No Difference in Postoperative Complications between Simultaneous and Staged, Bilateral Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty.

The optimal timing of contralateral surgery following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) remains unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the differences in postoperative complications in patients undergoing unilateral, simultaneous, and staged bilateral UKA.The PearlDiver administrative claims database was queried for patients undergoing UKA between 2015 and 2020.

Are Grit and Self-Control Associated With Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Spine Surgery?

Grit, defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, and self-control, defined as the capacity to regulate impulses in the presence of momentarily gratifying temptations or diversion, have shown to be predictors of professional achievement. Their role in health care outcomes is less well understood. : We sought to determine whether grit and self-control are associated with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following spine surgery.

Severe Obesity Is an Independent Risk Factor of Early Readmission and Nonhome Discharge After Cervical Disc Replacement.

Objective: Despite growing interest in cervical disc replacement (CDR) for conditions such as cervical radiculopathy, limited data exists describing the impact of obesity on early postoperative outcomes and complications. These data are especially important as nearly half of the adult population in the United States is expected to become obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2) by 2030. The goal of this study was to compare the demographics, perioperative variables, and complication rates following CDR.

Recovery Kinetics After Cervical Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained multisurgeon registry.

Objective: To study recovery kinetics and associated factors after cervical spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have described return to activities cervical spine surgery.

A vertebral skeletal stem cell lineage driving metastasis.

Vertebral bone is subject to a distinct set of disease processes from long bones, including a much higher rate of solid tumour metastases. The basis for this distinct biology of vertebral bone has so far remained unknown. Here we identify a vertebral skeletal stem cell (vSSC) that co-expresses ZIC1 and PAX1 together with additional cell surface markers.

Risk factors for failure to achieve minimal clinically important difference following cervical disc replacement.

Background Context: While cervical disc replacement (CDR) has been emerging as a reliable and efficacious treatment option for degenerative cervical spine pathology, not all patients undergoing CDR will achieve minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) postoperatively-risk factors for failure to achieve MCID in PROMs following CDR have not been established.

Purpose: To identify risk factors for failure to achieve MCID in Neck Disability Index (NDI, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) neck and arm following primary 1- or 2-level CDRs in the early and late postoperative periods.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Improvement in predominant back pain following minimally invasive decompression for spinal stenosis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the outcomes of patients with predominant back pain (pBP) undergoing minimally invasive decompression surgery compared with patients with nonpredominant back pain (npBP).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presenting complaint: 1) pBP, defined as visual analog scale (VAS) back pain score > VAS leg pain score; and 2) npBP.

Floor-Mounted Robotic Pedicle Screw Placement in Lumbar Spine Surgery: An Analysis of 1,050 Screws.

Objective: To analyze the usage of floor-mounted robot in minimally invasive lumbar fusion.

Methods: Patients who underwent minimally invasive lumbar fusion for degenerative pathology using floor-mounted robot (ExcelsiusGPS) were included. Pedicle screw accuracy, proximal level violation rate, pedicle screw size, screw-related complications, and robot abandonment rate were analyzed.

NDI <21 Denotes Patient Acceptable Symptom State After Degenerative Cervical Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Objective: To determine the Neck Disability Index (NDI) cut-off for achieving patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) at six months following degenerative cervical spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: An absolute score denoting PASS might be a better marker to assess clinical outcomes than a change score denoting minimal clinically important difference.

Erector Spinae Plane Block Reduces Immediate Postoperative Pain and Opioid Demand After Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Study Design: Matched cohort comparison.

Objective: To determine perioperative outcomes of erector spinae plane (ESP) block for minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF).

Summary Of Background Data: There is a paucity of data on the impact of lumbar ESP block on perioperative outcomes and its safety in MI-TLIF.

Discovery of a Vertebral Skeletal Stem Cell Driving Spinal Metastases.

Vertebral bone is subject to a distinct set of disease processes from those of long bones, notably including a much higher rate of solid tumor metastases that cannot be explained by passive blood flow distribution alone. The basis for this distinct biology of vertebral bone has remained elusive. Here we identify a vertebral skeletal stem cell (vSSC), co-expressing the transcription factors ZIC1 and PAX1 together with additional cell surface markers, whose expression profile and function are markedly distinct from those of long bone skeletal stem cells (lbSSCs).

Female Sex and Supine Proximal Lumbar Lordosis Are Associated With the Size of the LLIF "Safe Zone" at L4-L5.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Objective: Identify demographic and sagittal alignment parameters that are independently associated with femoral nerve position at the L4-L5 disk space.

Summary Of Background Data: Iatrogenic femoral nerve or lumbar plexus injury during lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) can result in neurological complications.

Improvement following minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in patients aged 70 years or older compared with younger age groups.

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the outcomes of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) in patients ≥ 70 years old and compare them to younger age groups.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of data that were collected prospectively. Patients who underwent primary single-level MI-TLIF were included and divided into 3 groups: age < 60, 60-69, and ≥ 70 years.

ODI <25 Denotes Patient Acceptable Symptom State After Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Objective: To determine the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) cutoff for achieving Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) at one year following minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: An absolute score denoting PASS, rather than a change score denoting minimal clinically important difference (MCID), might be a better metric to assess clinical outcomes.

Improvement following minimally invasive lumbar decompression in patients 80 years or older compared with younger age groups.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the outcomes of minimally invasive lumbar decompression in patients ≥ 80 years of age and compare them with those of younger age groups.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients who underwent primary unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) (any number of levels) and had a minimum of 1 year of follow-up were included and divided into three groups by age: < 60 years, 60-79 years, and ≥ 80 years.

Recovery Kinetics After Commonly Performed Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Procedures.

Study Design: Single-center, multisurgeon, retrospective review.

Objective: To evaluate the timing of return to commonly performed activities following minimally invasive spine surgery. Identify preoperative factors associated with these outcomes.

Practical answers to frequently asked questions in minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery.

Background Context: Surgical counseling enables shared decision-making (SDM) by improving patients' understanding.

Purpose: To provide answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) in minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Telemedicine Visits Can Generate Highly Accurate Diagnoses and Surgical Plans for Spine Patients.

Study Design: A Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To (1) assess whether diagnoses and surgical plans established during a new patient telemedicine visit changed following an in-person evaluation and (2) determine any differences in perioperative outcomes between patients who only had a telemedicine visit before surgery versus those who had a telemedicine visit followed by an in-person evaluation before surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Data on capability of telemedicine to deliver high-quality preoperative assessment without a traditional in-person interaction and physical examination is lacking.

Factors Causing Delay in Discharge in Patients Eligible for Ambulatory Lumbar Fusion Surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Objective: To analyze the postoperative factors that led delayed discharge in patients who would have been eligible for ambulatory lumbar fusion (ALF).

Summary Of Background Data: Assessing postoperative inefficiencies is vital to increase the feasibility of ALF.