Appropriate Use Criteria for Neoplastic Compression Fractures.

Background Context: Clinical outcomes are directly related to patient selection and treatment indications for improved quality of life. With emphasis on quality and value, it is essential that treatment recommendations are optimized.

Purpose: The purpose of the North American Spine Society (NASS) Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) is to determine the appropriate (ie, reasonable) multidisciplinary treatment recommendations for patients with metastatic neoplastic vertebral fractures across a spectrum of more common clinical scenarios.

Thoracolumbar Fracture: A Natural History Study of Survival Following Injury.

Background: Fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine are increasingly common. Although it is known that such fractures may elevate the risk of near-term morbidity, the natural history of patients who sustain such injuries remains poorly described. We sought to characterize the natural history of patients treated for thoracolumbar fractures and to understand clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with survival.

Brief Report: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients With Thoracic SMARCA4-Deficient Undifferentiated Tumors.

Introduction: Thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumors (SMARCA4-UTs) are a recently defined group of aggressive cancers in which the effectiveness of standard treatments for lung cancer is unknown.

Methods: We collected clinical, pathologic, and demographic variables from five institutions for patients whose tumors met criteria for SMARCA4-UTs (undifferentiated phenotype and loss of SMARCA4 (BRG1) by immunohistochemistry).

Results: We identified 92 patients with SMARCA4-UTs; 58 (63%) had stage IV disease at diagnosis and 16 (17%) developed recurrent or metastatic disease after initial diagnosis.

Perseverance of Optimal Realignment is Associated With Improved Cost-utility in Adult Cervical Deformity Surgery.

Background: Early-term complications may not predict long-term success after adult cervical deformity (ACD) correction.

Objective: Evaluate whether optimal realignment results in similar rates of perioperative complications but achieves longer-term cost-utility.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Long-term prescription opioid use following surgery in the US (2017-2022): a population-based study.

Background: Over the last decade, numerous efforts have been made to combat the opioid crisis globally. The impact of these strategies has not been adequately measured and may differ across populations depending on baseline risk. We compared changes in long-term prescription opioid use following surgery within a national US cohort, between 2017 and 2022.