The Impact of the Preoperative Mental Health Component Summary (MCS) Score on Short-term Outcomes after Lumbar Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize the relationship between preoperative MCS and surgical outcomes after lumbar spine surgery including inpatient complications, length of stay, readmissions, and reoperations.

Summary Of Background Data: As the prevalence of mental health disorders in the United States increases, it is important to identify risks associated with poor mental health status in the surgical spine patient.

Radiology Reports Do Not Accurately Portray the Severity of Cervical Neural Foraminal Stenosis.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objective: (1) To compare cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiology reports to a validated grading system for cervical foraminal stenosis (FS) and (2) to evaluate whether the severity of cervical neural FS on MRI correlates to motor weakness or patient-reported outcomes.

Background: Radiology reports of cervical spine MRI are often reviewed to assess the degree of neural FS.

Does Operative Level Impact Dysphagia Severity After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion?: A Multicenter Prospective Analysis.

Study Design: Prospective multicenter cohort study.

Objective: To explore the association between operative level and postoperative dysphagia after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

Background: Dysphagia is common after ACDF and has several risk factors, including soft tissue edema.

Factors Associated With Various Types of Industry Payments to Academic Spine Surgeons in the Open Payments Database.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate associations between spine surgeon characteristics and different types of industry payments.

Summary Of Background Data: Industry funding has played an important role in research and technological innovation within spine surgery, and industry payments supporting research have risen significantly in comparison to funding from other sources.

Subfascial Lumbar Spine Drain Output Does Not Affect Outcomes After Incidental Durotomies in Elective Spine Surgery.

Objective: Postoperative drains have long been regarded as a preventive measure to mitigate the risks of complications such as neurological impairment by reducing fluid accumulation following spine surgery. Our study aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by examining the effects of postoperative drain output on the 90-day postoperative outcomes for patients who experienced an incidental durotomy after lumbar decompression procedures, with or without fusion.

Methods: All patients aged ≥18 years with an incidental durotomy from spinal decompression with or without fusion surgery between 2017 and 2021 were retrospectively identified.