Surgical Protocol for Infections, Nonhealing Wound Prophylaxis, and Analgesia: Development and Implementation for Posterior Spinal Fusions.

Objective: To analyze the effects of a surgical protocol for infections, nonhealing wound prophylaxis, and analgesia among patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion at a single tertiary-care neurosurgical center.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the neurosurgery department of a tertiary-care neurosurgical center and compared a control group of patients who had posterior spinal fusion within 3 months before implementation of a surgical protocol with a study group of patients enrolled within 1 year after protocol implementation. The protocol included a surgical safety checklist, control of modifiable risks associated with surgical site infection, administration of intrawound vancomycin and local analgesia, and standard closure.

Facet Joint Fixation and Anterior, Direct Lateral, and Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusions for Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Disc Diseases: Retrospective Cohort Study of a New Minimally Invasive Technique.

Background: Anterior, direct lateral, and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions (ALIF, DLIF, and TLIF) are usually combined with posterior fixation to treat degenerative spinal diseases. Outcomes of ALIF, TLIF, or DLIF combined with a new wedge-shaped interfacet cage plate have not been reported. We assessed early clinical outcomes of patients treated with interbody fusion and facet fixation using a titanium wedge-shaped cage plate.

Apparent diffusion coefficient maps in the assessment of surgical patients with lumbar spine degeneration.

Purpose: To assess the utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps for the assessment of patients with advanced degenerative lumbar spine disease and describe characteristic features of ADC maps in various degenerative lumbar spinal conditions.

Methods: T1-weighted, T2-weighted and diffusion weighted (DWI) MR images of 100 consecutive patients admitted to the spinal surgery service were assessed. ADC maps were generated from DWI images using Osyrix software.