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STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized controlled cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of local autograft versus iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) stand-alone transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in lumbar spondylolisthesis. METHODS: One hundred eight patients with low-grade single-level spondylolisthesis underwent operation with pedicular screw fixation (PSF)-augmented stand-alone TLIF. Patients were randomly divided into groups according to bone graft: group I, autograft group; and group II, ICBG group, with 54 patients each. Fifty-nine patients had isthmic spondylolisthesis and 49 had degenerative spondylolisthesis. Clinical outcome parameters included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and patient's satisfaction, while the radiological parameters included fusion rate, slip reduction, segmental angle, and disc height. The mean follow-up period was 38 ± 19 months, with a minimum 24 of months. RESULTS: The preoperative VAS of back pain improved from 8 ± 3.1 to 3.4 ± 2.9 and from 8 ± 3.2 to3.6 ± 2.6 in group I and group II, respectively. The preoperative ODI improved from 41.4 ± 8 to 12.3 ± 7 and from 39 ± 9 to 13 ± 8 in group I and group II, respectively. The fusion rate was 93% in group I and 94.5% in group II. The percentage of slip was reduced from 26.7 ± 7.1% to 16.5 ± 6.1% in group I and from 27.4 ± 8.25 to 15.8 ± 5.2% in group II. Intervertebral disc height increased from 25.27 ± 14.62 to 46.38 ± 15.41 in group I and from 22.29 ± 13.72 to 45.15 ± 16.77 in group II. Segmental angle improved from 10.5 ± 8.1° to 16.7 ± 5.4° in group I and from 11.6 ± 5.3° to 15.9 ± 6.2° in group II. There was no significant difference of the above-mentioned parameters between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with single-level low-grade spondylolisthesis can be effectively treated with PSF-augmented stand-alone TLIF using either local autograft or ICBG with no outcome differences between the 2 groups.
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STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the far-lateral approach in the resection of ventral and ventrolateral upper cervical meningiomas. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Upper cervical meningiomas are a common disease entity. These lesions can be surgically treated via many accesses. The far-lateral approach is a very appealing technique for these lesions. METHODS: We assessed 23 patients with a mean age of 57.3±15 years. According to the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scale; eight patients had grade 0, nine had grade I, and six had grade II. All patients underwent plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine. The foramen magnum was involved in 10 patients, C1-2 in seven, C2-3 in four, and C3-4 in two. All patients were operated via the far-lateral approach. RESULTS: Gross total resection was achieved in 21 patients. Sixteen lesions were psammomatous, five were fibroblastic, and two were meningothelial meningiomas. The mean operative duration was 135±40 minutes, while the mean operative blood loss was 450±210 mL, and the mean hospital stay was 4.3±2.2 days. At the final follow-up that was conducted at 27.6±21 months and as per the JOA score; 16 patients were classified into grade 0 and 7 into grade II. The condition of none of our patients deteriorated postoperatively. There was no significant correlation of the clinical outcome with tumor level, pathological subtype of the tumor, symptom duration, age, and sex. There was no significant correlation of tumor resection completeness with tumor level, tumor pathological subtype, or tumor topography (ventral or ventrolateral). CONCLUSIONS: The far-lateral approach is a safe and effective access for ventral and ventrolateral cervical meningiomas. It allows direct access to tumor with no spinal cord or nerve roots traction, and thus may yield a fairly better outcome than the standard posterior approach.
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BACKGROUND: Pediatric atlantoaxial instability (AAI) is not common and could be a serious clinical condition. The Goel-Harms technique is one of the most used techniques in adults and needs more evaluation in pediatric populations. This study reports the feasibility and safety of the Goel-Harms technique in the treatment of pediatric reducible AAI. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study we reported all pediatric patients who underwent Goel-Harms technique for AAI with a minimum 1-year follow up. Patients were clinically assessed using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and radiologically with plain radiographs, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging of the craniocervical region. Postoperatively, patients were followed up according to our clinical and radiographic imaging protocol. The following parameters were recorded: JOA score, construct stability, fusion, and abnormal events. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients have completed a 1-year follow-up and fulfilled our criteria. The mean age was 10.68 ± 4.47 (range, 3-17) years. Fifteen patients were male and 10 were female. The final diagnosis included Down syndrome (DS) in 8, type II dens fracture in 7, os odontoideum in 3, and atlantoaxial rotatory fixation in 7. The mean follow-up was 21.76 ± 8.22 months. The preoperative JOA score improved from 15.96 ± 1.46 to 16.76 ± 1.92 at the last follow-up. Sound bone fusion was reported in 92% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the Goel-Harms technique is a safe, feasible, and effective procedure in managing pediatric reducible AAI. Special perioperative care should be offered to young AAI patients with DS.