Training in Lumbar Pedicle Screw Instrumentation Using a 3D-Printed Model: From Validation to Transferability Onto a Cadaver Model.

Lumbar pedicle screw placement in spinal surgery is complex and prone to errors, with notable risks to patients. Standard training methods, such as mentorship in operating rooms, pose safety concerns, prompting the need for alternative training tools. This study aimed to validate and use a three-dimensional (3D)-printed simulation model for lumbar pedicle screw insertion training and assess its effectiveness compared with standard methods.

The AO classification system for tibial plateau fractures: An independent inter and intraobserver agreement study.

Purpose: Classifying tibial plateau fractures is paramount in determining treatment regimens and systemizing decision making. The original AO classification described by Müller in 1996 and the Schatzker classification of 1970 are the most cited classifications for tibial plateau fractures, demonstrating substantial to almost perfect agreement. The main problem with these classifications schemes is that they lack the detail required to convey the variety of fracture patterns encountered.

The new AO classification system for intertrochanteric fractures allows better agreement than the original AO classification. An inter- and intra-observer agreement evaluation.

Background: A new AO classification for intertrochanteric fractures was recently published; no studies have evaluated its inter- and intra-observer agreement.

Methods: Six evaluators (three hip subspecialists and three residents) assessed radiographs of 68 intertrochanteric fractures; fractures were classified using the original and the new AO classifications. The cases were displayed in a random sequence after a six-week interval for repeat evaluation.

Is a single-level measurement of paraspinal muscle fat infiltration and cross-sectional area representative of the entire lumbar spine?

Purpose: Lumbar paraspinal muscle morphology has recently been evaluated in several studies with conflicting results. Several studies have performed single-slice evaluations of paraspinal muscle morphology, whereas other studies have done a multi-level assessment; this methodological difference might explain the observed different results. Our study evaluated if a single-slice axial measurement is representative of the entire lumbar musculature.

Lumbar paraspinal muscle fat infiltration is independently associated with sex, age, and inter-vertebral disc degeneration in symptomatic patients.

Purpose: To determine the association of paraspinal muscles and psoas relative cross-sectional area (RCSA) and fat signal fraction (FSF) with sex, age, and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) in symptomatic patients.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 80 adult patients with spinal symptoms using T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. We determined RCSA and FSF of the paraspinal muscles (erector spinae and multifidus) and psoas from L1-L2 to L5-S1; we determined IDD using the Pfirrmann classification.