ABSTRACT
Around a third of all cervical spine injuries occur in the upper cervical spine in the area between the occiput and the second cervical vertebra. The latter being the most common location of the injury with around 70%. But also atlas fractures, occipital condyle fractures, traumatic spondylolisthesis of C2, atypical fractures in the corpus area as well as atlantooccipital and atlantoaxial ligamentous lesions should be mentioned in connection with injuries in this area. In many cases, conservative therapy regimen is possible. In unstable or displaced injuries, however, surgical intervention is required, with various surgical procedures being used. The frequency, diagnostics, classification, and standard therapy of the individual entities are presented in detail in this continuing medical education article.
Subject(s)
Cervical Vertebrae , Spinal Fractures , Humans , Cervical Vertebrae/injuries , Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Cervical Vertebrae/surgery , Spinal Fractures/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Fractures/classification , Spinal Fractures/surgery , Spinal Fractures/therapy , Spinal Fractures/diagnosis , Spinal Fusion/methods , Spinal Injuries/classification , Spinal Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Injuries/diagnosis , Spinal Injuries/surgery , Spinal Injuries/therapy , Spondylolisthesis/surgery , Spondylolisthesis/diagnostic imaging , Spondylolisthesis/classificationABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Literature review with clinical recommendations. OBJECTIVE: To highlight important studies about osteoporotic spinal fractures (OF) that may be integrated into clinical practice based on the assessment of the AO Spine KF Trauma and Infection group key opinion leaders. METHODS: 4 important studies about OF that may affect current clinical practice of spinal surgeons were selected and reviewed with the aim of providing clinical recommendations to streamline the journey of research into clinical practice. Recommendations were graded as strong or conditional following the GRADE methodology. RESULTS: 4 studies were selected. Article 1: a validation of the Osteoporotic Fracture (OF)-score to treat OF fractures. Conditional recommendation to incorporate the OF score in the management of fractures to improve clinical results. Article 2: a randomized multicenter study comparing romosozumab/alendronate vs alendronate to decrease the incidence of new vertebral fractures. Strong recommendation that the group receiving romosozumab/alendronate had a decreased risk of new OF when compared with the alendronate only group only. Article 3: a systematic literature review of spinal orthoses in the management of. Conditional recommendation to prescribe a spinal orthosis to decrease pain and improve quality of life. Article 4: post-traumatic deformity after OF. A conditional recommendation that middle column injury and pre-injury use of steroids may lead to high risk of post-traumatic deformity after OF. CONCLUSIONS: Management of patients with OF is still complex and challenging. This review provides some recommendations that may help surgeons to better manage these patients and improve their clinical practice.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND DATA: Computed Tomography (CT) is the gold standard for cervical spine (c-spine) evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) emerges due to its increasing availability and the lack of radiation exposure. However, MRI is costly and time-consuming, questioning its role in the emergency department (ED). This study investigates the added the value of an additional MRI for patients presenting with a c-spine injury in the ED. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective monocenter cohort study that included all patients with neck trauma presenting in the ED, who received imaging based on the NEXUS criteria. Spine surgeons performed a full-case review to classify each case into "c-spine injured" and "c-spine uninjured". Injuries were classified according to the AO Spine classification. We assessed patients with a c-spine injury detected by CT, who received a subsequent MRI. In this subset, injuries were classified separately in both imaging modalities. We monitored the treatment changes after the additional MRI to evaluate characteristics of this cohort and the impact of the AO Spine Neurology/Modifier modifiers. RESULTS: We identified 4496 subjects, 2321 were eligible for inclusion and 186 were diagnosed with c-spine injuries in the retrospective case review. Fifty-six patients with a c-spine injury initially identified through CT received an additional MRI. The additional MRI significantly extended (geometric mean ratio 1.32, p < 0.001) the duration of the patients' stay in the ED. Of this cohort, 25% had a change in treatment strategy and among the patients with neurological symptoms (AON ≥ 1), 45.8% experienced a change in treatment. Patients that were N-positive, had a 12.4 (95% CI 2.7-90.7, p < 0.01) times higher odds of a treatment change after an additional MRI than neurologically intact patients. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Our study suggests that patients with a c-spine injury and neurological symptoms benefit from an additional MRI. In neurologically intact patients, an additional MRI retains value only when carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Subject(s)
Cervical Vertebrae , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Spinal Injuries , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Male , Female , Cervical Vertebrae/injuries , Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Spinal Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Injuries/diagnosis , Spinal Injuries/therapy , Middle Aged , Adult , Emergency Service, Hospital , Neck Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Neck Injuries/diagnosis , Clinical Decision-Making/methodsABSTRACT
Introduction: A recent meta-analysis showed that only four prior studies have shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can change the fracture classification in 17% and treatment decisions in 22% of cases. However, previous studies showed a wide methodological variability regarding the study population, the definition of posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) injury, and outcome measures. Research question: How can we standardize the reporting of the impact of MRI for neurologically intact patients with thoracolumbar fractures? Material and methods: All available literature regarding the impact of MRI on thoracolumbar fracture classification or decision-making were reviewed. Estimating the impact of MRI on the TLFs' classification is an exercise of analyzing the CTs' accuracy for PLC injury against MRI as a ''Gold standard''and should follow standardized checklists such as the Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies. Additionally, specific issues related to TLFs should be addressed. Results: A standardized approach for reporting the impact of MRI in neurologically intact TLF patients was proposed. Regarding patient selection, restricting the inclusion of neurologically intact patients with A- and B-injuries is crucial. Image interpretation should be standardized regarding imaging protocol and appropriate criteria for PLC injury. The impact of MRI can be measured by either the rate of change in fracture classification or treatment decisions; the cons and pros of each measure is thoroughly discussed. Discussion and conclusion: We proposed a structured methodology for examining the impact of MRI on neurologically intact patients with TLFs, focusing on appropriate patient selection, standardizing image analysis, and clinically relevant outcome measures.
ABSTRACT
Injuries to the rigid spine have a distinguished position in the broad spectrum of spinal injuries due to altered biomechanical properties. The rigid spine is more prone to fractures. Two ossification bone disorders that are of particular interest are Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH). DISH is a non-inflammatory condition that leads to an anterolateral ossification of the spine. AS on the other hand is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to cortical bone erosions and spinal ossifications. Both diseases gradually induce stiffening of the spine. The prevalence of DISH is age-related and is therefore higher in the older population. Although the prevalence of AS is not age-related the occurrence of spinal ossification is higher with increasing age. This association with age and the aging demographics in industrialized nations illustrate the need for medical professionals to be adequately informed and prepared. The aim of this narrating review is to give an overview on the diagnostic and therapeutic measures of the ankylosed spine. Because of highly unstable fracture configurations, injuries to the rigid spine are highly susceptible to neurological deficits. Diagnosing a fracture of the ankylosed spine on plain radiographs can be challenging. Moreover, since 8% of patients with ankylosing spine disorders (ASD) have multiple non-contagious fractures, a CT scan of the entire spine is highly recommended as the primary diagnostic tool. There are no consensus-based guidelines for the treatment of spinal fractures in ASD. The presence of neurological deficit or unstable fractures are absolute indications for surgical intervention. If conservative therapy is chosen, patients should be monitored closely to ensure that secondary neurologic deterioration does not occur. For the fractures that have to be treated surgically, stabilization of at least three segments above and below the fracture zone is recommended. These fractures mostly are treated via the posterior approach. Patients with AS or DISH share a significant risk for complications after a traumatic spine injury. The most frequent complications for patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures are respiratory failure, pseudoarthrosis, pneumonia, and implant failure.
ABSTRACT
Bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) is known to induce osteogenesis and is applied clinically to enhance spinal fusion despite adverse effects. BMP2 needs to be used in high doses to be effective due to the presence of BMP2 inhibitors. L51P is a BMP2 analogue that acts by inhibition of BMP2 inhibitors. Here, we hypothesized that mixtures of BMP2 and L51P could achieve better spinal fusion outcomes regarding ossification. To test whether mixtures of both cytokines are sufficient to improve ossification, 45 elderly Wistar rats (of which 21 were males) were assigned to seven experimental groups, all which received spinal fusion surgery, including discectomy at the caudal 4-5 level using an external fixator and a porous ß-tricalcium phosphate (ßTCP) carrier. These ßTCP carriers were coated with varying concentrations of BMP2 and L51P. X-rays were taken immediately after surgery and again six and twelve weeks post-operatively. Histological sections and µCT were analyzed after twelve weeks. Spinal fusion was assessed using X-ray, µCT and histology according to the Bridwell scale by voxel-based quantification and a semi-quantitative histological score, respectively. The results were congruent across modalities and revealed high ossification for high-dose BMP2 (10 µg), while PBS induced no ossification. Low-dose BMP2 (1 µg) or 10 µg L51P alone did not induce relevant bone formation. However, all combinations of low-dose BMP2 with L51P (1 µg + 1/5/10 µg) were able to induce similar ossificationas high-dose BMP2. These results are of high clinical relevance, as they indicate L51P is sufficient to increase the efficacy of BMP2 and thus lower the required dose for spinal fusion. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Spinal fusion surgery is frequently applied to treat spinal pathologies. Bone Morphogenic Protein-2 (BMP2) has been approved by the U .S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA-) and by the "Conformité Européenne" (CE)-label. However, its application is expensive and high concentrations cause side-effects. This research targets the improvement of the efficacy of BMP2 in spinal fusion surgery.
Subject(s)
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 , Spinal Fusion , Humans , Male , Rats , Animals , Aged , Female , Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2/pharmacology , Rats, Wistar , Spinal Fusion/methods , Tail , Osteogenesis , Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacologyABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey study. OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors affecting decision-making in thoracolumbar burst-fractures without neurologic deficit. METHODS: A 40-question survey addressing expert-related, economic, and radiological factors was distributed to 30 international trauma experts. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the impact of these factors on operative or non-operative management preferences. RESULTS: Out of 30 experts, 27 completed the survey. The majority of respondents worked at level 1 trauma centers (81.5%) within university settings (77.8%). They were primarily orthopedic surgeons (66.7%) and had over 10 years of experience (70.4%). About 81% found distinguishing between A3 and A4 fractures relevant for decision-making. Most experts (59%) treated A3 fractures non-surgically, while only 30% treated A4 fractures conservatively. Compensation systems did not influence treatment recommendations, and hospital measures promoting surgeries did not significantly affect distribution. Radiological factors, such as local kyphosis (25/27), fracture comminution (23/27), overall sagittal balance (21/27), and spinal canal narrowing (20/27), influenced decisions. CONCLUSION: Incomplete burst fractures (A3) are predominantly treated non-surgically, while complete burst fractures (A4) are primarily treated surgically. Compensation, third-party incentives, and outpatient care did not significantly impact decision-making. Radiological factors beyond the AO Spine thoracolumbar classification system seem to be essential and warrant further evaluation.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Traumatic cervical spine (c-spine) injuries account for 10% of all spinal injuries. The c-spine is prone to injury by blunt acceleration/deceleration traumas. The Canadian C-Spine rule and NEXUS criteria guide clinical decision-making but lack consensus on imaging modality when necessary. This study aims to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of CT, MRI, X-Ray, and, for the first time, LODOX-Statscan in identifying c-spine injuries in patients with blunt trauma and neck pain. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective monocenter cohort study using patient data from the emergency department at Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland's largest level one trauma center. We identified patients presenting with trauma and neck pain during the recruitment period from 01.01.2012 to 31.12.2017. We included all patients that required a radiographic c-spine evaluation according to the NEXUS criteria. Certified spine surgeons reviewed each case, analyzed patient demographics, injury classification, trauma mechanism, and emergency management. The retrospective full case review was established as gold standard to decide whether the c-spine was injured. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for CT, MRI, LODOX, and X-Ray imaging methods. RESULTS: We identified 4996 patients, of which 2321 met the inclusion criteria. 91.3% (n = 2120) patients received a CT scan, 8.9% (n = 206) a MRI, 9.3% (n = 215) an X-ray, and 21.5% (n = 498) a LODOX scan. By retrospective case review, 186 participants were classified as injured. The sensitivity of CT was 88.6% (specificity 99%), and 89.8% (specificity 99.2%) with orthopedic surgeon consultation. MRI had a sensitivity of 88.5% (specificity of 96.9%); highlighting 14 cases correctly diagnosed as injured by MRI and misdiagnosed by CT. Projection radiography (36.4% sensitivity, 95.1% specificity) and LODOX (5.3% sensitivity, 100% specificity) were unsuitable for ruling out spinal injury. CONCLUSION: While CT offers high sensitivity for detecting traumatic c-spine injury, MRI holds clinical significance in revealing injuries not recognized by CT in symptomatic patients. LODOX and projection radiography are insufficient for accurately ruling out c-spine injury. For patients with neurological symptoms, we recommend extended MRI use when CT scans are negative.
Subject(s)
Neck Injuries , Spinal Injuries , Wounds, Nonpenetrating , Humans , X-Rays , Retrospective Studies , Cohort Studies , Neck Pain/diagnostic imaging , Neck Pain/etiology , Canada , Radiography , Spinal Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/diagnostic imaging , Neck Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Sensitivity and Specificity , Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Cervical Vertebrae/injuriesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess safety and efficacy of vertebral body stenting (VBS) by analyzing (1) radiographic outcome, (2) clinical outcome, and (3) perioperative complications in patients with vertebral compression fractures treated with VBS at minimum 6-month follow-up. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 78 patients (61 ± 14 [21-90] years; 67% female) who have received a vertebral body stent due to a traumatic, osteoporotic or metastatic thoracolumbar compression fracture at our hospital between 2012 and 2020 were included. Median follow-up was 0.9 years with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Radiographic and clinical outcome was analyzed directly, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months postoperatively, and at last follow-up. RESULTS: Anterior vertebral body height of all patients improved significantly by mean 6.2 ± 4.8 mm directly postoperatively (p < 0.0001) and remained at 4.3 ± 5.1 mm at last follow-up compared to preoperatively (p < 0.0001). The fracture kyphosis angle of all patients improved significantly by mean 5.8 ± 6.9 degrees directly postoperatively (p < 0.0001) and remained at mean 4.9 ± 6.9 degrees at last follow-up compared to preoperatively (p < 0.0001). The segmental kyphosis angle of all patients improved significantly by mean 7.1 ± 7.6 degrees directly postoperatively (p < 0.0001) and remained at mean 2.8 ± 7.8 degrees at last follow-up compared to preoperatively (p = 0.03). Back pain was ameliorated from a preoperative median Numeric Rating Scale value of 6.5 to 3.0 directly postoperatively and further bettered to 1.0 six months postoperatively (p = 0.0001). Revision surgery was required in one patient after 0.4 years. CONCLUSION: Vertebral body stenting is a safe and effective treatment option for osteoporotic, traumatic and metastatic compression fractures.
Subject(s)
Fractures, Compression , Kyphosis , Spinal Fractures , Humans , Female , Male , Spinal Fractures/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Fractures/surgery , Spinal Fractures/complications , Fractures, Compression/diagnostic imaging , Fractures, Compression/surgery , Vertebral Body , Retrospective Studies , Thoracic Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery , Thoracic Vertebrae/injuries , Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery , Lumbar Vertebrae/injuries , Kyphosis/surgery , Stents/adverse effectsABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Bibliometric review. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the worldwide research productivity trends in spine-related research over the past five decades. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Research productivity in the field of spine surgery has increased tremendously over the past decades. However, knowledge regarding the detailed regional disparity is limited. METHODS: We evaluated original research articles published in four prestigious journals on spine research (European Spine Journal, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, Spine, and The Spine Journal) from 1976 to 2020. For 1âyear of each decade, the origin of the first and the senior author was assigned to their region of origin. For the year 2020, a detailed analysis of countries and states of origin was performed, and the number of articles was normalized by registered MDs per country (per 10,000 population). RESULTS: We included a total of 4436 articles and 8776 authors for analysis. From 1976 to 2020, the percentage of publications originating from North America decreased (77%-38%). In contrast, Asian contributions drastically increased (3%-36%), whereas articles originating from Europe only slightly raised (20%-22%). In 2020, the United States was the most productive country worldwide (34% with most articles from New York (19%), followed by China (16%) and Japan (10%). After normalization to registered MDs (per 10,000 population), the United States proved to have the highest number of articles. Besides this, India now ranked fourth and Egypt eighth in terms of the most productive countries per MDs. CONCLUSION: North America contributed the largest share of all articles published in the last five decades. Asia, which ranks second in 2020, has overtaken Europe. Normalization to registered MDs can be a helpful tool to reflect a country's research productivity more accurately.Level of Evidence: 3.
Subject(s)
Bibliometrics , Efficiency , Asia , Europe , Humans , Spine/surgery , United StatesABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the proportional incidence, clinical characteristics, treatment patterns with complications and changes in treatment of vertebral fractures over 10 years at a Swiss university hospital. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. All patients with an acute vertebral fracture were included in this study. The extracted anonymized data from the medical records were manually assessed. Demographic data, exact location, etiology, type of treatment and complications related to the treatment were obtained. RESULTS: Of 330,225 treated patients, 4772 presented with at least one vertebral fracture. In total 8307 vertebral fractures were identified, leading to a proportional incidence of 25 vertebral fractures in 1000 patients. Fractures were equally distributed between genders. Male patients were significantly younger and more likely to sustain a traumatic fracture, while female patients more commonly presented with osteoporotic fractures. The thoracolumbar junction (Th11-L2) was the most frequent fracture site in all etiologies. More than two-thirds of vertebral fractures were treated surgically (68.6%). Out of 4622 performed surgeries, we found 290 complications (6.3%). The odds for surgical treatment in osteoporotic fractures were two times higher before 2010 compared to 2010 and after (odds ratio: 2.1, 95% CI 1.5-2.9, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Twenty-five out of 1000 patients presented with a vertebral fracture. More than 4000 patients with over 8307 vertebral body fractures were treated in 10 years. Over two-thirds of all fractures were treated surgically with 6.3% complications. There was a substantial decrease in surgeries for osteoporotic fractures after 2009.
Subject(s)
Fractures, Compression , Osteoporotic Fractures , Spinal Fractures , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Fractures, Compression/surgery , Humans , Male , Osteoporotic Fractures/epidemiology , Osteoporotic Fractures/etiology , Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery , Retrospective Studies , Spinal Fractures/epidemiology , Spinal Fractures/etiology , Spinal Fractures/surgeryABSTRACT
An atypical course of the vertebral artery can be medically relevant in displaced Hangman fractures, especially if the artery course runs within the fracture gap of the C2 isthmus. During surgical reduction, the artery can be occluded inside the fracture, potentially leading to ischemic conditions of the brain. The aim of this study was to report two cases according to the CARE (case reporting) guidelines, in which intraoperative color-coded duplex-ultrasound was performed to secure safe surgical reduction of hangman fractures in two patients with an atypical course of the vertebral artery. Two patients with displaced hangman fractures (Effendi-Levine type II) were diagnosed with an atypical course of the vertebral artery running inside the fracture gap. This endangered safe surgical management with the risk of iatrogenic occlusion or injury during reduction through entrapment of the vessel inside the fracture gap. Therefore, an intraoperative color-coded duplex-ultrasound of the vertebral artery was conducted before and after reduction of the fracture, as well as at the end of the surgery. The surgical treatment in both cases included posterior unilateral spondylodesis, followed by anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). In both patients, a safe reduction of the fracture was performed. Neither occlusion nor dissection of the vertebral artery occurred. The duplex ultrasound before and after reduction, and at the end of the procedure showed normal blood flow and morphology of both vertebral arteries. At follow-up examinations, the patients showed a favorable clinical outcome, radiographic signs of fusion, and no irregularity of the vertebral arteries. This case report serves as proof-of-concept, demonstrating the feasibility of this regimen to minimize the risk of entrapment or occlusion of the vertebral artery in the surgical management of displaced Hangman fractures with atypical course of the vertebral artery running inside the fracture gap.
ABSTRACT
The rat model is a common model for intervertebral disc (IVD) and spinal research. However, complications remain challenging. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are validated methods to minimize complications and improve safety and quality of studies. However, a SOP for rat spinal fusion surgery has been missing until now. Therefore, the aim of the study was to develop a SOP for spinal tail disc surgery in elderly Wistar rats (419.04 ± 54.84 g). An initial preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative surgical setup, including specific anaesthesia and pain management protocols, was developed. Anaesthesia was induced by subcutaneous injection of a pre-mixture of fentanyl, midazolam, and medetomidin with the addition of 0.5% isoflurane in oxygen and caudal epidural analgesia. The surgery itself consisted of the fixation of a customized external ring fixator with â 0.8 mm Kirschner wires at the proximal rat tail and a discectomy and replacement with bone morphogenetic protein coated beta-tricalcium-phosphate carrier. The postoperative setup included heating, analgesia with buprenorphine, and meloxicam, as well as special supplementary food. Anaesthesia, surgery, and pain management were sufficient. In the presented optimized SOP, no animals developed any complications. A SOP for spinal surgery in elderly rats in an in vivo spinal fusion model was developed successfully. This novel protocol can improve transparency, reproducibility, and external validity in experimental rat spinal surgery experiments.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The economic burden of vertebral compression fractures (VCF) caused by osteoporosis was estimated at 37 billion euros in the European Union in 2010. In addition, the incidence is expected to increase by 25% in 2025. The recommendations for the therapy of VCFs (conservative treatment versus cement augmentation procedures) are controversial, what could be partly explained by the lack of standardized outcomes for measuring the success of both treatments. Consensus on outcome parameters may improve the relevance of a study and for further comparisons in meta-analyses. The aim of this study was to analyze outcome measures from frequently cited randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about VCF treatments in order to provide guidance for future studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a systematic search of all implemented databases from 1973 to 2019 using the Web of Science database. The terms "spine" and "random" were used for the search. We included: Level I RCTs, conservative treatment or cement augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral fractures, cited ≥50 times. The outcome parameters of each study were extracted and sorted according to the frequency of use. RESULTS: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. In total, 23 different outcome parameters were used in the nine analyzed studies. Overall, the five most frequently used outcome parameters (≥ 4 times used) were the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain (n = 9), European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D; n = 4) and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ, n = 4). CONCLUSION: With our study, we demonstrated that a large inconsistency exists between outcome measures in highly cited Level I studies of VCF treatment. Pain (VAS), followed by HrQoL (EQ-5D) and disability and function (RMDQ), opioid use, and radiological outcome (kyphotic angle, VBH, and new VCFs) were the most commonly used outcome parameters.
Subject(s)
Fractures, Compression , Kyphoplasty , Osteoporotic Fractures , Spinal Fractures , Vertebroplasty , Fractures, Compression/epidemiology , Fractures, Compression/surgery , Humans , Osteoporotic Fractures/epidemiology , Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Spinal Fractures/epidemiology , Spinal Fractures/surgery , Treatment Outcome , Vertebroplasty/adverse effectsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Factors influencing paraspinal muscle degeneration are still not well understood. Fatty infiltration is known to be one main feature of the degeneration cascade. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to illustrate the 3D cluster of paraspinal lumbar muscle degeneration on T2-weighted MRI images using our newly developed software application 'iSix'. METHODS: Mono- (Mm. rotatores), multi- (Mm. multifidus) and pluri-segmental (M. erector spinae) lumbar muscles groups were segmented on T2-weighted MR sequences using a novel computer-assisted technique for quantitative muscle/fat discrimination. The degree of fatty infiltration of the three predefined muscle groups was compared on a 3-dimensional basis, with regard to segment involvement and age. General linear models were utilized for statistical comparison. RESULTS: N = 120 segments (age: 52.7; range 16-87 years) could be included. The overall relative fatty infiltration of the mono-segmental muscles was higher (21.1 14.5%) compared to the multi-segmental (16.0 8.8% p = 0.049) and pluri-segmental muscles (8.5 8.0%; p = 0.03). Mono-segmental muscles on the levels L4/5 (22.9 ± 10.2 [CI 17.6-28.2] %) and L5/S1 (27.01 ± 15.1 [CI 21.4-32.7] %) showed a significant higher amount of fat compared to the levels L2/3 (8.2 ± 6.8 [CI 2.2-14.2] %; L4/5 vs. L2/3, p = 0.03; L5/S1 vs. L2/3, p = 0.02) and L3/4 (13.2 ± 5.4 [CI 8.6-17.7]%; L4/5 vs. L3/4, p = 0.02; L5/S1 vs. L3/4, p < 0.01). Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed age and Pfirrmann grade as independent factors for fatty muscle degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: 3D analysis of fatty infiltration is an innovative tool to study lumbar muscle degeneration. Mono-segmental muscles are more severely affected by degeneration compared to multi-/pluri-segmental muscles, especially at the L4/5 and L5/S1 level. Age and disc degeneration independently correlate with muscle degeneration.
Subject(s)
Intervertebral Disc Degeneration , Lumbar Vertebrae , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/diagnostic imaging , Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Lumbosacral Region/diagnostic imaging , Middle Aged , Paraspinal Muscles/diagnostic imaging , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Spinal injuries are present in 16-31% of polytraumatized patients. Rapid identification of spinal injuries requiring immobilization or operative treatment is essential. The Lodox-Statscan (LS) has evolved into a promising time-saving diagnostic tool to diagnose life-threatening injuries with an anterior-posterior (AP)-full-body digital X-ray. METHODS: We aimed to analyze the diagnostic accuracy and the interrater reliability of AP-LS to detect spinal injuries in polytraumatized patients. Therefore, within 3 years, AP-LS of polytraumatized patients (ISS ≥ 16) were retrospectively analyzed by three independent observers. The sensitivity and specificity of correct diagnosis with AP-LS compared to CT scan were calculated. The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by using the area under the ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) for sensitivity and specificity. Interrater reliability between the three observers was calculated using Fleiss' Kappa. The sensitivity of AP-LS was further analyzed by the severity of spinal injuries. RESULTS: The study group included 320 patients (48.5 years ±19.5, 89 women). On CT scan, 207 patients presented with a spinal injury (65%, total of 332 injuries). AP-LS had a low sensitivity of 9% (31 of 332, range 0-24%) and high specificity of 99% (range 98-100%). The sensitivity was highest for thoracic spinal injuries (14%). The interrater reliability was slight (κ = 0.02; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.03). Potentially unstable spinal injuries were more likely to be detected than stable injuries (sensitivity 18 and 6%, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated high specificity with low sensitivity of AP-LS in detecting spinal injuries compared to CT scan. In polytraumatized patients, AP-LS, implemented in the Advanced Trauma Life Support-algorithm, is a helpful tool to diagnose life-threatening injuries. However, if spinal injuries are suspected, performing a full-body CT scan is necessary for correct diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Spinal Injuries , Wounds and Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Retrospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , Spinal Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , X-RaysABSTRACT
Traumatic dislocation of the shoulder - a guide for medical practicioners Abstract. Traumatic dislocation of the shoulder joint is a common injury. Young patients suffer from dislocations usually during leisure and competitive activities, the elderly are prone for injuries because of falls. We provide an overview about state-of-the-art management in first traumatic shoulder dislocations. Besides an overview for mechanisms leading to injuries, we describe first line therapy as well as techniques to reposition the shoulder. First time traumatic glenohumeral dislocations can usually be treated without surgery, we elucidate the topic regarding the need for further imaging as well as possible injuries accompanying the dislocation.
Subject(s)
Shoulder Dislocation/diagnosis , Shoulder Joint , Aged , Humans , ShoulderABSTRACT
Carbon fibre reinforced polyether ether ketone (CFR-PEEK) is a suitable material to replace metal implants in orthopaedic surgery. The radiolucency of CFR-PEEK allows an optimal visualisation of the bone and soft tissue structures. We aimed to assess the performance and radiological and clinical outcomes of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with CFR-PEEK anterior cervical plating (ACP) under first use clinical conditions. We retrospectively studied the prospectively-collected data of 42 patients who underwent ACDF with CFR-PEEK ACP between 2011 and 2016. We assessed clinical outcome (Odom's criteria, complications) and radiological parameters (global and segmental cervical lordosis, Bridwell score for fusion, adjacent segment degeneration) preoperatively, immediately post-operatively, and after a 12-month follow-up period. Patients' satisfaction was excellent, good, fair, and poor in 12, 19, 3, and 1 patients, respectively. Two patients developed dysphagia. No hardware failure occurred. Compared with preoperative radiographs, we observed a gain of global cervical lordosis and segmental lordosis (7.4 ± 10.1 and 5.6 ± 7.1 degrees, respectively) at the 12-month follow-up. Bridwell IF grades I, II, and III were observed in 22, 6, and 7 patients, respectively. The 12-month adjacent segment degeneration-free and adjacent segment disease-free survival rates were 93.1% and 96.3%, respectively. We observed a dysphagia rate of 5.7% and a reoperation rate of 4.8%. In conclusion, CFR-PEEK ACP shows positive outcomes in terms of implant safety, restoration of cervical lordosis, and functional recovery, and is suitable for ACDF.