Maintenance of intraoperative correction with multi-rod constructs in adult long construct spine fusion surgery.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for loss of intraoperative correction, as measured by lumbar lordosis (LL), with an emphasis on rod characteristics.

Methods: A retrospective study identified patients at least 50 years of age who underwent instrumented fusion with an upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV) in the upper thoracic spine (T1-T6) or thoracolumbar junction (T10-L2) to the pelvis. Inclusion criteria included intraoperative x-rays that allowed for LL measurement, postop standing x-rays, and a minimum follow up of 24 months with the original rods still in place.

Integrating Hydrogels and Biomedical Plastics via In Situ Physical Entanglements and Covalent Bonding.

Both rigid plastics and soft hydrogels find ample applications in engineering and medicine but bear their own disadvantages that limit their broader applications. Bonding these mechanically dissimilar materials may resolve these limitations, preserve their advantages, and offer new opportunities as biointerfaces. Here, a robust adhesion strategy is proposed to integrate highly entangled tough hydrogels and diverse plastics with high interfacial adhesion energy and strength.

Impact of contrast administration and CT reconstruction plane on Hounsfield units for assessing underlying bone quality in the lumbar spine.

Objective: Hounsfield units (HUs) may better predict biomechanical complications of instrumented fusion than conventional bone quality measures. Typically, noncontrast axial slices are used. This study aims to address the influence of reconstruction plane and contrast administration on measured HUs in patients undergoing lumbar spine imaging.

The Impact of Unilateral Transfemoral Amputation on Lumbar Bone and Muscle Quality.

Objective: To examine the long-term perioperative changes in lumbar bone density, muscle size and fatty atrophy, and facet degeneration after transfemoral amputation (TFA).

Design: All patients who underwent TFA at an academic center between 2002-2022 were retrospectively identified. Patients were required to have preoperative and postoperative CT (>1 year) and regularly utilize a prosthesis.

"Bridging The Gap" Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2) Military Students Provide Leadership and Mentorship to Classmates.

Introduction: The lack of adequate diverse representation (racially, socioeconomically, gender, second career applicants, student parents, etc.) within secondary education in the United States has proven to be a challenging and complex, multifaceted problem, and despite ongoing efforts, one that continues to remain unsolved. These disparities are well known and documented at all levels of education.