Evaluating Single-Surgeon Bias Toward Recommending Corrective Procedures for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Based on Demographic Factors and Comorbidities in a 484-Patient Cohort.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. OBJECTIVES: An increasing focus has been placed on removing implicit (unconscious) bias from the surgical selection process. In spine surgery, there is the potential for implicit bias to affect the decision to either operate on a patient or not, given lack of definitive surgical indications for many elective procedures. The objective of this study was to analyze the surgical decision making of a single spine surgeon in an effort to understand surgical decision-making trends based on certain demographic factors. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 484 patients who had undergone a corrective procedure for cervical myelopathy by an orthopedic spine surgeon at our institution. The preoperative modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score served as the metric of severity of disease for cervical myelopathy. The factors that have been associated with implicit bias that were evaluated were smoking status, narcotic use status, gender, body mass index, and age. RESULTS: Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that even after controlling for comorbidities and confounders, the only variable which predicted likelihood to operate on a patient of a milder symptomology was age (odds ratio [OR] = -0.138; (confidence interval [CI] = -0.034 to -0.006). The other factors (smoking status, narcotic use status, gender, and body mass index) were not associated with surgical decision making. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates absence of association between commonly studied areas of implicit bias and the decision to operate on a patient with milder symptomology at initial presentation of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Factors Associated With Return-to-Work Following Cervical Spine Surgery in Non-Worker's Compensation Setting.

STUDY DESIGN: This study retrospectively analyzes prospectively collected data. OBJECTIVE: Here in this study we aim to determine the factors which impact a patient's ability to return to work (RTW) in the setting of cervical spine surgery in patients without worker's compensation status. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Surgical management of degenerative cervical disease has proven cost-effectiveness and shown significant improvement in quality of life. However, the ability to RTW is an important clinical outcome for preoperatively employed patients. METHODS: All adult patients undergoing elective surgery for cervical degenerative disease at our institution are enrolled in a prospective, web-based registry. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was built for time to RTW. The variables included in the model were age, sex, smoking status, occupation type, number of levels operated on, ASA grade, body mass index, history of diabetes, history of coronary artery disease (CAD), history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anxiety, depression, myelopathy at presentation, duration of symptoms more than 12 months, diagnosis, type of surgery performed, and preoperative Neck Disability Index, EuroQol Five Dimensions, and Numeric Rating Scale pain scores for neck pain and arm pain scores. RESULTS: Of the total 324 patients with complete 3-month follow-up data 83% (n = 269) returned to work following surgery. The median time to RTW was 35 days (range, 2-90 d). Patients with a labor-intensive occupation, higher ASA grade, history of CAD, and history of COPD were less likely to RTW. The likelihood of RTW was lower in patients with a diagnosis of disc herniation compared with cervical stenosis, patients undergoing cervical corpectomy compared laminectomy and fusion and patient with longer operative time. CONCLUSION: Our study identifies the various factors associated with a lower likelihood of RTW at 3 months after cervical spine surgery in the non-worker's compensation setting. This information provides expectations for the patient and employer when undergoing cervical spine surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Effect of Depression on Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection for Degenerative Spine Disease.

Objective: To assess the effect depression has on outcomes after cervical epidural steroid injections (CESIs). Design: Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database. Setting: Single institution tertiary care center. Subjects: Fifty-seven patients with cervical spondylosis and cervical radicular pain who were deemed appropriate surgical candidates but elected to undergo CESI first were included. Methods: Twenty-one of 57 (37%) patients with depression (defined as Zung Depression Scale >33) were included. Patient-reported outcomes including Neck Disability Index (NDI), numeric rating scale (NRS) for arm pain (AP), NRS for neck pain (NP), and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) were collected at baseline and three-month follow-up. Minimal clinically important differences were then calculated to provide dichotomous outcome measures of success. Results: Overall, 24 and 28 patients achieved at least 50% improvement in AP and NP, respectively. In terms of disability, 25/57 (43.9%) patients achieved >13.2-point improvement on the NDI overall. In patients with depression, 4/21 (19.0%) and 5/21 (23.8%) achieved at least 50% improvement on the NRS for AP and NP, respectively, compared with 20/36 (55.5%) and 23/36 (63.8%) in patients without depression. This difference was statistically significant for both pain measures (P < 0.002 AP, P < 0.006 NP). Statistically fewer patients, 5/21 (24%), with depression achieved ≥13.2-point improvement on the NDI compared with 20/36 (55%) nondepressed patients (P < 0.01). There was no difference in outcomes between groups on the EQ-5D. Conclusions: Patients with cervical spondylosis and comorbid depression who undergo CESI are less likely to achieve successful outcomes in both pain and function compared with nondepressed patients at three months.

Timing of Operative Intervention in Traumatic Spine Injuries Without Neurological Deficit.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of early decompression and stabilization in unstable spine injuries with incomplete neurological deficits. However, a clear consensus on timing to operative intervention still does not exist in those with a normal neurological exam and unstable spine. OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal timing of operative intervention in traumatic spine injuries without neurological deficit. METHODS: Retrospective chart review at a single institution was performed including patients with traumatic spine injuries without neurological deficit admitted from December 2001 to August 2012. Estimated intraoperative blood loss (EBL), in-hospital complications, postoperative hospital length of stay (HLOS), intensive care unit length of stay (ICULOS), and ventilator days were recorded. Delayed surgery was defined as surgery 72 h after admission. RESULTS: A total of 456 patients were included for analysis. There was a trend towards statistical significance between the time to operative intervention and EBL in bivariate analysis (P = .07). In the risk-adjusted multivariable analysis delayed vs early surgery was not associated with increased EBL or complications. Delayed surgery was associated with increased ICULOS (odds ratio [OR] = 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-3.51; P = .001), ventilator days (OR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.28-3.43; P = .004), and increased postoperative HLOS (OR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.22-2.76; P = .004). CONCLUSION: Earlier operative intervention was associated with decreased ICULOS, ventilator days, and postoperative HLOS and did not show a statistically significant increase in EBL or complications. Earlier operative intervention for traumatic spine injuries without neurological deficit provides better outcomes compared to delayed surgery.

Patient-Reported Outcomes and Costs Associated With Revision Surgery for Degenerative Cervical Spine Diseases.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of a prospective database. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine cost and outcomes of revision cervical spine surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Revision rates for cervical spine surgery are steadily increasing. It is important to counsel patients on expected results following a revision procedure. However, outcomes and cost of these procedures are poorly defined in the literature. METHODS: Patients undergoing revision cervical spine surgery at a single institution were included between October 2010 and January 2016 in a prospective registry database. Patients were divided into three cohorts depending on their etiology for revision, including recurrent disease, pseudoarthrosis, or adjacent segment disease. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including Neck Disability Index (NDI), EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score, numeric rating scale-neck pain (NRS-NP), and numeric rating scale-arm pain (NRS-AP), were measured at baseline and 12 months following revision surgery. Mean costs at 12 months following revision surgery were also calculated. Satisfaction was determined by the NASS patient satisfaction index. Variables were compared using Student t test. RESULTS: A total of 115 patients underwent cervical revision surgery for recurrent disease (n = 21), pseudoarthrosis (n = 45), and adjacent segment disease (n = 49). There was significant improvement in all patient-reported outcomes at 12 months following surgery regardless of etiology (P < 0.0001). Total cost of revision surgery ranged between 21,294 ±â€Š8614 and 23,914 ±â€Š15,396 depending on pathology. No significant differences were seen between costs among different revision groups (P = 0.53). Satisfaction was met in 75.5% to 85.7% (P = 0.21) of patients depending on the etiology of the revision need. Complication rates were between 4% and 9%. CONCLUSION: This is one of the first studies to determine costs and outcome measures in the setting of cervical spine revision surgery. On the basis of our analysis, a majority of patients can expect to receive some benefit by 12 months and are satisfied with their procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Need for Two-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes Score for Lumbar Spine Surgery Is Procedure-Specific: Analysis From a Prospective Longitudinal Spine Registry.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether 1-year patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can accurately assess effective care for patients undergoing surgery for degenerative lumbar spine disease. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Prospective longitudinal PROs registries provide a means to accurately assess outcomes and determine the relative effectiveness of various spine treatments. Obtaining long-term PROs can be costly and challenging. METHODS: Patients enrolled into a prospective registry who underwent lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disease were included. Baseline, 1-year, and 2-year Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were captured. Previously published minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for ODI (14.9) was used. Multivariable linear regression model was created to derive model-estimated 2-year ODI scores. Absolute differences between 1-year and 2-year ODI were compared to absolute differences between 2-year and model-estimated 2-year ODI. Concordance rates in achieving MCID at 1-year and 2-year and predictive values were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 868 patients were analyzed. One-year ODI scores differed from 2-year scores by an absolute difference of 9.7 ±â€Š8.9 points and predictive model-estimated 2-year scores differed from actual 2-year scores by 8.8 ±â€Š7.3 points. The model-estimated 2-year ODI was significantly different than actual 1-year ODI in assessing actual 2-year ODI for all procedures (P = 0.001) except for primary (P = 0.932) and revision microdiscectomy (P = 0.978) and primary laminectomy (P = 0.267). The discordance rates of achieving or not achieving MCID for ODI ranged from 8% to 27%. Concordance rate was about 90% for primary and revision microdiscectomy. The positive and negative predictive value of 1-year ODI to predict 2-year ODI was 83% and 67% for all procedures and 92% and 67% for primary and 100% and 86% for revision microdiscectomy respectively. CONCLUSION: One-year disability outcomes can potentially estimate 2-year outcomes for patient populations, but cannot reliably predict 2-year outcomes for individual patients, except for patients undergoing primary and revision microdiscectomy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Patient-reported outcomes after lumbar epidural steroid injection for degenerative spine disease in depressed versus non-depressed patients.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Medical interventional modalities such as lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESIs) are often used in the setting of lumbar spine disorders where other conservative measures have failed. Concomitant depression can lead to worse outcomes in lumbar spine pathology. A number of studies have demonstrated an association between preoperative depression and poor outcomes following surgery, but the effect of depression on outcomes following medical interventional modalities is poorly understood. PURPOSE: To evaluate the differences in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between depressed and non-depressed patients undergoing LESI. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: This study is an analysis of a prospective longitudinal registry database at a single academic institution. PATIENT SAMPLE: All patients undergoing LESI from 2012 to 2014 were eligible for enrollment into a prospective, web-based registry. Eligible patients had radicular pain, correlative imaging findings of degenerative pathology, and failed 6 weeks of conservative care. OUTCOME MEASURES: The PROs measured included the (1) numeric rating scale for back pain (NRS-BP), (2) numeric rating scale for leg pain (NRS-LP), (3) disease-specific physical disability-Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and (4) preference-based health status-EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who met the inclusion criteria underwent LESI. Patient-reported outcomes were collected at baseline and at 12 months following treatment. Based on previously validated values for the Zung Depression Scale (ZDS) as a screening tool for depression, patients were dichotomized into non-depressed (ZDS score ≤33) and depressed (ZDS score >33). The PRO change scores from baseline to 12 months were calculated. The mean absolute and change scores between the groups were compared using Student t test. Multivariable linear regression analysis for ODI, EQ-5D, NRS-LP, and NRS-BP was performed. RESULTS: A total of 161 patients with complete 12-month follow-up were included. Seventy-one patients (44%) were classified as depressed and 90 patients (56%) were classified as non-depressed. The mean baseline PRO scores were significantly worse in depressed patients compared with non-depressed patients: ODI (p<.001), NRS-BP (p=.013), NRS-LP (p<.001), and EQ-5D (p=.001). The mean absolute scores at 12 months were significantly lower in the depressed versus non-depressed patients: ODI (p<.001), NRS-BP (p=.001), NRS-LP (p=.05), and EQ-5D (p=.003). However, there was no difference in mean change scores observed at 12 months between the depressed and non-depressed cohorts: ODI (p=.42), NRS-BP (p=.31), NRS-LP (p=.25), EQ-5D (p=.14). Adjusting for pre-procedure variables, the higher ZDS score was associated with higher disability (ODI) at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Depression led to worse absolute scores for PROs and is associated with higher disability following LESI. However, patients with depressive symptoms can expect similar improvement in PROs at 12 months.

Twenty-Year Experience with Rigid Intramedullary Nailing of Femoral Shaft Fractures in Skeletally Immature Patients.

BACKGROUND: Debate exists over the safety of rigid intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures in skeletally immature patients. The goal of this study was to describe functional outcomes and complication rates of rigid intramedullary nailing in pediatric patients. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of femoral shaft fractures in skeletally immature patients treated with trochanteric rigid intramedullary nailing from 1987 to 2009. Radiographs made at initial injury, immediately postoperatively, and at the latest follow-up were reviewed. Patients were administered the Nonarthritic Hip Score and a survey. RESULTS: The study population of 241 patients with 246 fractures was primarily male (75%) with a mean age of 12.9 years (range, eight to seventeen years). The majority of fractures were closed (92%) and associated injuries were common (45%). The mean operative time was 119 minutes, and the mean estimated blood loss was 202 mL. The mean clinical follow-up time was 16.2 months (range, three to seventy-nine months), and there were ninety-three patients with a minimum two-year clinical and radiographic follow-up. An increase of articulotrochanteric distance of >5 mm was noted in 15.1% (fourteen of ninety-three patients) at a minimum two-year follow-up; however, clinically relevant growth disturbance was only observed in two patients (2.2%) with the development of asymptomatic coxa valga. There was no femoral head osteonecrosis. Among the 246 fractures, twenty-four complications (9.8%) occurred. At the time of the latest follow-up, 1.7% (four of 241 patients) reported pain. The average Nonarthritic Hip Score was 92.4 points (range, 51 to 100 points), and 100% of patients reported satisfaction with their treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Rigid intramedullary nailing is an effective technique for treatment of femoral shaft fractures in pediatric patients with an acceptable rate of complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Rigid Intramedullary Nailing of Femoral Shaft Fractures in Skeletally Immature Patients Using a Lateral Trochanteric Entry Portal.

INTRODUCTION: We describe rigid intramedullary nailing using a trochanteric entry for internal fixation of femoral shaft fractures in older children and adolescents. STEP 1 PREPARATION PRIOR TO INCISION: Appropriate preparation prior to the operation is key to minimizing intraoperative and postoperative complications. STEP 2 PERFORM INCISION AND EXPOSURE: A well-positioned incision will facilitate and reduce difficulty with ideal guidewire placement. STEP 3 PLACE AND OVERREAM THE GUIDE PIN: Ensure that the guide pin is properly positioned on the greater trochanter, while avoiding the piriformis fossa. STEP 4 PLACE THE GUIDEWIRE AND REDUCE THE FRACTURE: Prepare the definitive guidewire. Insert the guidewire into the proximal fragment via the trochanteric portal. While maintaining the fracture reduction, advance the guidewire into the distal fragment. STEP 5 MEASURE NAIL LENGTH AND BEGIN OVERREAMING: Pay careful attention to the amount of reaming as well as distraction across the fracture site to provide the best fit for the nail. STEP 6 INSERT THE NAIL: Be sure to maintain the reduction while advancing the nail across the fracture site. Reconfirm that traction has been reduced to avoid distraction at the fracture site. STEP 7 INSERT PROXIMAL AND DISTAL INTERLOCKS: Use the interlocking screws to secure the proper rotational alignment. STEP 8 MAKE FINAL IMAGES AND CLOSE THE WOUND: Confirm the reduction and adequate fixation before closure. RESULTS: In our original study, a cohort of 246 femoral shaft fractures among 241 skeletally immature patients treated with trochanteric entry rigid intramedullary nailing was retrospectively reviewed.IndicationsContraindicationsPitfalls & Challenges.