Validity and reliability of the adapted Dutch version of the Brace Questionnaire (BrQ).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Brace Questionnaire (BrQ) is a disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument for measuring perceived health status of scoliosis patients undergoing brace treatment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of a translated and culturally adapted Dutch version of the BrQ. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The original Greek BrQ was translated into Dutch and a cross-cultural adaptation and validation processes were conducted. Subsequently, 80 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing active brace treatment were included from 4 scoliosis centers to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the BrQ. The questionnaire's floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were assessed. Concurrent validity was evaluated by comparing the BrQ with the revised Scoliosis Research Society 22-item questionnaire (SRS-22r) scores. RESULTS: The mean total BrQ score was 75.9 (standard deviation [SD] 11.3) and the mean domain scores varied between 3.4 (SD 0.9) and 4.2 (SD 0.7) for the domains "vitality" and "bodily pain," respectively. There were no floor and ceiling effects for the total BrQ score. The BrQ showed satisfactory internal consistency in most subdomains with a Cronbach's α ranging between 0.35 for the domain "general health perception" and 0.89 for the domain "self-esteem and aesthetics." Excellent test-retest reproducibility was observed for the total BrQ score (ICC 0.91), and the BrQ was successfully validated against the SRS-22r. CONCLUSION: The translated and culturally adapted Dutch version of the BrQ is a valid and reliable HRQOL instrument for AIS patients undergoing brace treatment.

Complications After Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation for the Treatment of Unstable Spinal Metastases.

BACKGROUND: Complications after surgical stabilization for the treatment of unstable spinal metastases are common. Less invasive surgical (LIS) procedures are potentially associated with a lower risk of complications; however, little is known regarding the complications after LIS procedures for the treatment of spinal metastases. Our primary objective was to determine the characteristics and rate of complications after percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) for the treatment of mechanically unstable spinal metastases. The secondary objective was to identify factors associated with the occurrence of complications and survival. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter cohort study of patients who underwent PPSF between 2009 and 2014 for the treatment of unstable spinal metastases was performed. Patient data pertaining to demographics, diagnosis, treatment, neurologic function, complications, and survival were collected. RESULTS: A total of 101 patients were identified, 45 men (45 %) and 56 women (55 %) with a mean age of 60.3 ± 11.2 years. The median operating time was 122 (range 57-325) minutes with a median blood loss of 100 ml (based on 41 subjects). Eighty-eight patients (87 %) ambulated within the first 3 days after surgery. An overall median survival of 11.0 (range 0-70) months was observed, with 79 % of the patients alive at 3 months after treatment. Eighteen patients experienced a total of 30 complications; nonsurgical complications were the most commonly encountered. Prolonged operating time was independently associated with an increased risk of complications. CONCLUSIONS: A complication rate of 18 % was found after PPSF for unstable spinal metastases. Potential advantages of less invasive treatment are limited blood loss and high early ambulation rate.

Anterior shear strength of the porcine lumbar spine after laminectomy and partial facetectomy.

Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common reason for lumbar surgery in patients in the age of 65 years and older. The standard surgical management is decompression of the spinal canal by laminectomy and partial facetectomy. The effect of this procedure on the shear strength of the spine has not yet been investigated in vitro. In the present study we determined the ultimate shear force to failure, the displacement and the shear stiffness after performing a laminectomy and a partial facetectomy. Eight lumbar spines of domestic pigs (7 months old) were sectioned to obtain eight L2-L3 and eight L4-L5 motion segments. All segments were loaded with a compression force of 1,600 N. In half of the 16 motion segments a laminectomy and a 50% partial facetectomy were applied. The median ultimate shear force to failure with laminectomy and partial facetectomy was 1,645 N (range 1,066-1,985) which was significantly smaller (p = 0.012) than the ultimate shear force to failure of the control segments (median 2,113, range 1,338-2,659). The median shear stiffness was 197.4 N/mm (range 119.2-216.7) with laminectomy and partial facetectomy which was significantly (p = 0.036) smaller than the stiffness of the control specimens (median 216.5, 188.1-250.2). It was concluded that laminectomy and partial facetectomy resulted in 22% reduction in ultimate shear force to failure and 9% reduction in shear stiffness. Although relatively small, these effects may explain why patients have an increased risk of sustaining shear force related vertebral fractures after spinal decompression surgery.