The surgical treatment of subaxial acute cervical spine facet dislocations in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Adult cervical spine traumatic facet joint dislocations occur when excessive traumatic forces displace the vertebrae's facets, leading to loss of joint congruence. Reduction requires either cranial traction or open surgical procedures. This study aims to appraise the effects of different surgical techniques in the treatment of subaxial cervical spine acute traumatic facet blocks in adults. This study was based on a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, registered in Prospero (CRD42021279249). The PICO question was composed of adults with acute cervical spine traumatic facet dislocations submitted to anterior or posterior surgical approaches, associated or not with cranial traction for reduction. Each surgical technique was compared to the other. The primary clinical outcomes included neurological improvement or worsening and surgical success/failure rates. The anterior approach without cranial traction was efficient in reducing facet displacements. Skull traction was an efficient and immediate method to achieve spine dislocation reductions. Differences were not present among techniques regarding neurological improvement. There were no surgical failures in patients operated on via the posterior approach. The need to decompress and stabilize the cervical spine can be achieved by anterior or posterior surgical approaches, and there is no clear answer as to which initial approach is superior to the other.

Review of best classification systems for diagnosing and treating thoracolumbar spine trauma.

BACKGROUND: Improved thoracolumbar spine trauma classification (TLSTC) systems can better help diagnose and treat thoracolumbar spine trauma (TLT). Here, we identified the types of injury (rationale and description), instability criteria, and treatment guidelines of TLSTC. METHODS: We used the PubMed/MEDLINE database to assess TLSTC according to the following variables: injury morphology, injury mechanism, spinal instability criteria, neurological status, and treatment guidelines. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies, 18 case series and three reviews were included in the study. Treatment guidelines were proposed in 16 studies. The following three major parameters were identified in TLSTC studies: injury morphology (19/21 studies), posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) disruption alone as the main spinal instability criterion (15 studies), and neurological damage (12 studies). Most classification systems neglected the severity of vertebral body comminution. CONCLUSION: We identified here the 3 main parameters for the evaluation of diagnosis and treatment of TLT: injury morphology, PLC disruption, and neurological damage. Based on our review, we may conclude that further clinical validation studies of TLSTC are warranted.

The effect of filum terminale sectioning for Chiari 1 malformation treatment: systematic review.

PURPOSE: Symptomatic Chiari type I malformation (CM) is treated with posterior fossa decompression with/ without duroplasty. Few authors suggested cerebellar tonsil caudal migration due to a supposed "caudal traction" of cranial nerve structures in a so-called occult tethered cord syndrome. For these authors, filum terminale (FT) sectioning may improve CM symptoms. The objective of this review is to evaluate the effect of FT sectioning on the treatment of CM. METHODS: Using the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, we reviewed studies to evaluate patient's outcomes with CM who underwent FT sectioning. The MINORS instrument was used for methodological quality assessment. The included studies' levels of evidence (LOE) were classified according to the Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine. RESULTS: Two studies from the same group of authors were included. We cannot assure if the cited cases in the first study were also included in their latter published study. The described results suggest that outcomes were not collected in a standardized fashion. Outcomes are described vaguely as a percentage of improvement. Case series samples were small and included not only patients with CM but also patients with scoliosis and syringomyelia. The MINORS score reported that both studies had low methodological quality. Both included studies were classified as level 4 of evidence. CONCLUSION: There is no scientific support for filum terminale sectioning in patients with CM without evidence of tethered cord. This procedure may be considered experimental and should be validated in a strict criterion of inclusion clinical trial comparing outcomes in posterior fossa decompression.

Four-rod Technique Stabilization after Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy (PSO) for the Treatment of Thoracolumbar Hyperkyphosis Secondary to Pott Disease: A Two-Year Follow-Up Case Report

Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) is a powerful tool for themanagement of sagittal misalignment. However, this procedure has a high rate of implant failure, particularly rod breakages. The four-rod technique diminishes this complication in the lumbar spine. The aim of the present study is to provide a case report regarding PSO and fourrod technique stabilization in the treatment of short-angle hyperkyphosis in the thoracolumbar (TL) junction. The authors describe the case of a patient with TL hyperkyphosis secondary to spinal tuberculosis treated with L1 PSO and fixation with a four-rod technique. There were no major surgical complications. The self-reported quality of life questionnaires (the Short-Form Health Survey 36 [SF-36] and the Oswestry disability index) and radiological parameters were assessed preoperatively, as well as 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery, and they showed considerable and sustained improvements in pain control and quality of life. No hardware failure was observed at the two-year follow-up.

The effect of posterior fossa decompression in adult Chiari malformation and basilar invagination: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chiari malformation (CM) and basilar invagination (BI) are mesodermal malformations with disproportion between the content and volume of posterior fossa capacity and overcrowding of neural structures at the level of foramen magnum. Several alternatives for posterior approaches are available, including extradural (ED), extra-arachnoidal, and intradural (ID) approaches. The objectives are to evaluate the effect of several surgical techniques for posterior fossa decompression (PFD) in the outcomes of patients with CCJM and to evaluate complications in the techniques reported. A systematic review of the literature on the effects of PFD surgery was performed using the MEDLINE (via PubMed) database and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The PRISMA statement and MOOSE recommendations were followed. Five hundred and thirty-nine (539) articles were initially selected by publication title. After abstract analysis, 70 articles were selected for full-text analysis, and 43 were excluded. Ultimately, 27 studies were evaluated. The success rate (SR) with ED techniques was 0.76 versus 0.81 in EA technique and 0.83 in IA technique. All posterior fossa decompression techniques were very successful. Results from observational studies were similar to that of the randomized trial. The main complications were CSF fistulas, most common in patients with IA approach. The overall mortality rate was 1%.

Reliability of the evaluation of posterior ligamentous complex injury in thoracolumbar spine trauma with the use of computed tomography scan.

PURPOSE: The AOSpine thoracolumbar (TL) spine injury classification system is based mainly on computed tomography (CT). The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of CT scan in the diagnosis of posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) injury in thoracolumbar spine trauma (TLST). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 43 patients with TLST. CT scans were evaluated independently by three spine surgeons on two separate occasions, 2 months apart. The reliability of PLC injury parameters was assessed by the Kappa coefficient (κ) and the average percentage of these parameters was established. Injuries were classified according to the AOSpine classification as type A (compression), B (anterior and/or posterior tension band injuries) or C (dislocation) injury and the reliability of the classification was calculated. RESULTS: On average, PLC injury was identified in 91.4% of type B or C injuries. Tension band injury and dislocation were found in 90.5% of type B and 93.2% of type C injuries. The intraobserver reliability for the PLC injury parameters ranged from 0.518 to 1.000, except for increased interspinous distance (IID). Interobserver reliability ranged from 0.303 to 0.688. When the patients were evaluated as a whole, dislocation showed the highest κ (0.656 and 0.688). When type A or B injuries were assessed, the highest κ were found for IID (0.533 and 0.511) and tension band injury (0.486 and 0.452). The κ for AOSpine classification was 0.526 and 0.645 in both assessments. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the use of CT scan as the only diagnostic tool could identify PLC injury in most cases and demonstrated satisfactory reliability. Dislocation could satisfactorily diagnose type C injury, while IID was the best parameter to differentiate between type A and B injuries.

Is there a benefit to operating on patients (bedridden or in wheelchairs) with advanced stage cervical spondylotic myelopathy?

Surgical treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) aims to prevent or delay the progression of the disease. Many patients are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, presenting severe functional disability and extensive radiologic changes, which suggests clinical irreversibility. There are doubts about the real benefit of surgery in patients who are seriously ill, bedridden or in a wheelchair. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of surgical treatment in the clinical outcomes of patients severely affected by CSM. We analyzed patients with CSM who received an operation at a single institution between 1996 and 2008. Cases with a preoperative Nurick score equal to 5 were studied. We describe postoperative clinical improvement and compare the demographics and clinical data between the patients who improved and those who had no improvement. Radiological findings were also analyzed. We evaluated 55 patients operated on. Nine presented with preoperative Nurick score of 5 (16.3%). The mean age was 69.77 +/- 6.6 years (95% CI 64.65-79.90). The mean follow-up was 53.44 +/- 35.09 months (CI 26.46-80.42). Six patients (66.6%) achieved functional improvement when assessed by the Nurick scale, regaining the ability to walk. All patients improved on the JOAm scale, except one. The mean preoperative Nurick score was 5, while the mean postoperative Nurick score was 4.11 +/- 0.92 (95% CI 3.39-4.82) (Wilcoxon p = 0.027). The mean preoperative JOAm score was 6.4, and postoperative was 9.88 +/- 2.31 (CI 95% 8.10-11.66) (Wilcoxon p = 0.011). All spinal cords presented high-intensity signal on T2-weighted images. There was no correlation between the number of spinal cord high-intensity signal levels and clinical improvement. Three out of seven patients (whose image was adequate for analysis) had evident spinal cord atrophy, and two of them did not improve clinically. In the whole sample of patients, the mean length of disease for those who improved was 9.25 +/- 7.31 months (95% CI 1.56-16.93), and for those who did not improve was 38.00 +/- 19.28 months (95% CI 9.91-85.91) (Mann-Whitney p = 0.02). In conclusion, two-thirds of patients with CSM Nurick scores of 5 who were either bedridden or in wheelchairs at the time of diagnosis improved at least one degree on the Nurick scale after surgical treatment, thus returning to walking. The JOAm scale was more sensitive to clinical changes than the Nurick scale. Patients with longer lengths of disease had worse outcomes.

Qual a importância da compressão do canal vertebral na decisão de conduta da fratura em explosão toracolombar sem déficit neurológico?: [revisão] / What is the importance of the spinal canal encroachment in the management of thracolumbar burst fracture withou neurological deficit?: [review]

Introdução: As características relevantes no tratamento das fraturas toracolombares variam na literatura. As indicações cirúrgicas clássicas de fraturas tipo explosão são perda de altura do corpo vertebral, cifose, déficit neurológico e compressão do canal. Estudos recentes têm atribuído menos importância à compressão do canal como um indicadorcirúrgico em pacientes neurologicamente intactos. As várias classificações de fraturas toraco- lombares tentam orientar a indicação cirúrgica. Analisamos a relevância atribuída à compressão do canal pelas classificações de fraturas toracolombares na conduta das fraturas explosão sem déficit neurológico. Objetivo: Avaliar a relevância atribuída pelas classificações de fraturas toracolombares à compressão do canal na conduta da fratura explosão, sem lesão do complexo ligamentar posterior ou déficit neurológico. Métodos: Foi realizada uma revisão da literatura por “tracking” dos artigos relacionados às classificações de fraturas toracolombares a partir do artigo de Vaccaro até o de Holdsworth. Analisamos o papel da compressão do canal na conduta da fratura explosão sem lesão ligamentar posterior ou déficit neurológico em cada classificação. Resultados: Sete classificações foram incluídas. Holdsworth considerou as fraturas explosão como estáveis, independentemente do grau de compressão do canal ou déficit neurológico. Denis considerou que a fratura explosão determina instabilidade neurológica, portanto, nestes casos ele sugeriu o tratamento cirúrgico, devido ao risco de dano neurológico novo. McAffee postulou que não existe preditor confiável para correlacionar a gravidade da compressão do canal com o risco de dano neurológico. Ferguson e Allen discutiram a possibilidade de descompressão anterior, estabilização e fusão anterior da coluna vertebral em deter- minados casos de fraturas explosão. As classificações de McCormack, Karaikovic e Gaines, Magerl e Vaccaro não incluíram a compressão do canal em suas considerações.

Biópsia vertebral percutânea pelo método de preensão direta do tumor vertebral / Percutaneous vertebral biopsy by direct apprehension of tumor

O tratamento das metástases vertebrais depende do grau de malignidade e do estadiamento do tumor primário. A biópsia vertebral é uma arma fundamental no diagnóstico e planejamento terapêutico dos tumores vertebrai. Objetivos: Avaliar a segurança e eficácia da biópsia vertebral percutânea (BVP) pelo método de preensão direta em diagnosticar malignidades e excluir outras lesões; avaliar a possibilidade de obtenção direta dos éspecimes de tumor para exame de congelação. Método: Foram estudados 10 casos submetidos à bópsia vertebral percutânea de lesões sugetivas de neoplasia no período de janeiro de 2002 a janeiro de 2006, sendo analisados: indicação da biópsia, estado neurológico do paciente pré e pós procedimento, complicações e diagnóstico . Em três pacientes, foi realizado exame de congelação da lesão vertebral biopsiada. Resultados: A via predominante utilizada para realização da BVP foi a via transpendicular (9 casos). O diagnóstico histológico foi obtido em 8 casos. O exame de congelação da lesão vertebral biopsiada. Resultados: A via predominantemente da BVP foi a via transpedicular (9 casos). O diagnóstico histológico foi obtido em 8 casos. O exame de congelação , realizado em três amostras, detectou malignidade em dois casos. Nenhuma amostra foi considerada insuficiente para para o diagnóstico. Conclusões: A BVP é um método prático e seguro de aquisição de material para diagnóstico de neoplasias vertebrais. O método de preensão direta dos éspecimes possibilita a realização do exame de congelação em tumores"moles".