Category: Spine

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Web-based audiovisual patient information system—a study of preoperative patient information in a neurosurgical department

Acta Neurochir (2010) 152:1337–1341. DOI 10.1007/s00701-010-0663-0

In the current climate of increasing awareness, patients are demanding more knowledge about forthcoming operations. The patient information accounts for a considerable part of the physician’s daily clinical routine. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the information is understood by the patient after solely verbal elucidation. To optimise information delivery, different auxiliary materials are used.

Methods In a prospective study, 52 consecutive stationary patients, scheduled for an elective lumbar disc operation were asked to use a web-based audiovisual patient information system. A combination of pictures, text, tone and video about the planned surgical intervention is installed on a tablet personal computer presented the day before surgery. All patients were asked to complete a questionnaire.

Results Eighty-four percent of all participants found that the audiovisual patient information system lead to a better understanding of the forthcoming operation. Eighty-two percent found that the information system was a very helpful preparation before the pre-surgical interview with the surgeon. Ninety percent of all participants considered it meaningful to provide this kind of preoperative education also to patients planned to undergo other surgical interventions. Eighty-four percent were altogether “very content” with the audiovisual patient information system and 86% would recommend the system to others.

Conclusions This new approach of patient information had a positive impact on patient education as is evident from high satisfaction scores. Because patient satisfaction with the informed consent process and understanding of the presented information improved substantially, the audiovisual patient information system clearly benefits both surgeons and patients.

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Management of Type II Odontoid Fractures in the Geriatric Population

J Spinal Disord Tech 2010;23:317–320

Objective: To analyze geriatric patients with Type II odontoid fractures treated either with rigid cervical orthosis (CO) or surgery (Odontoid Screw or Transarticular screw).

Summary of Background Data: Our literature search did not yield any studies on the outcome of Type II odontoid fractures in geriatric population treated with the rigid CO. We therefore designed a study to analyze geriatric patients with Type II odontoid fractures treated with either rigid cervical collar or surgery.

Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients with Type II odontoid fractures between July 1998 and June 2006. Inclusion criteria consists of males and females of 70 years of age or older with Type II odontoid fractures who were treated with rigid cervical collar or surgery. Exclusion criteria were displacement >4mm, posteriorly displaced fracture, neurologic compromise, multilevel cervical spine injury, and treatment in a halo vest. Medical comorbidities were assessed using the Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics. Primary outcomes were mortality and fusion (union, stable nonunion, nonunion). Minimum of 3 months follow-up was acceptable.

Results: One hundred eighty four odontoid fractures were identified in 8 years. Twenty patients met our inclusion criteria (9 treated in rigid collar and 11 treated surgically). Median follow-up was 5.5 months. Out of 20 patients, 4 patients died (1 treated in CO, 3 treated surgically). Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics index was highest in patient treated in CO. In the rigid collar group, 6 patients had union (66.6%), and 2 developed stable nonunion (22.2%); whereas in the surgically treated group, 7 patients had union (87.5%), and 1 patient developed nonunion (12.5%).

Conclusions: Patients treated nonoperatively in rigid collar seem to have an overall favorable outcome. A well-designed prospective study, to compare the outcomes of surgical intervention with nonsurgical management of Type II odontoid in elderly is recommended

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MSU Classification for herniated lumbar discs on MRI: toward developing objective criteria for surgical selection

Eur Spine J (2010) 19:1087–1093. DOI 10.1007/s00586-009-1274-4

Currently, there are over 300,000 lumbar discectomies performed in the US annually without an objective standard for patient selection.

A prospective clinical outcome study of 200 cases with 5-year follow-up was used to develop and validate an MRI-based classification scheme to eliminate as much ambiguity as possible. 100 consecutive lumbar microdiscectomies were performed between 1992 and 1995 based on the criteria for ‘‘substantial’’ herniation on MRI. This series was used to develop the MSU Classification as an objective measure of lumbar disc herniation on MRI to define ‘‘substantial’’. It simply classifies herniation size as 1-2-3 and location as AB- C, with inter-examiner reliability of 98%. A second prospective series of 100 discectomies was performed between 2000 and 2002, based on the new criteria, to validate this classification scheme. All patients with size-1 lesions were electively excluded from surgical consideration in our study.

The Oswestry Disability Index from both series was better than most published outcome norms for lumbar microdiscectomy. The two series reported 96 and 90% good to excellent outcomes, respectively, at 1 year, and 84 and 80% at 5 years. The most frequent types of herniation selected for surgery in each series were types 2-B and 2-AB, suggesting the combined importance of both size and location.

The MSU Classification is a simple and reliable method to objectively measure herniated lumbar disc. When used in correlation with appropriate clinical findings, the MSU Classification can provide objective criteria for surgery that may lead to a higher percentage of good to excellent outcomes.

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A systematic review of occipital cervical fusion: techniques and outcomes

J Neurosurg Spine 13:5–16, 2010. DOI: 10.3171/2010.3.SPINE08143

Numerous techniques have been historically used for occipitocervical fusion with varied results. The purpose of this study was to examine outcomes of various surgical techniques used in patients with various disease states to elucidate the most efficacious method of stabilization of the occipitocervical junction.

Methods. A literature search of peer-reviewed articles was performed using PubMed and CINAHL/Ovid. The key words “occipitocervical fusion,” “occipitocervical fixation,” “cervical instrumentation,” and “occipitocervical instrumentation” were used to search for relevant articles. Thirty-four studies were identified that met the search criteria. Within these studies, 799 adult patients who underwent posterior occipitocervical fusion were analyzed for radiographic and clinical outcomes including fusion rate, time to fusion, neurological outcomes, and the rate of adverse events.

Results. No articles stronger than Class IV were identified in the literature. Among the patients identified within the cited articles, the use of posterior screw/rod instrumentation constructs were associated with a lower rate of postoperative adverse events (33.33%) (p < 0.0001), lower rates of instrumentation failure (7.89%) (p < 0.0001), and improved neurological outcomes (81.58%) (p < 0.0001) when compared with posterior wiring/rod, screw/plate, and onlay in situ bone grafting techniques. The surgical technique associated with the highest fusion rate was posterior wiring and rods (95.9%) (p = 0.0484), which also demonstrated the shortest fusion time (p < 0.0064). Screw/rod techniques also had a high fusion rate, fusing in 93.02% of cases. When comparing outcomes of surgical techniques depending on the disease status, inflammatory diseases had the lowest rate of instrumentation failure (0%) and the highest rate of neurological improvement (90.91%) following the use of screw/rod techniques. Occipitocervical fusion performed for the treatment of tumors by using screw/rod techniques had the lowest fusion rate (57.14%) (p = 0.0089). Traumatic causes of occipitocervical instability had the highest percentage of pain improvement with the use of screw/plates (100% improvement) (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions. Based on the existing literature, techniques that use screw/rod constructs in occipitocervical fusion are associated with very favorable outcomes in all categories assessed for all disease processes. For patients requiring occipitocervical arthrodesis for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, screw/rod constructs are associated with the most favorable outcomes, while posterior wiring and onlay in situ bone grafting is associated with the least favorable outcomes. Occipitocervical arthrodesis performed for the diagnosis of tumor is associated with the lowest rate of successful arthrodesis using screw/rod techniques, while posterior wiring and rods have the highest rate of arthrodesis. The nonspecified disease group had the lowest rate of surgical adverse events and the highest rate of neurological improvement.

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A systematic review of randomized trials on the effect of cervical disc arthroplasty on reducing adjacent-level degeneration

Neurosurg Focus 28 (6):E5, 2010. DOI: 10.3171/2010.3.FOCUS1032

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion had been considered a safe and effective procedure for radiculopathy and myelopathy in the cervical spine, but degeneration in adjacent spinal levels has been a problem in some patients after fusion. Since 2002, cervical disc arthroplasty has been established as an alternative to fusion. The objective of this study was to review data concerning the role of cervical arthroplasty in reducing adjacent-level degeneration.

Methods. A systematic review was performed using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and LILACS databases, focusing on a structured question involving the population of interest, types of intervention, types of control, and outcomes studied.

Results. No study has specifically compared the results of arthroplasty with the results of fusion with respect to the rate of postoperative development of adjacent-segment degenerative disease. One paper described a rate for adjacent-level surgery. The level of evidence of that paper was classified 2b, and although its authors found a statistically significant between-groups difference (arthroplasty vs fusion) using log-rank analysis, re-analysis according to number needed to treat (in the current paper) did not reveal statistical significance.

Conclusions. Adjacent-level degeneration has not been adequately studied in a review of the available randomized controlled trials on this topic, and there is no clinical evidence of reduction in adjacent-level degeneration with the use of cervical arthroplasty.

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Outpatient Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Indications and Clinical Experience in a Consecutive Series of 390 Patients

Neurosurg Q 2010;20:107–110

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of outpatient anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) carried out on outpatients.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 390 consecutive patients who underwent outpatient ACDF between September 2002 and September 2007 to assess the safety and efficacy of outpatient anterior cervical surgery. The mean age of the patient sample was 46; 56% were female and 44% were male. Indications for surgery consisted of cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy. Charts were reviewed to define patient demographics and medical comorbidities. Operative data, including levels treated, surgery time, time to discharge, and intraoperative complications were collected. Clinical outcomes were collected using the PhDx Clinical Outcomes Database. Need for hospital transfer from the ambulatory surgical center, emergency room visits, and subsequent hospital admission in the perioperative period were determined from patient records. Complications, patient satisfaction, and outcome were ascertained through review of notes from the first postoperative visit.

Results: There was no mortality and there were no major complications. Out of 390 patients, operation was carried out at 1 level in 223 patients, at 2 levels in 143, and at 3 levels in 24. Pain was present in 99%, motor deficit in 31%, and myelopathy in 14%. Twenty-five percent were hypertensive, 5% were diabetic, and 2% had coronary artery disease. The incidence of hospital transfer for ACDF related complications was <1%, emergency room visits <1% and subsequent hospitalization <1%. At the time of the first postoperative visit 92% of patients believed that they were improved and only 1% of patients had transiently increased radicular weakness.

Conclusion: Outpatient ACDF is safe and efficacious in selected patients.

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No Justification for Cervical Disk Prostheses in Clinical Practice: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Neurosurgery 66:1153-1160, 2010 DOI: 10.1227/01.NEU.0000369189.09182.5F

A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate whether a beneficial clinical effect of cervical disk prostheses over conventional cervical diskectomy with fusion exists.

METHODS: A literature search was completed ending February 4, 2009, that included the abstract books of recent major spine congresses. All studies reported the results of singlelevel cervical disease without myelopathy. The Visual Analog Score (VAS) of the arm, VAS of the neck, Neck Disability Index, Physical Composite Scores of the Short Form 36, and Mental Composite Score of the Short Form 36, as well as adverse events, were evaluated.

RESULTS: Nine records were found, totaling 1533 patients. Of these, 1165 were evaluable at the last follow-up at 12 or 24 months. As an effect measure, a pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated at 12 and 24 months. At 12 months, the VAS arm reached statistical significance (OR = 0.698; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.571-0.853), as did the VAS neck (OR = 0.690; 95% CI, 0.562-0.847), and the Physical Composite Scores (OR = 1.362; 95% CI, 1.103-1.682) and the Mental Composite Score (OR = 1.270; 95% CI, 1.029-1.569) of the Short Form 36, favoring arthroplasty. The Neck Disability Index at 24 months also reached statistical difference (OR = 0.794; 95% CI, 0.641-0.984). All other measurements did not reveal any statistical difference. The number of complications, including secondary surgeries for adjacent segment disease, did not differ.

CONCLUSION: A clinical benefit for the cervical disk prosthesis is not proven. Because none of the studies were blinded, bias of the patient or researcher is a probable explanation for the differences found. Therefore, these costly devices should not be used in daily clinical practice.

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Microdecompressive Laminatomy With a 5-year Follow-up Period for Severe Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

J Spinal Disord Tech 2010;23:229–235

Study Design: The 2 groups of patients with severe lumbar spinal stenosis were prospectively compared as a case control study.

Objectives: This prospective case control study sought to evaluate bilateral microdecompressive laminatomy (MDL) for treatment of severe lumbar spinal stenosis.

Summary of Background Data: Total laminectomy is a general consensus on the therapy of severe spinal stenosis. The authors tried to investigate a new minimal invasive approach.

Methods: Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. In first group, 34 patients underwent total laminectomy (TL) for severe lumbar spinal stenosis. In the second group, 37 patients with the same diagnosis underwent bilateral MDL. The groups were compared for disability, walking distance, degree of postoperative back and leg pain, perioperative complications, and postoperative instability. Radiographic analyses were performed at regular intervals to demonstrate satisfactory decompression.

Results: Mean follow-up was 5 years. Postoperative computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated adequate decompressions in both groups. The walking distance, pain control, and disability scores were slightly higher among patients in the MDL group, although these results did not achieve statistical significance. Perioperative complications and postoperative instability were significantly higher in the TL group (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Compared with classic approaches, bilateral MDL provides adequate and safe decompression in lumbar spinal stenosis. It significantly reduces clinical symptoms and disability. However, TL shows higher perioperative complications and postoperative instability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to define a bilateral MDL approach to treat the stenotic lumbar spine without a herniated disc.

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A Retrospective Analysis of Patient Perceived Outcomes in Patients 55 Years and Older Undergoing Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

J Spinal Disord Tech 2010;23:157–161

Study Design/Setting: Retrospective review of clinical outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery with allograft and plating in patients over 55 years of age.

Objective: To evaluate the results of ACDF surgery in patients aged 55 years and older.

Summary of Background Data: ACDF surgery has been a standard treatment for cervical degenerative and herniated disc disease for many years. Previous assessments of efficacy have used patient perceived outcome measures including the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and the Short Form 36 Question Health Questionnaire (SF-36). Patient perceived outcome after ACDF surgery in an age specific cohort (55 y and older) has not been documented previously.

Methods: Fifty-two consecutive patients over 55 years of age who underwent 1 to 3 level ACDF with allograft and plating were identified. Patient perceived outcome questionnaires (NDI and SF-36) were available for 44 patients. There were 28 females and 16 males. Mean age at time of surgery was 61.8 years. Average length of follow-up was 25.2 months (12 to 54 mo).

Results: All but one patient demonstrated radiographic healing of the fusion site at the time of their last follow-up. The mean improvement of these 10 groups (total NDI score) was statistically significant (difference = 9.47, t=5.6390, P=1.5198E-06). There was a statistically significant decrease in disability in 7 of the 8 SF-36 categories as well. The mean of the 8 SF-36 categories (total SF-36) improved significantly (improvement=11.92, t= 3.6857, P=0.0007).

Conclusions: On the basis of our statistically significant improvement in NDI and SF-36 scores, as a measure of patient perceived outcome after ACDF surgery, outcomes after ACDF surgery in patients over 55 years of age are not significantly different than those of a younger patient population

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Study of the Anatomical Variations of Vertebral Artery in C2 Vertebra With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Its Application in the C1–C2 Transarticular Screw Fixation

Spine 2010;35:1136–1143

Use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Constructive Interference in Steady State (CISS) sequence and isometric voxels to demonstrate the anatomic variations of vertebral artery in C2 vertebra. Objectives. To determine the transarticular screw trajectory on CISS MRI and to identify patients with anatomic variations of vertebral artery in C2 vertebra. Summary of Background Data. Atlantoaxial transarticular screw fixation has been reported to be biomechanically superior to other posterior techniques for atlantoaxial arthrodesis. Vertebral artery injury can be associated with catastrophic sequelae. Anatomic variation of vertebral artery is well recognized and computed tomography scan is the traditional preoperative assessment. However, no report has evaluated the use of MRI in preoperative assessment for the screw trajectories and the anatomic variation of vertebral artery. Methods. The 3-dimensional (3D) CISS MRI with isometric voxels was performed in 30 local Chinese patients. The 3D reconstruction images were created to determine the proposed screw trajectories and their relationship with the vertebral arteries. Results. In 12 patients (40%), the vertebral arteries were lying within the screw trajectories prohibiting transarticular screw fixation on at least one side. Bilateral variations with high risk of vertebral artery injuries were found in 6 patients. The remaining 6 patients had unilateral variations prohibiting the insertion of transarticular screws on one side. Conclusion. The 3D CISS MRI with isometric voxels is a safe and simple imaging technique to outline the vertebral arteries in C2. Reconstruction images are easily created and undistorted. It is one of the useful imaging in preoperative planning of transarticular screw fixation and determination of anatomy of vertebral artery.

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Short-term Progressive Spinal Deformity Following Laminoplasty Versus Laminectomy for Resection of Intradural Spinal Tumors: Analysis of 238 Patients

Neurosurgery 66:1005-1012, 2010 DOI: 10.1227/01.NEU.0000367721.73220.C9

Gross total resection of intradural spinal tumors can be achieved in the majority of cases with preservation of long-term neurological function. However, postoperative progressive spinal deformity complicates outcome in a subset of patients after surgery. We set out to determine whether the use of laminoplasty (LP) vs laminectomy (LM) has reduced the incidence of subsequent spinal deformity following intradural tumor resection at our institution.

METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed the records of 238 consecutive patients undergoing resection of intradural tumor at a single institution. The incidence of subsequent progressive kyphosis or scoliosis, perioperative morbidity, and neurological outcome were compared between the LP and LM cohorts.

RESULTS: One hundred eighty patients underwent LM and 58 underwent LP. Patients were 46 ± 19 years old with median modified McCormick score of 2. Tumors were intramedullary in 102 (43%) and extramedullary in 102 (43%). All baseline clinical, radiographic, and operative variables were similar between the LP and LM cohorts. LP was associated with a decreased mean length of hospitalization (5 vs 7 days; P = .002) and trend of decreased incisional cerebrospinal fluid leak (3% vs 9%; P = .14). Following LP vs LM, 5 (9%) vs 21 (12%) patients developed progressive deformity (P = .728) a mean of 14 months after surgery. The incidence of progressive deformity was also similar between LP vs LM in pediatric patients < 18 years of age (43% vs 36%), with preoperative scoliosis or loss of cervical/lumbar lordosis (28% vs 22%), or with intramedullary tumors (11% vs 11%).

CONCLUSION: LP for the resection of intradural spinal tumors was not associated with a decreased incidence of short-term progressive spinal deformity or improved neurological function. However, LP may be associated with a reduction in incisional cerebrospinal fluid leak. Longer-term follow-up is warranted to definitively assess the long-term effect of LP and the risk of deformity over time.

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Total Sagittal Spinal Alignment in Patients With Lumbar Canal Stenosis Accompanied by Intermittent Claudication

Spine 2010;35:E344–E346

Study Design. Cross-sectional study of total sagittal spinal alignment in lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LCS) patients with and without intermittent claudication.

Objective. To evaluate total sagittal spinal alignment in LCS. Summary of Background Data. The sagittal spinal alignment is an important factor in the management of lumbar degenerative diseases and lower back pain. Patients with LCS accompanied by intermittent claudication adopt a forward-bending posture during walking. However, few studies have quantitatively assessed the abnormal posture in LCS in relation to clinical symptoms.

Methods. This study analyzed 93 patients with LCS. They were divided into two groups according to the presence of neurogenic intermittent claudication; patients of the Claudicant group had intermittent claudication of the cauda equina (n  53; mean age, 66.7) and those of the Nerve root group had no claudication (n  40; mean age, 67.0). The following parameters were measured on the lateral whole-spine standing radiographs: the distance between the C7 plumb line and the posterior superior corner on the superior margin of S1 (sagittal vertical axis), the angle between the superior margin of the first lumbar vertebra and the first sacral vertebra (L1S1), lumbar lordotic angle, pelvic tilting angle (PA), and pelvic morphologic angle (PRS1).

Results. The sagittal vertical axis of the Claudicant group (57.6  37.5 mm) was significantly larger than that of the Nerve root group (40.3  42.3 mm) and was larger in both groups compared with the standard values. Lumbar lordotic angle was smaller (18.8°  13.2°) and pelvic tilting angle was larger (27.2°  8.3°) in patients with the Claudicant group than those with the Nerve root group (22.4°  14.0° and 22.7°  7.2°, respectively).

Conclusion. Patients of the Claudicant group exhibited forward bending of the trunk and pelvis backtilt, compared with those of the Nerve root group.


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Quality of Spinal Motion With Cervical Disk Arthroplasty. Computer-aided Radiographic Analysis

J Spinal Disord Tech 2010;23:89–95

Study Design: Kinematic study of a single site in an investigational device exemption trial.

Objective: Evaluate the center of rotation (COR) after Bryan cervical arthroplasty and compare adjacent segment motion after cervical disk arthroplasty and fusion using validated radiographic analysis.

Summary of Background Data: The goal of cervical arthroplasty is to reestablish spinal kinematics after anterior decompression. Excellent maintenance of range of motion has been reported for a variety of the prostheses; however, the manner the prostheses perform this task is different. A parameter that may be as important as range of motion is restoring the quality of motion. One of the important components is the COR that is easily studied biomechanically but has not been reported from in vivo studies. Furthermore, the effects on the quality of motion at adjacent levels have not been studied. The purpose of this study is to determine the quality of motion after Bryan cervical disk arthroplasty at the target level and the adjacent segments.

Methods: The first 48 patients diagnosed with single level cervical disk degenerative disease and associated myelopathy or radiculopathy from a single institution enrolled in the Bryan disk investigational device exemption trial were selected for inclusion. Twenty-two investigational patients and 26 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion controls were evaluated radiographically preoperatively and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. These results were analyzed using Quantitative Motion Analysis software manufactured by Medical Metrics Inc. Kinematic parameters included translation, sagittal rotation, anterior/posterior disk height, and the calculation of the COR both in the sagittal and coronal planes.

Results: At the arthroplasty level, the COR shifted more posterior (0.3 mm, 1% end plate width) and cephalad (4.9 mm, 20% end plate width) compared with the preoperative position, however, this change was not statistically significant (P=0.06). The variability of the COR, however, was less after arthroplasty compared with preoperative values. There was no significant difference in the short term between the adjacent levels after fusion compared with the prosthesis. At later time points (12 and 24 mo), however, the COR was significantly posterior at the level above arthroplasty compared with fusion (P<0.01). COR X was not significantly (P>0.3) different below fusions compared with arthroplasty. Sagittal rotation significantly increased at the level above for both the fusion and prosthesis groups. A trend was noted for increased translation (2.5% end plate width) at the level above a fusion compared with the Bryan disk at 24 months postoperatively, but this did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions: Sagittal rotation increases above the level of the arthroplasty and fusion. In the long term, the arthroplasty group had a more posterior COR at the level above, compared with the level above a fusion. Translation at the level above a fusion was slightly increased but not statistically compared with the level above the arthroplasty with similar amounts of sagittal rotation (flexion/extension). Although not reaching statistical significance, the COR seemed to shift more posterior and cephalad at the arthroplasty level with less variability compared with the preoperative position.

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Early Rehabilitation Targeting Cognition, Behavior, and Motor Function After Lumbar Fusion A Randomized Controlled Trial

Spine 2010;35:848–857

Study Design. Open label randomized controlled trial with 3-, 6-, 12-month, and 2- to 3-year follow-up.

Objective. To investigate the effectiveness of a psychomotor therapy focusing on cognition, behavior, and motor relearning compared with exercise therapy applied during the first 3 months after lumbar fusion.

Summary of Background Data. Postoperative management after lumbar fusion commonly focuses on analgesic pain control and activities of daily living. After 3 months, exercise therapy is often implemented. No randomized controlled trial has investigated early rehabilitation techniques conducted during the first 3 months after surgery.

Methods. The study recruited 107 patients, aged 18 to 65 years, selected for lumbar fusion because of 12 months of symptomatic spinal stenosis, spondylosis, degenerative/isthmic spondylolisthesis, or degenerative disc disease. The exercise therapy group received a home program focusing on pain contingent training of back, abdominal, and leg muscle functional strength and endurance, stretching, and cardiovascular fitness. The psychomotor therapy group received a home program and 3 outpatient sessions focusing on modifying maladaptive pain cognitions, behaviors, and motor control. Rated questionnaires investigating functional disability, pain, health-related quality of life, functional self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, fear of movement/(re)injury, and coping were assessed at 3, 6, 12 months, and 2 to 3 years after surgery.

Results. Follow-up rates were 93% at 12 months and 81% at 2 to 3 years after surgery. Psychomotor therapy improved functional disability, self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and fear of movement/(re)injury significantly more than exercise therapy at respective follow-up occasions. Similar results occurred for pain coping but group differences were nonsignificant at 2 to 3 years follow-up. Potentially clinical relevant higher reoperation rates occurred after psychomotor therapy but rates were within normal ranges.

Conclusion. The study shows that postoperative rehabilitation can be safely implemented during the first 3 months after lumbar fusion and should include measures to modify psychological as well as motor functions.

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An alternate method for placement of C-1 screws

J Neurosurg: Spine / Volume 12 / April 2010. DOI: 10.3171/2009.10.SPINE08541

Several techniques for the surgical stabilization of the atlas and the axis have been described. Placement of C-1 lateral mass screws is one of the latest technical advances, and has gained popularity due to its efficacy and biomechanical advantages. However, the technique for placement of C-1 lateral mass screws, as first described by Harms, can cause excessive bleeding or irritation of the C-2 nerve. An alternative technique is available for the placement of C-1 lateral mass screws that completely avoids the C-2 nerve/ganglion and its associated venous plexus. This new technique mitigates some of the risk associated with the Harms techniques and eliminates the need to use specialized screws (that is, smooth shanks).

Methods: Twenty-six patients underwent atlantoaxial or occipitocervical fusions incorporating the alternative technique of C-1 screw placement. Three surgeons at 3 different institutions performed the surgeries. Standard lateral fluoroscopy and fully threaded polyaxial screws were used in each case.

Results: Forty-nine screws were placed in C-1 lateral masses by using the new technique. Solid arthrodesis was achieved in all cases, with a mean follow-up period of 30 months. There were no cases of CSF leakage, new neurological deficit, injury to the C-2 ganglion, vertebral artery injury, or hardware failures.

Conclusions: The technique is a safe and effective way to fixate C-1 while avoiding the C-2 nerve/ganglion and venous plexus. The results indicate that excellent clinical and radiographic outcomes can be achieved with this new technique.

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Trends, Major Medical Complications, and Charges Associated With Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in Older Adults

JAMA. 2010;303(13):1259-1265

In recent decades, the fastest growth in lumbar surgery occurred in older patients with spinal stenosis. Trials indicate that for selected patients, decompressive surgery offers an advantage over nonoperative treatment, but surgeons often recommend more invasive fusion procedures. Comorbidity is common in older patients, so benefits and risks must be carefully weighed in the choice of surgical procedure.

Objective: To examine trends in use of different types of stenosis operations and the association of complications and resource use with surgical complexity.

Design, Setting, and Patients: Retrospective cohort analysis of Medicare claims for 2002-2007, focusing on 2007 to assess complications and resource use in US hospitals. Operations for Medicare recipients undergoing surgery for lumbar stenosis (n=32 152 in the first 11 months of 2007) were grouped into 3 gradations of invasiveness: decompression alone, simple fusion (1 or 2 disk levels, single surgical approach), or complex fusion (more than 2 disk levels or combined anterior and posterior approach).

Main Outcome Measures: Rates of the 3 types of surgery, major complications, postoperative mortality, and resource use.

Results: Overall, surgical rates declined slightly from 2002-2007, but the rate of complex fusion procedures increased 15-fold, from 1.3 to 19.9 per 100.000 beneficiaries. Lifethreatening complications increased with increasing surgical invasiveness, from 2.3% among patients having decompression alone to 5.6% among those having complex fusions. After adjustment for age, comorbidity, previous spine surgery, and other features, the odds ratio (OR) of life-threatening complications for complex fusion compared with decompression alone was 2.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.50-3.49). A similar pattern was observed for rehospitalization within 30 days, which occurred for 7.8% of patients undergoing decompression and 13.0% having a complex fusion (adjusted OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.74-2.17). Adjusted mean hospital charges for complex fusion procedures were US $80.888 compared with US $23.724 for decompression alone.

Conclusions: Among Medicare recipients, between 2002 and 2007, the frequency of complex fusion procedures for spinal stenosis increased while the frequency of decompression surgery and simple fusions decreased. In 2007, compared with decompression, simple fusion and complex fusion were associated with increased risk of major complications, 30-day mortality, and resource use.

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Effects of age on perioperative complications of extensive multilevel thoracolumbar spinal fusion surgery

J Neurosurg Spine 12:402–408, 2010. DOI: 10.3171/2009.10.SPINE08741

The elderly compose a substantial proportion of patients presenting with complex spinal pathology. Several recent studies have suggested that fusion of 4 or more levels increases the risk of perioperative complications in elderly patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of age in persons undergoing multilevel (≥ 5 levels) thoracolumbar fusion surgery.

Methods. A retrospective review of all hospital records, operative reports, and clinic notes was conducted for 124 consecutive patients who underwent surgery between 2000 and 2007 with an average follow-up of 3.5 years and a minimum follow-up of 1.2 years. The most frequent preoperative diagnoses included scoliosis, tumor, osteomyelitis, vertebral fracture, and degenerative disc disease with stenosis. Complications were classified as intraoperative and major and minor postoperative as well as the need for revision surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the effects of age and other potentially prognostic factors.

Results. After controlling for other factors, increasing age was associated with an elevated risk for major postoperative complications (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.10) as were increasing levels of fusion (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1–2.1) and male sex (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3–16.2). In patients 65 years of age or older, rates of intraoperative complications, major and minor postoperative complications, and reoperation were 14.1, 23.4, 29.7, and 26.6%, respectively. The number of comorbidities was associated with a greater risk for perioperative complications in elderly patients (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1–2.8).

Conclusions. Age is a positive risk factor for major postoperative complications in extensive thoracolumbar spinal fusion surgery. Complication rates in the elderly are high, and good clinical judgment and careful patient selection are needed before performing extensive thoracolumbar reconstruction in older persons.

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Overview of disc arthroplasty—past, present and future

DOI:10.1007/s00701-009-0529-5. Acta Neurochirugica

Degenerative disc disease is one of the most frequent spinal disorders. The anatomy and the biomechanics of the intervertebral disc are very complex, and the pathomechanics of its degeneration are poorly understood. Despite this complexity and uncertainty, great advances have been made in the field of disc replacement technology, with promising results. Difficulties are continuously being encountered, but careful analysis of the results and intensive research and development will assist in countering these problems. There are approximately 40 clinical reports in the literature describing various aspects of randomised controlled trials involving intervertebral disc arthroplasty. However, the majority of these publications do not provide reliable information, in that they give only interim results and/or the results from just one of the many centres in multicentre studies. Such publications must be interpreted with caution, since they do not always represent the results of the whole study population and may hence be underpowered. We identified six randomised controlled trials that compared the final clinical outcomes of disc arthroplasty and spinal fusion. The present systematic review attempts to give an overview of the current status of disc arthroplasty.

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Sagittal spinal alignment in patients with lumbar disc herniation

Eur Spine J (2010) 19:435–438. DOI 10.1007/s00586-009-1240-1

A retrospective cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate total sagittal spinal alignment in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and healthy subjects. Abnormal sagittal spinal alignment could cause persistent low back pain in lumbar disease. Previous studies analyzed sciatic scoliotic list in patients with lumbar disc herniation; but there is little or no information on the relationship between sagittal alignment and subjective findings.

The study subjects were 61 LDH patients and 60 age-matched healthy subjects. Preoperative and 6-month postoperatively lateral whole-spine standing radiographs were assessed for the distance between C7 plumb line and posterior superior corner on the top margin of S1 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), lumbar lordotic angle between the top margin of the first lumbar vertebra and first sacral vertebra (L1S1), pelvic tilting angle (PA), and pelvic morphologic angle (PRS1). Subjective symptoms were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score for lower back pain (nine points).

The mean SVA value of the LDH group (32.7 ± 46.5 mm, ± SD) was significantly larger than that of the control (2.5 ± 17.1 mm), while L1S1 was smaller (36.7 ± 14.5) and PA was larger (25.1 ± 9.0) in LDH than control group (49.0 ± 10.0 and 18.2 ± 6.0, respectively). At 6 months after surgery, the malalignment recovered to almost the same level as the control group.

SVA correlated with the subjective symptoms measured by the JOA score. Sagittal spinal alignment in LDH exhibits more anterior translation of the C7 plumb line, less lumbar lordosis, and a more vertical sacrum. Measurements of these spinal parameters allowed assessment of the pathophysiology of LDH.

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Accuracy of pedicle screw placement in the lumbosacral spine using conventional technique: CT postoperative assessment in 102 consecutive patients

Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. March 2010.DOI: 10.3171/2009.9.SPINE09261

The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of screw misplacement and complications in a group of 102 patients who underwent transpedicle screw fixation in the lumbosacral spine with conventional open technique and intraoperative fluoroscopy. The results are compared with published data.

Methods: Cases involving 102 consecutive patients (424 inserted screws) were reviewed. Surgery was performed in all cases by the same surgeon’s team, using the same implant, and all results were assessed by means of a specific CT protocol. The screw position was assessed by the authors and an independent observer. Screw position was classified as correct when the screw was completely surrounded by the pedicle cortex, as “cortical encroachment” (questionable violation) if the pedicle cortex could not be visualized, and as “frank penetration” when the screw was outside the pedicular boundaries. Frank penetration was further subdivided as minor (when the edge of the screw thread was up to 2.0 mm outside the pedicle cortex), moderate (2.1–4 mm), and severe (> 4 mm). The incidence of intra- and postoperative complications not related to screw position as well as hardware failures were also registered, with a minimum follow-up duration of 8 months.

Results: The rate of frank pedicle screw misplacement was 5%. The rate of minimal or questionable pedicle wall violation was 2.8%. Among the frank misplacements, 6 were classified as minor, 12 as moderate, and 3 as severe penetration. Two patients (2%) had radicular pain and neurological deficits (inferomedial and inferolateral minor misplacement at L-4 and L-5, respectively), and 5 patients (4.9%) complained only of radicular pain. At the follow-up examination all patients had completely recovered their neurological function and radicular pain was resolved in all cases. The complications not related to screw malposition were 2 pedicle fractures (2% of patients), 1 nerve root injury (1%), and 1 dural laceration (1%). Five patients (4.8%) had postoperative anemia and required transfusions. Superficial or deep wound infection was noted in 3 patients (2.9%). Late hardware failure occurred in 2 patients (2%). One patient developed adjacent segmental instability and required additional surgery to extend the fusion.

Conclusions: Our rates of screw misplacement and complications compare favorably with the lowest rates of the series in which conventional technique was used and are close to the rates reported for image-guided methods. The risk of malpositioning may be reduced with careful preoperative surgical planning, accurate knowledge of the spinal anatomy, surgical experience, and correct indication for conventional surgery. The conventional technique still remains a practical, safe, and effective surgical method for lumbosacral fixation.

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