Virtual reality is effective in the management of chronic low back ache in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Chronic low back ache (CLBA) is a common condition that is conventionally managed with physical therapy and analgesics. Recently, virtual reality-based interventions have been tried out in the management of CLBA. Their effectiveness, however has not been established. This meta-analysis aims to find out if the application of VR will lead to better pain relief, as compared to conventional techniques in adults with CLBA. METHODS: The literature search was carried out in three online databases for potential randomized controlled trials that compared VR-based interventions with conventional treatment in CLBA. Data on outcome parameters were recorded. Meta-analysis was carried out with the help of appropriate software. RESULTS: Seven studies having data on 507 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. Their mean ages were 48.4 years. There were 252 subjects in the VR group and 255 in the control group. VR-based interventions were found to have a statistically significant improvement in the pain intensity compared with conventional techniques (p - 0.005). CONCLUSION: VR-based interventions are effective in the management of CLBA in the short term. Further research with longer follow-up is required to evaluate if these improvements are persistent in the long term.

Surgical techniques and perioperative surgical outcomes after discectomy for calcified lumbar disc herniation: a review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Calcified lumbar disc herniation (CLDH) poses surgical challenges due to longstanding disease and adherence of herniated disc to the surrounding neural structures. The data regarding outcomes after surgery for CLDH are limited. This review was conducted to analyse the surgical techniques, perioperative findings and the postoperative clinical outcomes after surgery for CLDH. METHODS: PRISMA guidelines were followed whilst conducting this systematic review and meta-analysis. The literature review was conducted on 3 databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL). After thorough screening of all search results, 9 studies were shortlisted from which data were extracted and statistical analysis was done. Pooled analysis was done to ascertain the perioperative and postoperative outcomes after surgery for CLDH. Additional comparative analysis was done compared to CLDH with non-calcified lumbar disc herniation (NCLDH) cases. RESULTS: We included 9 studies published between 2016 and 2022 in our review, 8 of these were retrospective. A total of 356 cases of CLDH were evaluated in these studies with a male preponderance (56.4%). Mean operative time was significantly lower in NCLDH cases compared to CLDH cases. The mean estimated blood loss showed a negative correlation with the percentage of males. Satisfactory clinical outcomes were observed in majority of patients. The risk of bias of the included studies was moderate to high. CONCLUSION: Surgical difficulties in CLDH cases leads to increase in operative time compared to NCLDH. Good clinical outcomes can be obtained with careful planning; the focus of surgery should be on decompression of the neural structures rather than disc removal.

Ultrasonic Bone Scalpel versus Conventional Methods for Osteotomy in Posterior Surgery for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Review and Meta-Analysis.

Posterior methods for cervical myelopathy include laminoplasty and laminectomy with/without fusion. A more recent innovation in these treatments is the use of an ultrasonic bone shaver for osteotomy. In this study, we examined the perioperative results after laminectomy/laminoplasty between conventional methods (rongeur/high-speed drill) vs. piezosurgery-based instruments. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed and the search was performed on four databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar). Seven comparative studies were chosen after thorough screening by the authors and a meta-analysis was performed between piezosurgery and conventional technique to ascertain intraoperative and postoperative results after laminectomy/laminoplasty. The analysis includes four retrospective cohort studies and three randomized controlled trials published between 2015 and 2022. The mean age ranged from 55.5 to 64.2 years. Blood loss was significantly reduced in the piezosurgery group, other findings were not significant. On subgroup analysis, laminoplasty dramatically reduced blood loss and the rate of iatrogenic dural rips in the piezosurgery group. The use of ultrasonic bone shaver for osteotomy in cervical spondylotic myelopathy is related to significantly decreased blood loss and no significant increase in postoperative drainage, operative time, complication rate, and functional outcomes as compared to traditional techniques. We noticed significantly reduced blood and rate of dural tears in the laminoplasty subgroup with the use of ultrasonic bone shaver, which was not mirrored in the laminectomy subgroup. Careful intraoperative handling of the instrument can help prevent iatrogenic dural tears and nerve damage.

Effect of obesity on results of endoscopic versus open lumbar discectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar disc herniation in obese individuals poses unique surgical challenges which can influence outcomes in such patients. Limited studies are available evaluating the results of discectomy in obese persons. The aim of this review was to compare outcomes in obese and non-obese individuals; and to analyse whether approach to surgery had a bearing on these outcomes. METHODS: The literature search was conducted on four databases (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL) and PRISMA guidelines were followed. After screening by the authors, eight studies were shortlisted from which data were extracted and analysed. Comparative analysis was done for lumbar discectomy (microdiscectomy or minimally invasive vs. endoscopic technique) between obese and non-obese groups from the six comparative studies in our review. Pooled estimates and subgroup analysis was done to ascertain the effect of surgical approach on outcomes. RESULTS: Eight studies published between 2007 and 2021 were included. Mean age of study cohort was 39.05 years. Mean operative time was significantly shorter in the non-obese group mean difference of 15.1 min (95% CI - 0.24 to 30.5). On subgroup analysis, obese individuals operated via endoscopic approach had significantly decreased operative time as compared to open approach. Blood loss and complication rates were also lower in the non-obese groups, but not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Significantly less mean operative time was seen in non-obese individuals and when obese patients were operated via endoscopic approach. This difference between obese and non-obese groups was significantly more in the open subgroup as compared to the endoscopic subgroup. No significant differences in blood loss, mean improvement in VAS score, recurrence rate, complication rate and length of hospital stay was found between obese and non-obese patients as well as between endoscopic versus open lumbar discectomy within the obese subgroup. The learning curve associated with endoscopy makes it a challenging procedure.

Pulmonary function after thoracoplasty for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Thoracoplasty is a procedure which involves rib resection from the costovertebral junction to the apex of the rib hump deformity to address the cosmetic concerns of patients of scoliosis. There is conflicting literature on its effect on pulmonary function. The present meta-analysis was conducted to review and analyze the available literature and ascertain the effect of thoracoplasty on pulmonary function. METHODS: Search was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines on three databases. After analysis of all the search results by title, abstracts and full texts-10 studies were identified for inclusion in the review. We included studies which had analyzed preoperative and postoperative pulmonary function tests (PFTs) after thoracoplasty. Pooled estimates were calculated for pulmonary function, and effect of other factors was analyzed by subgroup analysis and meta-regression. RESULTS: The included studies were published between 1998 and 2019. A total of 385 patients were included in these studies, with a mean age of 15.01 years, with a female preponderance. Apprehension over appearance of rib hump was the most common indication for thoracoplasty. Percent-predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV-1) were significantly decreased on follow-up. Anterior approach to corrective surgery and lower age were found to be associated with worse pulmonary function. Preoperative Cobb's angle was found to have significant impact on decrease in FEV-1 only, but not on other PFT parameters. CONCLUSION: Overall decrease in pulmonary function after thoracoplasty necessitates the need of adequate preoperative pulmonary function to mitigate its effect on patient well-being. Use of a posterior approach for corrective surgery when thoracoplasty is planned might lead to better outcomes. More research is needed to study effect of preoperative Cobb's angle on pulmonary function.