, management and rehabilitation principles. The intra-articular nature of the fracture, vulnerable blood supply of the posterior femoral condyle, involvement of the weight bearing articular surface of the knee and the unstable fracture pattern necessitate the surgical management. We encountered an unusual case of Hoffa's fracture where the lateral meniscus was blocking the reduction of fractured fragments. The patient required mini arthrotomy to remove the meniscus from in between the bone fragments. The fracture was fixed with two anteroposterior screws and knee was immobilised in extension. A gentle knee range of movements was commenced after the wound had healed but weight bearing was delayed for 12 weeks.

Ipsilateral Radial Head Dislocation and Radial Shaft Fracture in a Child-A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic dislocation of the radial head in paediatric population is a well described injury, it is usually associated with an injury to the ulna in the Monteggia lesion (1), but can occur as an isolated injury also (2,3). CASE REPORT: A 4.5 year old girl presented to emergency department with her right upper limb held in pronation and flexion following isolated closed injury. Roentgenograms showed oblique fracture of the radial shaft and dislocation of radial head. She underwent nailing of the radial shaft and open reduction of the radial head. After 4 months, the fracture healed fully and she had full range of elbow movements. CONCLUSION: Ipsilateral radial head dislocation and radial shaft fracture is extremely rare injury in a child. A good outcome can be achieved by applying principles of management of proximal forearm fracture-dislocation.

Severe sprains of the sub-axial cervical spine in adolescents: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge: a report of three cases.

BACKGROUND: Sub-axial cervical spine(C spine) distraction flexion injuries, known as cervical sprains, have been divided into either "benign" or "severe" sprains depending on the integrity of the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) of the spinal column. It is a very uncommon injury and rarely reported in the literature. Most of the reports in the literature discuss this injury in the adult age group and so the adolescent age group was also considered to follow the same model of progression of mechanical instability depending on the degree and extent of structures injured, including the PLL as a cutoff factor between a "stable" and an "unstable" injury. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report three cases of adolescents with severe cervical sprains at the C2-C3 level and argue the integrity of PLL as a determinant factor in the sagittal stability of the C spine in this age group.

Body mass index and risk of surgical site infection following spine surgery: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Inconsistent results have been reported in the literature on the association between obesity, expressed as increased body mass index (BMI), and risk for surgical site infection (SSI) following spine surgery. The objective of this study was to review and quantify the association between increased BMI and risk of spinal SSI in adults. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive search for relevant studies using PubMed, Embase, and references of published manuscripts. Study-specific risk measures were transformed into slope estimates and combined using the random effects meta-analysis model to establish the risk of SSI associated with every 5-unit increase in BMI. RESULTS: Thirty-four articles underwent full-text review. Variations were noted among these studies in relation to SSI diagnosis criteria and BMI cut-off levels used to define obesity. Data from 12 retrospective studies were included in the analyses. Results showed that BMI was significantly positively associated with the risk of spinal SSI. Unadjusted risk estimates demonstrated that a 5-unit increase in BMI was associated with 13 % increased risk of SSI [Crude odds ratio (OR): 1.13; 95 % CI: 1.07-1.19, p < 0.0001]. Pooling of risk estimates adjusted for diabetes and other confounders resulted in a 21 % increase in risk of spinal SSI for every 5-unit increase in BMI (adjusted OR: 1.21; 95 % CI 1.13-1.29, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Higher BMI is associated with the increased risk of SSI following spine surgery. Prospective studies are needed to confirm this association and to determine whether other measures of fat distribution are better predictors of risk of SSI.

Accuracy of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging for detection of full thickness rotator cuff tears.

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff problems are frequently seen by orthopedic surgeons and accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate management. Value of the clinical assessment of a shoulder is often limited, therefore, imaging studies have important implications in the management of rotator cuff pathologies. AIM: The purpose of this retrospective study is to compare the accuracy of ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detection of full-thickness rotator cuff tears. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 91 consecutive cases of shoulder arthroscopy and open rotator cuff repair, who had undergone preoperative investigation in the form of either an ultrasound or MRI. Thirty-six patients had an ultrasound and 55 had an MRI for their affected shoulders. We compared the accuracy of US and MRI for detection of full-thickness rotator cuff tears, using the operative findings as the 'gold standard'. Data regarding a supraspinatus tear was assessed for the purpose of this study. RESULTS: Ultrasonography correctly diagnosed 15 out of 17 tears (sensitivity of 0.88). There were 17 true-negative and two false-positive ultrasounds (specificity of 0.89). MRI accurately identified 33 of the 36 tears (sensitivity of 0.91). There were 16 true-negative and three false-positive tears on MRI (specificity of 0.84). The positive predictive value (PPV) was 88% for US and 92% for MRI. The negative predictive value (NPV) was 89% for US and 84% for MRI. The overall accuracy of the ultrasound was 88.89% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 74.09 to 96.18) as compared to 89.09% (95% CI = 77.82% to 95.26%) for the MRI. CONCLUSION: Full-thickness rotator cuff tears can be identified using ultrasound and MRI with comparable accuracy. US being a dynamic study and better tolerated by the patient, can therefore be used as the first-line investigation for rotator cuff tear, where appropriate skills are available to reduce the waiting time and cost of investigation.