The Effects of Liposomal Bupivacaine on Long-term Outcomes and Decreasing Immediate Postoperative Opioid Use Following One-level and Two-level Posterior Lumbar Fusions.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective observational study. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the efficacy of liposomal bupivacaine in postoperative analgesia and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing one-level and two-level posterior lumbar fusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Multiple studies have investigated the use of liposomal bupivacaine in spine surgery with varying results. The potential benefits of its use include decreasing postoperative opioid use, improved pain control, and a shorter hospital stay. Several studies have supported its use in spine surgery with others showing minimal to no benefit. No studies have investigated its possible impact on long-term outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 42 patients (22 one-level, 20 two-level) received liposomal bupivacaine injection just before surgical closure and were compared with a historical control group of 42 patients (27 one-level, 15 two-level) that did not receive liposomal bupivacaine. Daily opioid consumption was collected and converted to oral morphine equivalents. Length of stay and daily average pain scores using the visual analog scale were also recorded. In addition, SF-36 bodily pain and physical function outcome measures were collected preoperatively and at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years postoperatively. RESULTS: The liposomal bupivacaine group was found to have a significantly lower total opioid consumption compared with the control group ( P =0.001). The liposomal bupivacaine group was also found to use significantly fewer opioids on the day of surgery compared with the control group ( P <0.0001). There was no significant difference shown in the average visual analog scale pain scores, length of stay, or long-term outcomes between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of liposomal bupivacaine in one-level and two-level posterior lumbar fusions shows promise as an adjuvant for postoperative analgesia by decreasing postoperative opioid consumption. With the varying results demonstrated with the utilization of liposomal bupivacaine in spine surgery, further investigation is warranted, namely a larger prospective randomized control study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Successful non-operative treatment of traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation: a case report.

Background: Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD) is most commonly treated with cranio-cervical fusion. We present a unique case in which a partial neurological recovery was made after non-operative treatment was done for AOD. Reports of non-operative treatment of this condition are rare in the literature. Case Description: An 18-year-old male sustained a traumatic AOD and atlanto-axial dislocation. His injury was characterized by bony avulsion fractures of the occipital condyles bilaterally as well as atlanto-axial dissociation. Non-operative treatment was done because of his comorbidities, primarily his morbid obesity. He was treated in a hard cervical collar for 6 months. He showed radiographic evidence of healing after being treated non-operatively in a rigid cervical collar for 6 months. Follow up at 17 months showed a partial neurological recovery with ability to ambulate assisted with a walker. Conclusions: Successful outcomes are possible with non-operative treatment of AOD. A predominant factor contributing to this patient's successful outcome with non-operative management was likely related to the bony avulsion fractures he had which allowed bone to bone healing and settling of the fracture with gravity assisted reduction in a collar. Non-operative treatment may be considered in patients who are too unhealthy or unstable to undergo surgical intervention, although the standard of care remains surgical cranio-cervical fusion.

Orthopaedic Surgery Elicits a Systemic Anti-Inflammatory Signature.

Little information is available on the functional activity of leukocytes after arthroplasty or the expansion of populations with immune suppressive properties during the acute post-operative period. Synovial fluid and matched pre- and post-surgical blood samples were collected from total hip and knee arthroplasty patients (THA and TKA, respectively) to examine the impact of surgery on peripheral blood leukocyte frequency, bactericidal activity, and inflammatory mediator expression. For spinal surgeries, inflammatory mediator production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) pre- and post-surgery was examined. An expansion of immune suppressive granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs) was observed following arthroplasty, which correlated with significantly increased serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels. Analysis of synovial fluid from THA and TKAs revealed reduced granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and increased interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein 2 (CCL2) and Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt-3L) compared to pre- and post-surgical serum. For the spinal surgery cohort, stimulation of PBMCs isolated post-surgery with bacterial antigens produced significantly less pro-inflammatory (IL-1α, IL-1ß, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), IL-12p40, growth-related oncogene-α/GRO-α (CXCL1) and 6Ckine (CCL21)) and more anti-inflammatory/tissue repair mediators (IL-10, G-CSF and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)) compared to PBMCs recovered before surgery. The observed bias towards systemic anti-inflammatory changes without concomitant increases in pro-inflammatory responses may influence susceptibility to infection following orthopaedic surgery in the context of underlying co-morbidities or risk factors.

Bilateral Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy After Occipitocervical Fusion.

A 63-year-old man sustained a Jefferson fracture and was treated nonoperatively by a separate treating surgeon. Because of the symptomatic malalignment and nonunion after 6 months of nonsurgical management, the patient was seen for a second opinion. Occiput to C3 arthrodesis was performed. Postoperatively, the patient was diagnosed with a bilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy. Hypoglossal nerve injuries after cervical spine fractures and posterior cervical procedures are a very rare occurrence. This is the first case report of a bilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy following occipitocervical arthrodesis.

Does Prophylactic Administration of TXA Reduce Mean Operative Time and Postoperative Blood Loss in Posterior Approach Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery Performed for Degenerative Spinal Disease?

STUDY DESIGN: This is a level III retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To investigate association between prophylactic tranexamic acid (TXA) administration before 1 and 2-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion operations and perioperative blood loss (including intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drain output), mean operative time, postoperative transfusion, and postoperative venous thromboembolic events. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: TXA is a systemic antifibrinolytic that competitively inhibits lysine binding sites on plasminogen, reversibly blocking its binding to fibrin and impeding fibrinolysis and clot degradation. TXA's role in routine spinal surgery remains poorly described. Most spinal literature on perioperative TXA administration has considered operations performed for major adult and pediatric spinal deformity. METHODS: Two groups, a study group composed of 75 patients who underwent 1 and 2-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion operations for degenerative indications who received TXA before the start of the procedure, and a control group composed of 75 patients who underwent similar surgeries for the same indications and did not receive TXA preoperatively, were retrospectively enrolled. Demographic, laboratory, and surgical data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between groups with respect to surgery type, home anticoagulation, postoperative anticoagulation, preoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit, estimated intraoperative blood loss, postoperative day 2 drain output, postoperative day 3 drain output, rate of postoperative transfusion, and rate of postoperative thromboembolic events. Statistically significant reductions were noted in the TXA group with regards to postoperative day 1 drain output (P<0.0041), total postoperative drain output (P=0.027), and mean surgical time (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, perioperative TXA administration was associated with reduced postoperative drain output and surgical time. Further higher-level studies are required to investigate the safety and utility of TXA's routine use in 1 and 2-level posterior lumbar fusion operations performed for degenerative indications.

A Prospective Multicenter Evaluation of the Value of the On-Call Orthopedic Resident.

BACKGROUND: Funding for graduate medical education is at risk despite the services provided by residents. OBJECTIVE: We quantified the potential monetary value of services provided by on-call orthopedic surgery residents. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter cohort study design. Over a 90-day period in 2014, we collected data on consults by on-call orthopedic surgery residents at 4 tertiary academic medical centers in the United States. All inpatient and emergency department consults evaluated by first-call residents during the study period were eligible for inclusion. Based on their current procedural terminology codes, procedures and evaluations for each consult were assigned a relative value unit and converted into a monetary value to determine the value of services provided by residents. The primary outcome measures were the total dollar value of each consult and the percentage of resident salaries that could be funded by the generated value of the resident consult services. RESULTS: In total, 2644 consults seen by 33 residents from the 4 institutions were included for analysis. These yielded an average value of $81,868 per center for the 90-day study period, that is, $327,471 annually. With a median resident stipend of $53,992, the extrapolated average percentage of resident stipends that could be funded by these consult revenues was 73% of the stipends of the residents who took call or 36% of the stipends of the overall resident cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The potential monetary value generated by on-call orthopedic surgery residents is substantial.

Surgical Management of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a common cause of neurologic impairment in adults worldwide. Numerous studies have investigated the pathophysiology of CSM, which has provided surgeons with insight on the important factors that lead to the symptoms and deficits observed in patients who have CSM. However, further analysis of many unknown aspects of CSM is required to fully understand the disease and potential alternative treatment modalities. The diagnosis of CSM is based on a patient's history and physical examination and then confirmed with imaging studies. Progression, symptomatology, and imaging findings may vary by patient. Because of the variability of CSM, the disease course and a patient's response to treatment are difficult to predict. CSM can be managed either nonsurgically or it can be managed surgically via posterior or anterior cervical approaches, each of which has its own indications and possible complications.

Bacterial Spine Infections in Adults: Evaluation and Management.

Bacterial spinal infections in adults can have notable adverse consequences, including pain, neurologic deficit, spinal instability and/or deformity, or death. Numerous factors can predispose a person to spinal infection, many of which affect the immune status of the patient. These infections are typically caused by direct seeding of the spine, contiguous spread, or hematogenous spread. Infections are generally grouped based on anatomic location; they are broadly categorized as vertebral osteomyelitis, discitis, and epidural abscess. In some cases, the diagnosis may not be elucidated early without a reasonable index of suspicion. Diagnosis is based on history and physical examination, laboratory data, proper imaging, and culture. Most infections can be treated with an appropriate course of antibiotics and bracing if needed. Surgical intervention is usually reserved for infections resistant to medical management, the need for open biopsy/culture, evolving spinal instability or deformity, and neurologic deficit or deterioration.

Bone graft and bone graft substitutes in spine surgery: current concepts and controversies.

Iliac crest bone graft has long been the standard adjunct used in spine fusion surgery. This graft provides osteogenic, osteoinductive, and osteoconductive elements that aid in creation of a fusion mass. However, morbidity associated with bone graft harvest has led surgeons to seek other potential adjuncts, including bone morphogenetic proteins, demineralized bone matrix, and graft expanders such as synthetic bone graft and allograft. Knowledge of fusion biology is required to understand the benefits and limitations of these agents, which promote fusion via one of four mechanisms: osteogenesis, osteoinduction, osteoconduction, and osteopromotion. Although bone morphogenetic proteins have shown a clear ability to aid in bone formation and successful fusion, recent concern regarding their safety has tempered enthusiasm regarding their use.

Operative treatment of cervical myelopathy: cervical laminoplasty.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a degenerative process which may result in clinical signs and symptoms which require surgical intervention. Many treatment options have been proposed with various degrees of technical difficulty and technique sensitive benefits. We review laminoplasty as a motion-sparing posterior decompressive method. Current literature supports the use of laminoplasty for indicated decompression. We also decribe our surgical technique for an open-door, or "hinged", laminoplasty.

Esophageal and vertebral artery injuries during complex cervical spine surgery--avoidance and management.

Vertebral artery and esophageal injuries are rare but feared complications of cervical spine surgery. Appropriate understanding of treatment algorithms for prompt intervention in the event of a vertebral artery injury minimizes the risk of exsanguination and/or profound neurologic consequences. Esophageal injuries are often more subtle, and although intraoperative injuries can sometimes be diagnosed at the time of surgery, they frequently do not present until the week after surgery. They can additionally be seen as a late complication of instrumentation usage and/or failure. Expedient diagnosis and management of these injuries minimize their impact and allow for optimal treatment outcome.