Lateral Anterior Column Release in Short Lumbar Fusion… Is It Worth It?

Background: Radiographic adjacent segment disease (ASD) ranges from 10% to 84%, depending on technique. Occurrence of symptomatic ASD is lower, with a range of 1.9% to 13%.

Risk Factors for Adjacent Segment Disease in Short Segment Lumbar Interbody Fusion-A Case Series.

Background: Adjacent segment disease (ASD) is a common problem after lumbar spinal fusions. Ways to reduce the rates of ASD are highly sought after to reduce the need for reoperation.

Objective: To find predisposing factors of ASD after lumbar interbody fusions, especially in mismatch of pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis (PI-LL).

Neurosurgery Morbidity and Mortality: A Prospective Surgical and Medical Analysis.

Objective: The analysis of morbidity and mortality is fundamental for improving the quality of patient care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined medical and surgical morbidity and mortality of neurosurgical patients.

Methods: We performed a daily prospective compilation of morbidities and mortalities during a consecutive 4-month period in all the patients who were 18 years of age or older and had been admitted to the neurosurgery service at the Puerto Rico Medical Center.

Spine Trauma Secondary to Diving Accidents: A Seven-year Retrospective Study in Puerto Rico.

Objective: Review the profile of patients with spinal trauma after diving accidents referred to the Puerto Rico Medical Center. This study intended to develop more awareness of the risks of spinal cord injury after diving.

Methods: The patient's records for diving accident cases referred to our center during January 2014 until December 2020 were assessed retrospectively.

Gamma Knife radiosurgery for a recurrent craniocervical junction solitary fibrous tumour.

Spinal solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) is an uncommon tumour with few cases reported in the literature. It rarely originates at the craniocervical junction. To our knowledge, only eight cases of spinal SFT located at the craniocervical junction have been reported in the literature.

Neuromuscular Scoliosis: A Dual-Surgeon Approach.

Objective: Neuromuscular Scoliosis (NMS) causes severe deformity and operative correction for these patients carries high complication rates. We present a retrospective study comparing a series of consecutive patients who underwent posterior fusion via a single-surgeon (SS) approach with a consecutive series of patients treated via a dual-surgeon (DS) approach.

Methods: Patients with NMS who underwent posterior fusion via a SS approach from 2019 to 2022 were analyzed and compared to a series of patients with NMS who underwent posterior fusion via a DS approach.

Prognosis and Outcome of Cervical Primary Extraosseous Intradural Extramedullary Ewing Sarcoma: A Systematic Review.

Primary spinal extraosseous Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare mesenchymal tumor characterized by high malignancy, occurring in a few patients with ES. The occurrence of this tumor in the intradural extramedullary spinal region is infrequent. This systematic review examines primary extraosseous intradural extramedullary ES in the cervical region to provide specific outcomes and evaluate the role of adjuvant chemoradiation in overall prognosis.

Lemierre syndrome leading to an ischaemic stroke and malignant cerebral oedema.

Lemierre syndrome is an often misdiagnosed disease caused by an anaerobic bacterial infection that produces thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and septic metastasis to distal organs, especially the lungs. Carotid stenosis or thrombosis is a rare complication. We present a patient with Lemierre syndrome who developed malignant cerebral oedema secondary to an ischaemic stroke which required a decompressive craniectomy.

Prevention of Surgical Site Infection in Lumbar Instrumented Fusion Using a Sterile Povidone-Iodine Solution.

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a well-documented complication in patients who undergo posterior spine instrumentation with most studies reporting an incidence of 1%-12%. Some studies have documented that a diluted sterile povidone-iodine (PVI) solution can be safely used in posterior spinal fusion surgeries as an antiseptic; in this study, we analyzed its effectiveness in reducing SSI.

Methods: This retrospective study consisted of consecutive patients who underwent elective posterior lumbar instrumentation performed by a single surgeon from 2016 to 2019.

Posttraumatic Hydrocephalus in Pediatric Patients After Decompressive Craniectomy.

Objective: The risk for developing posttraumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) is higher when patients undergo decompressive craniectomy as part of their treatment. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of PTH after decompressive craniectomy in pediatric patients and determine associated risk factors that may lead to PTH.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted by searching the Puerto Rico neurologic surgery database from 2010 to 2019.

Obstructive Hydrocephalus and Chemical Meningitis Secondary to a Ruptured Spinal Epidermoid Cyst.

Background: Epidermoid cysts of the spinal cord may rupture, resulting in keratin dissemination in the subarachnoid space, in the ventricles, and along the central canal of the spinal cord causing meningitis, myelopathic changes, or hydrocephalus.

Case Description: A 53-year-old woman with no past medical history presented with a 2-week history of headache located in the occipital region associated with neck pain. Brain magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated multiple fat droplets scattered throughout the subarachnoid and intraventricular spaces with significant edema of the right posterior temporoparietal lobes with trapping of the right temporal horn of the lateral ventricle and atrium.