STRA-MI-VT (STereotactic RadioAblation by Multimodal Imaging for Ventricular Tachycardia): rationale and design of an Italian experimental prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a life-threatening condition, which usually implies the need of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in combination with antiarrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) represents a common form of therapy in oncology, which has emerged as a well-tolerated and promising alternative option for the treatment of refractory VT in patients with structural heart disease. OBJECTIVE: In the STRA-MI-VT trial, we will investigate as primary endpoints safety and efficacy of SBRT for the treatment of recurrent VT in patients not eligible for catheter ablation. Secondary aim will be to evaluate SBRT effects on global mortality, changes in heart function, and in the quality of life during follow-up. METHODS: This is a spontaneous, prospective, experimental (phase Ib/II), open-label study (NCT04066517); 15 patients with structural heart disease and intractable VT will be enrolled within a 2-year period. Advanced multimodal cardiac imaging preceding chest CT-simulation will serve to elaborate the treatment plan on different linear accelerators with target and organs-at-risk definition. SBRT will consist in a single radioablation session of 25 Gy. Follow-up will last up to 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: We test the hypothesis that SBRT reduces the VT burden in a safe and effective way, leading to an improvement in quality of life and survival. If the results will be favorable, radioablation will turn into a potential alternative option for selected patients with an indication to VT ablation, based on the opportunity to treat ventricular arrhythmogenic substrates in a convenient and less-invasive manner.

Clinical considerations for spinal surgery in the osteoporotic patient: A comprehensive review.

Osteoporosis is a skeletal condition characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD). Common in older patients undergoing spinal fusion, it is a significant risk factor for instrumentation failure and related complications. The objective of this review is to articulate clear suggestions for screening and medical/surgical management strategies in patients with osteoporosis. A thorough review of the literature was conducted using PubMed. Varied search terms were applied to yield published manuscripts on osteoporosis and spine surgery. Biomechanical studies and studies conducted in animal models were excluded. Screening should be considered in those that present with multiple risk factors for low BMD. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) remains the gold standard, but Hounsfield Units (HU) have emerged as a powerful complement to DEXA. While both bisphosphonates and teriparatide have been investigated in the perioperative setting and have a positive impact on outcomes, teriparatide maintains an advantage in comparative studies. Surgical treatment need not be postponed. Standard surgical modifications such as using multiple points of fixation, varied fixation equipment, anterior/posterior instrumentation, and modified screw design/trajectories should all be considered. However, recent clinical studies focus on cement augmentation and expandable pedicle screws. All have been shown to improve bone-screw interface strength, but extravasation remains a risk of cement augmentation, and hydroxyapatite cement (HAC), while an emerging alternative to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), is not as well investigated in the setting of osteoporosis. Furthermore, research on expandable pedicle screws is limited. To conclude, optimizing spine surgery outcomes in the osteoporotic patient is possible with a thorough preoperative workup, medical management, and a tailoring of the surgical technique. This is especially important when performing complex spinal instrumentation.