Is Routine Use of Drain Really Necessary for Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery? A Retrospective Case Series with a Historical Control Group.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case-control study. OBJECTIVES: The usefulness of a drain in spinal surgery has always been controversial. The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence of hematoma-related complications after posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) without a drain and to evaluate its usefulness. METHODS: We included 347 consecutive patients with degenerative lumbar disease who underwent single- or double-level PLIF. The participants were divided into 2 groups by the use of a drain or not; drain group and no-drain group. RESULTS: In 165 cases of PLIF without drain, there was neither a newly developed neurological deficit due to hematoma nor reoperation for hematoma evacuation. In the no-drain group, there were 5 (3.0%) patients who suffered from surgical site infection (SSI), all superficial, and 17 (10.3%) patients who complained of postoperative transient recurred leg pain, all treated conservatively. Days from surgery to ambulation and length of hospital stay (LOS) of the no-drain group were faster than those of the drain group (P < 0.001). In a multiple regression analysis, a drain insertion was found to have a significant effect on the delayed ambulation and increased LOS. No significant differences existed between the 2 groups in additional surgery for hematoma evacuation, or SSI. CONCLUSIONS: No hematoma-related neurological deficits or reoperations caused by epidural hematoma and SSI were observed in the no-drain group. The no-drain group did not show significantly more frequent postoperative complications than the drain use group, hence the routine insertion of a drain following PLIF should be reconsidered carefully.

Management of Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture: Review Update 2022.

A vertebral fracture is the most common type of osteoporotic fracture. Osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) cause a variety of morbidities and deaths. There are currently few "gold standard treatments" outlined for the management of OVFs in terms of quantity and quality. Conservative treatment is the primary treatment option for OVFs. The treatment of pain includes short-term bed rest, analgesic medication, anti-osteoporotic medications, exercise, and a brace. Numerous reports have been made on studies for vertebral augmentation (VA), including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. There is still debate and controversy about the effectiveness of VA in comparison with conservative treatment. Until more robust data are available, current evidence does not support the routine use of VA for OVF. Despite the fact that the majority of OVFs heal without surgery, 15%-35% of patients with an unstable fracture, persistent intractable back pain, or severely collapsed vertebra that causes a neurologic deficit, kyphosis, or chronic pseudarthrosis frequently require surgery. Because no single approach can guarantee the best surgical outcomes, customized surgical techniques are required. Surgeons must stay current on developments in the osteoporotic spine field and be open to new treatment options. Osteoporosis management and prevention are critical to lowering the risk of future OVFs. Clinical studies on bisphosphonate's effects on fracture healing are lacking. Teriparatide was intermittently administered, which dramatically improved spinal fusion and fracture healing while lowering mortality risk. According to the available literature, there are no standard management methods for OVFs. More multimodal approaches, including conservative and surgical treatment, VA, and medications that treat osteoporosis and promote fracture healing, are required to improve the quality of the majority of guidelines.

Surgical outcomes for late neurological deficits after long segment instrumentation for degenerative adult spinal deformity.

OBJECTIVE: The most catastrophic symptom of proximal junctional failure (PJF) following long instrumented fusion surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) is neurological deficits. Although previous reports have shown that PJF usually developed during the early postoperative period, some patients showed late neurological deficits. The aim of this study was to report the incidence, characteristics, and surgical outcomes of PJF with late neurological deficits. METHODS: Patients surgically treated for ASD at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, the patients requiring revision surgery for newly developed neurological deficits at least 6 months after the initial surgery were included. Patient demographic, radiographic, surgical, and clinical data were investigated. Neurological status was assessed using the Frankel grading system. RESULTS: PJF with late neurological deficits developed in 18 of 385 patients (4.7%). The mean age at the onset of neurological deficits was 72.0 ± 6.0 years, and the median time from the initial surgery was 4.5 years. The most common pathology of PJF was adjacent disc degeneration and subsequent canal stenosis (11 patients). Five patients showed disc degeneration with aseptic bone destruction. Fractures at the upper instrumented vertebra (UIV), UIV + 1, and UIV + 2 occurred in 2, 3, and 2 patients, respectively. Ossification of the yellow ligament, which had not been found at the first surgery, was identified in 6 patients. Eight patients showed improvement of their neurological deficits and 10 patients showed no improvement by the final follow-up. Perioperative major complications occurred in 8 of 18 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of PJF with late neurological deficits following ASD surgery was 4.7% in this cohort. The patients showed several morphological features. After revision surgery, perioperative complications were common and the prognosis for improved neurological status was not favorable.

Current Concepts in the Management of Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures: A Narrative Review.

Vertebral fractures are the most common type of osteoporotic fracture and can increase morbidity and mortality. To date, the guidelines for managing osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) are limited in quantity and quality, and there is no gold standard treatment for these fractures. Conservative treatment is considered the primary treatment option for OVFs and includes pain relief through shortterm bed rest, analgesics, antiosteoporotic drugs, exercise, and braces. Studies on vertebral augmentation (VA) including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have been widely reported, but there is still debate and controversy regarding the effectiveness of VA when compared with conservative treatment, and the routine use of VA for OVF is not supported by current evidence. Although most OVFs heal well, approximately 15%-35% of patients with unstable fractures, chronic intractable back pain, severely collapsed vertebra (leading to neurological deficits and kyphosis), or chronic pseudarthrosis frequently require surgery. Given that there is no single technique for optimizing surgical outcomes in OVFs, tailored surgical techniques are needed. Surgeons need to pay attention to advances in osteoporotic spinal surgery and should be open to novel thoughts and techniques. Prevention and management of osteoporosis is the key element in reducing the risk of subsequent OVFs. Bisphosphonates and teriparatide are mainstay drugs for improving fracture healing in OVF. The effects of bisphosphonates on fracture healing have not been clinically evaluated. The intermittent administration of teriparatide significantly enhanced spinal fusion and fracture healing and reduced mortality risk. Based on the current literature, there is still a lack of standard management strategies for OVF. There is a need for greater efforts through multimodal approaches including conservative treatment, surgery, osteoporosis treatment, and drugs that promote fracture healing to improve the quality of the guidelines.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics and Age-Related Changes in the Psoas Muscle: Analysis of 164 Patients with Back Pain and Balanced Lumbar Sagittal Alignment.

OBJECTIVE: The psoas muscle (PS), 1 of the paravertebral core muscles, is associated with sarcopenia. It also has clinical relevance in lateral-access spinal surgery (LASS) as a determinant structure affecting the operative window. We aimed to identify age-related patterns of PS degeneration, and we propose that our results be used to evaluate the operative window in LASS. METHODS: We included 164 participants with back pain, no leg symptoms or claudication, and normal lumbar lordosis and sagittal balance. We evaluated the cross-sectional morphology of the PS on magnetic resonance imaging, specifically assessing the anterior to posterior (AP)/medial to lateral (ML) ratio and the cross-sectional area (CSA). We assessed the locational relationship of the PS and the intervertebral disc using the anterior margin gap (AMG; the distance between the anterior margins of the PS and the intervertebral disc) and the center gap, and compared all measurements by surgical level, sex, and age group. RESULTS: At the L2-3 to L4-5 levels, the PS showed a decreased AP/ML ratio, increased CSA, ventral retraction of the anterior margin without center shift, and decreased operative window length. The degeneration patterns were decreased ML width and CSA and dorsal retraction of the anterior margin. Youth, male sex, and lower lumbar level were associated with higher AMGs, indicating an increased need for the transpsoas approach in LASS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients without sagittal imbalance, the PS showed significant imaging characteristics. Our detailed data may aid the identification of degeneration patterns and specific preoperative planning regarding the operative window for LASS.

Reliability Analyses of Radiographic Measures of Vertebral Body Height Loss in Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures.

OBJECTIVE: In thoracolumbar (TL) burst fractures, vertebral body height loss (VBHL) indicates the degree of instability and constitutes one of the decision criteria for surgical treatment. However, the relative reliability and variability of different measurement techniques for VBHL are unknown. We compared the reliability of different methods used to assess VBHL. METHODS: A total of 144 patients with TL burst fractures were included, and lateral radiographs were taken twice at an interval of 2 weeks, which were examined by 3 observers. The measurement methods used included the anterior/posterior vertebral body height compression ratio (APCR), anterior height compression percentage (AHCP), and anterior/posterior vertebral body height compression ratio percentage. To compare the accuracy of measurements according to vertebral degeneration, subjects were divided into 2 groups based on the median age of 50 years. RESULTS: In intraobserver comparisons, the APCR method showed a higher inter- and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (>0.714) compared with the other methods. In interobserver comparisons, the ICC of the APCR (>0.793) was excellent. In intraobserver comparisons of the aged >50-years group, only the APCR method showed an excellent ICC (>0.753), whereas the AHCP method showed a fair to good ICC, and the anterior/posterior vertebral body height compression ratio percentage method had the lowest ICC. In interobserver comparisons of the aged >50-years group, the APCR and AHCP methods showed excellent ICCs. In the aged ≤50-years group, all 3 methods showed similar fair to good ICC values. CONCLUSIONS: Based on comparative reliability analyses, we recommend the APCR method as the first-line technique and the AHCP as an alternative technique for measuring VBHL in TL burst fractures.

A case of primary psoas abscess presenting as buttock abscess.

Buttock abscess is a rare clinical manifestation from unusual extrapelvic extension of psoas abscess. A 48-year-old woman presented with painful swelling of the buttock with a sense of local heat. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large subfascial abscess over the glutei muscles and was traced into the intraabdominal cavity over the iliac wing to the psoas muscle. Both the psoas abscess and the buttock abscess were evacuated via separate approaches. Empirical antibiotic therapy was delivered for 3 weeks. After 6 months, no evidence of recurrence was found. Psoas abscess could be included in the differential diagnosis of buttock abscess.

Radiographic progression of degenerative lumbar scoliosis after short segment decompression and fusion.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. PURPOSE: To assess the radiographic progression of degenerative lumbar scoliosis after short segment decompression and fusion without deformity correction. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The aims of surgery in degenerative lumbar scoliosis are the relief of low back and leg pain along with a correction of the deformity. Short segment decompression and fusion can be performed to decrease the level of low back and leg pain provided the patient is not indicated for a deformity correction due to medical problems. In such circumstance, the patients and surgeon should be concerned with whether the scoliotic angle increases postoperatively. METHODS: Forty-seven patients who had undergone short segment decompression and fusion were evaluated. The average follow-up period was more than 3 years. The preoperative scoliotic angle and number of fusion segments was 13.6+/-3.9 degrees and 2.3+/-0.5, respectively. The preoperative, postoperative and last follow-up scoliotic angles were compared and the time of progression of scoliotic angle was determined. RESULTS: The postoperative and last follow-up scoliotic angle was 10.4+/-2.3 degrees and 12.1+/-3.6 degrees , respectively. In eight patients, conversion to long segment fusion was required due to the rapid progression of the scoliotic angle that accelerated from 6 to 9 months after the primary surgery. The postoperative scoliosis aggravated rapidly when the preoperative scoliotic angle was larger and the fusion was extended to the apical vertebra. CONCLUSIONS: The scoliotic angle after short segment decompression and fusion was not deteriorated seriously in degenerative lumbar scoliosis. A larger scoliotic angle and fusion to the apical vertebra are significant risk factors for the acceleration of degenerative lumbar scoliosis.

En bloc partial laminectomy and posterior lumbar interbody fusion in foraminal spinal stenosis.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. PURPOSE: An en bloc partial laminectomy and posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in spinal stenosis patients with severe foraminal narrowing has a shorter operation time, less neural manipulation and allows indirect decompression by restoring the interforaminal height compared to other procedures. This study investigated the efficacy of the procedure. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: PLIF is one of the most popular surgery for degenerative spine such as foraminal spinal stenosis, instability spondylolisthesis and discogenic pain. Various techniques for PLIF have their own advantages and disadvantages. But in some severe cases, we need an efficient method of PLIF for decompression and fusion. METHODS: This study examined 61 patients, who had 85 levels treated with PLIF using an en bloc partial laminectomy and facetectomy, and could be followed up for more than 2 years. The mean age of the patients and mean follow up period was 66 years and 39 months, respectively. The clinical results were evaluated using the MacNab's criteria, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, and Korea Version Oswestry Disability Index (KODI). The union of the intervertebral space was evaluated using Lenke's criteria. The intervertebral angle and height of the posterior intervertebral disc were also measured. RESULTS: Excellent and good results were obtained in 54 cases (89%) according to MacNab's criteria. The VAS and KODI scores were 8.1 and 34.6, preoperatively, and 3.4, and 14.1, postoperatively. Bone union was A and B grades according to Lenke's criteria in 57 cases. The mean segmental angle and mean height of the posterior disc were respectively, 7.4 degrees and 6.5 mm preoperatively, 9.1 degrees and 10.6 mm postoperatively, and 8.0 degrees and 9.7 mm in the last follow-up. There were 5 cases of postoperative infection, 4 cases of junctional problems and 1 case of screw malposition. CONCLUSIONS: En bloc partial laminectomy and PLIF is an effective method for treating severe spinal stenosis with foraminal narrowing.

A case of compression fracture of medial tibial plateau and medial femoral condyle combined with posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner injury.

We report a case of compression fracture of anterior margin of medial tibial plateau and medial femoral condyle combined with the posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner disruption. A thirty-seven-year old male had undergone the left knee injury 6 months before. The physical examination revealed positive posterior drawer test and tibial dial test, which evidenced the posterior cruciate ligament and posterolateral corner insufficiency. The plain lateral knee radiographs showed a marginal fracture of the anteromedial tibial plateau and a dimpling on the adjacent part of the medial femoral condyle. On arthroscopy, there were no gross tear of the cruciates, but the posterolateral capsule disclosed stigmata of stretching injury with multiple petechiae and scarring. The compression fracture on the anteromedial side and the stretching injury on the posterolateral side altogether support the mechanism of hyperextension pivoting on the anteromedial side of the knee joint. A small bony lesion around the knee joint should be inspected rigorously with an assumed mechanism of injury for it may herald major ligamentous injury.

Arthroscopic excision of the ganglion in the posterior septum by posterior trans-septal portal: report of two cases.

We report two cases of ganglion cysts in the posterior septum of the knee joint, one as parameniscal cyst from the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus extending to posterior septum, and the other as a cyst located in the posterior septum adjacent to the posterior cruciate ligament, which were both arthroscopically excised expediently by posterior trans-septal portal. The posterior compartment of the knee is not readily accessible by ordinary arthroscopic portals, and therefore has been considered as 'blind spot' conventionally. The posterior trans-septal portal is useful for assorted diagnostic or manipulative procedures in the posterior compartment of the knee.

Arthroscopic removal of separated bipartite patella causing snapping knee syndrome.

The bipartite patella is a developmental osseous variant that is found in approximately 2% to 6% of the population, and is bilateral in 50%. The proposed etiologies include old nonunion, osteochondritis, and congenital growth defect. It is often found incidentally around the inferior pole, lateral margin, or superolateral border of the patella. It is usually asymptomatic, but may be related to anterior knee pain. However, separation of the bipartite patella is rare, with 9 cases reported in the literature. The symptomatic snapping knee syndrome may be caused by multiple intra-articular and extra-articular pathology including discoid meniscus, tumors, iliotibial band, popliteus, gracilis, semitendinosus, or biceps femoris tendon. However, no reports exist on separated bipartite patella as the feasible cause of the snapping knee syndrome in the orthopedic literature. This article presents a case of snapping knee syndrome due to separated bipartite patella. The accessory bone was removed by arthroscopy, which has rarely been described in the literature.

Outcome and management of spinal tuberculosis according to the severity of disease: a retrospective study of 137 adult patients at Korean teaching hospitals.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study examining the clinical features, management, and treatment outcome of patients with spinal tuberculosis (TB). OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of disease severity and treatment modality on outcome of patients with spinal TB. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although anti-TB chemotherapy is now the mainstay treatment for spinal TB, it may not be applicable to all situations, especially in patients with risk of deformity, instability, and progression of neurologic deficit. METHODS: In this retrospective study (1994-2003), medical records and radiographic findings of patients with spinal TB were reviewed at 7 teaching hospitals in South Korea. The duration of triple chemotherapy with isoniazid, rifampin, and ethambutol, disease severity, operative procedures, and outcome were analyzed. The outcome was assessed as both favorable and unfavorable according to predefined criteria. RESULTS: A total of 137 patients were diagnosed with spinal TB during the study period. Twenty-one patients were lost to follow-up and excluded from analysis. The mean age was 44.07 +/- 16.57 years. The most common vertebral area involved was the lumbar (44.8%). The mean number of vertebra involved was 2.25. The mean angle of kyphosis was 21.58 degrees. Forty-seven patients (35.1%) had severe symptoms. Radical surgery was carried out in 84 (62.2%) patients. Twenty patients were treated with short-term chemotherapy, while 96 under long-term. At the end of chemotherapy, 94 patients had achieved a favorable status and 22 an unfavorable one. Statistically, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of gender, chemotherapy duration, or the severity of spinal TB; however, age (P = 0.025; odds ratio = 0.963; 95% confidence interval 0.932-0.995) and radical surgery (P = 0.043; odds ratio = 3.047; 95% confidence interval 1.038-8.942) were significantly related to a favorable outcome by logistic analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that a younger age and radical surgery in conjunction with anti-TB chemotherapy were significant favorable prognostic factors.