Epidural hematoma in patients with ankylosing spondylitis requiring surgical stabilization: a single-institution retrospective review with literature analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the sacroiliac joints and axial spine that is closely linked with human leukocyte antigen-B27. There appears to be an increased frequency of associated epidural hematomas in spine fractures in patients with AS. The objective was to review the incidence within the literature and a single-institution experience of the occurrence of epidural hematoma in the context of patients with AS requiring spine surgery. METHODS: Deep 6 AI software was used to search the entire database of patients at a single level I trauma center (since the advent of the institution's modern electronic health record system) to look at all patients with AS who underwent spinal surgery and who had a diagnosis of epidural hematoma. Additionally, a systemic literature review was performed of all papers evaluating the incidence of epidural hematoma in patients with spine fractures. RESULTS: A single-institution, retrospective review of records from 2009 to 2020 yielded a total of 164 patients with AS who underwent spine surgery. Of those patients, 17 (10.4%) had epidural hematomas on imaging, with the majority requiring surgical decompression. These spine fractures occurred close to the cervicothoracic or thoracolumbar junction. The patients ranged in age from 51 to 88 years, and there were 14 males and 3 females in the cohort. Eight patients were administered an antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant agent, and the rest were not. All patients required surgical stabilization, with 64.7% of patients also requiring decompressive laminectomies for evacuation of the hematoma and spinal cord decompression. Only 1 death was reported in the series. There was a tendency toward neurological improvement after surgical intervention. CONCLUSIONS: AS has been a well-described pathologic process that leads to an increased risk of three-column injury in spine fracture, with an increased incidence of symptomatic epidural hematoma compared with patients without AS. Early recognition of this entity is important to ensure that appropriate surgical management includes addressing compression of the neural elements in addition to surgical stabilization.

Four-Strand Versus 2-Strand Suture-Button Constructs in First Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty: A Biomechanical Study.

Background: Suture-button fixation is an alternative to no fixation, first metacarpal distraction techniques, or Kirschner wire fixation after trapeziectomy in treatment of first carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis. A 4-strand suture-button construct requires a 2.7-mm tunnel, whereas a 2-strand construct requires a 1.1-mm tunnel, potentially decreasing the risk of metacarpal fracture. We compared stability and failure criteria of 4-strand versus 2-strand construct in a biomechanical model of first CMC joint arthroplasty. Methods: Ten fresh-frozen matched pairs of human cadaveric hands were randomized to receive a 4-strand or 2-strand suture-button device. Trapeziectomy and fluoroscopic measurement of the fixed posttrapeziectomy space was performed before and after cycling 1000 times at 0.2 Hz in a custom loading device. The constructs were loaded to failure and failure mechanism was noted. Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in unfixed posttrapeziectomy, fixed precyclic loading, or postcyclic loading height. No difference in pinch pressure was found in any group. No difference in load to failure was observed. The 4-strand device failed through the first ray in 8 of 11 specimens, and the suture of the 2-strand device failed in 5 of 9 specimens. Conclusions: The 4-strand and 2-strand suture-button constructs provide comparable biomechanical stability for first CMC arthroplasty. If construct stability is similar between these procedures, the smaller tunnel used with the 2-strand construct may offer an advantage.