Patient-reported outcome of lumbar decompression with instrumented fusion for low-grade spondylolisthesis: influence of pathology and baseline symptoms.

Introduction: Low-grade isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) of the lumbar spine are distinct pathologies but both can be treated with lumbar decompression with fusion. In a very large cohort, we compared patient-reported outcome in relation to the pathology and chief complaint at baseline.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis using the EUROSPINE Spine Tango Registry.

The use of the Core Yellow Flags Index for the assessment of psychosocial distress in patients undergoing surgery of the cervical spine.

Background: Psychosocial distress (the presence of yellow flags) has been linked to poor outcomes in spine surgery. The Core Yellow Flags Index (CYFI), a short instrument assessing the 4 main yellow flags, was developed for use in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. This study evaluated its ability to predict outcome in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery.

Surgical outcome after treatment of thoracolumbar spinal stenosis in adults with achondroplasia.

Purpose: To describe the complications and the outcome of patients with achondroplasia undergoing thoracolumbar spinal surgery.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of all patients with achondroplasia undergoing surgery within the years 1992-2021 at the thoracic and/or lumbar spine. The outcome was measured by analyzing the surgical complications and revisions.

A decade of experience in over 300 surgically treated spine patients with long-term oral anticoagulation: a propensity score matched cohort study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the risks and outcomes of patients with long-term oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing spine surgery.

Methods: All patients on long-term OAC who underwent spine surgery between 01/2005 and 06/2015 were included. Data were prospectively collected within our in-house Spine Surgery registry and retrospectively supplemented with patient chart and administrative database information.

Patient-reported outcomes 1 and 2 years after transforaminal thoracic interbody fusion (TTIF).

Study Design: Retrospective Cohort Study with prospectively collected data.

Purpose: Transforaminal interbody fusion was initially designed for the lumbar spine. A similar approach was later introduced for the thoracic spine (TTIF).

Does loss to follow-up lead to an overestimation of treatment success? Findings from a spine surgery registry of over 15,000 patients.

Purpose: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are integral to the assessment of treatment success, but loss to follow-up (attrition) may lead to bias in the results reported. We sought to evaluate the extent, nature and implications of attrition in a long-established, single-centre spine registry.

Methods: The registry contained the data of 15,264 consecutive spine surgery patients.

Association between sagittal alignment and loads at the adjacent segment in the fused spine: a combined clinical and musculoskeletal modeling study of 205 patients with adult spinal deformity.

Purpose: Sagittal malalignment is a risk factor for mechanical complications after surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD). Spinal loads, modulated by sagittal alignment, may explain this relationship. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationships between: (1) postoperative changes in loads at the proximal segment and realignment, and (2) absolute postoperative loads and postoperative alignment measures.

Revision surgery for incomplete resection or recurrence of cervical spine chordoma: a consecutive case series of 24 patients.

Purpose: Chordomas are rare tumors with an annual incidence of approximately one per million. Chordomas rarely metastasize but show a high local recurrence rate. Therefore, these patients present a major clinical challenge, and there is a paucity of the literature regarding the outcome after revision surgery of cervical spine chordomas.

Association between the appropriateness of surgery, according to appropriate use criteria, and patient-rated outcomes after surgery for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Introduction: Treatment failures in spine surgery are often attributable to poor patient selection and the application of inappropriate treatment. We used published appropriate use criteria (AUC) to evaluate the appropriateness of surgery in a large group of patients operated for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS) and to evaluate its association with outcome.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected outcome data from patients operated in our Spine Centre, 2005-2012.

Validation of a surgical invasiveness index in patients with lumbar spinal disorders registered in the Spine Tango registry.

Introduction: Being able to quantify the invasiveness of a surgical procedure is important to weigh up its associated risks, since invasiveness governs the blood loss, operative time and likelihood of complications. Mirza et al. (Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 33:2651-2661, 2008) published an invasiveness index for spinal surgery.

Development of the "Core Yellow Flags Index" (CYFI) as a brief instrument for the assessment of key psychological factors in patients undergoing spine surgery.

Background: Depression, anxiety, catastrophising, and fear-avoidance beliefs are key "yellow flags" (YFs) that predict a poor outcome in back patients. Most surgeons acknowledge the importance of YFs but have difficulty assessing them due to the complexity of the instruments used for their measurement and time constraints during consultations. We performed a secondary analysis of existing questionnaire data to develop a brief tool to enable the systematic evaluation of YFs and then tested it in clinical practice.

Anterior instrumented fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex three-dimensional deformity of the spine consisting of a lateral curvature, apical vertebral rotation, and an impairment of the sagittal profile. Surgical options include anterior and posterior approaches. Anterior instrumented fusion is suitable in Lenke type 1 and 5 curves.

Back Pain and Its Change After Surgery in Adolescents and Young Adults With Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Study Design: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from patients aged 12-30 years, operated for AIS in our hospital from 2005 to 2014 and registered in our local patient outcomes database linked to EUROSPSINE's Spine Tango Registry.

Objectives: To investigate whether in patients with AIS and notable back pain surgery is associated with significant pain relief and whether age influences outcome.

Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have investigated the association between adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and back pain and the influence of age on the relief of back pain after surgical correction of the deformity.

Correction to: Surgical growth guidance with non-fused anchoring segments in early-onset scoliosis.

The preoperative X-ray presented in Figure 1 of the original publication erroneously was not the latest radiographic image taken before the index surgery at the age of 3 years.

Surgical growth guidance with non-fused anchoring segments in early-onset scoliosis.

Purpose: Surgical treatment of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) requires a balance between maintained curve correction and the capacity for spinal and thoracic growth. Spinal fusion creates irreversible conditions that prevent the implementation of further treatment methods. Our hypothesis was that non-fused anchors in growth guidance show a comparable outcome as the technique described in the literature, which involves spondylodesis of the anchoring segments.

Outcome of L5 radiculopathy after reduction and instrumented transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion of high-grade L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis and the role of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and course of iatrogenic L5 radiculopathy after reduction and instrumented fusion of high-grade L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis and the role of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM).

Methods: Consecutive patients treated for high-grade spondylolisthesis with IONM from 2005 to 2013 were screened for eligibility. Prospectively collected clinical and surgical data as well as radiographic outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.

What level of pain are patients happy to live with after surgery for lumbar degenerative disorders?

Background Context: A new approach to the interpretation of treatment success comprises the reporting of the proportion of patients whose symptoms have reduced to an acceptable level, ie, who have reached a satisfactory state.

Purpose: We sought to evaluate the acceptable level of pain in patients after surgery for painful degenerative lumbar disorders.

Design: This is a cross-sectional study of outcome data, 12 months postoperatively.

Patient-Rated Outcomes of Lumbar Fusion in Patients With Degenerative Disease of the Lumbar Spine: Does Age Matter?

Study Design: Single-center retrospective study of prospectively collected data, nested within the Eurospine Spine Tango data acquisition system.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the patient-rated outcome and complication rates associated with lumbar fusion procedures in three different age groups.

Summary Of Background Data: There is a general reluctance to consider spinal fusion procedures in elderly patients due to the increased likelihood of complications.

Could less be more when assessing patient-rated outcome in spinal stenosis?

Study Design: Longitudinal study of the measurement properties of a brief outcome instrument.

Objective: In patients undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, we compared the responsiveness of the Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) with that of the condition-specific Swiss Spinal Stenosis Measure (SSM), an instrument developed to assess patients with neurogenic claudication.

Summary Of Background Data: The COMI is a validated multidimensional questionnaire for assessing the key outcomes of importance to patients with back problems.

The influence of cervical plate fixation with either autologous bone or cage insertion on radiographic and patient-rated outcomes after two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

Purpose: We aimed to identify technique-related factors influencing radiographic and patient-rated outcomes after two-level anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF) using either cage or autologous bone, with or without anterior plate fixation (APF).

Methods: This single center study was nested within the Eurospine Spine Tango data acquisition system.

Inclusion Criteria: consecutive two-level ACDF patients (2004-2012) presenting with signs of degenerative cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy.

A comparative effectiveness study of patient-rated and radiographic outcome after 2 types of decompression with fusion for spondylotic myelopathy: anterior cervical discectomy versus corpectomy.

Object: Both anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF) and anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion (ACCF) are used to treat cervical spondylotic myelopathy; however, there is currently no evidence for the superiority of one over the other in terms of patient-rated outcomes. This comparative effectiveness study compared the patient-rated and radiographic outcomes of 2-level ACDF versus 1-level ACCF.

Methods: This single-center study was nested within the EuroSpine Spine Tango data acquisition system.

The assessment of complications after spine surgery: time for a paradigm shift?

Background Context: Recent years have witnessed a shift in the assessment of spine surgical outcomes with a greater focus on the patient's perspective. However, this approach has not been widely extended to the assessment of complications.

Purpose: The present study sought to quantify the patient-rated impact/severity of complications of spine surgery and directly compare the incidences of surgeon-rated and patient-reported complications.

Lumbar facet joint effusion on MRI as a sign of unstable degenerative spondylolisthesis: should it influence the treatment decision?

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objective: To examine whether the outcomes of decompression alone (D) or decompression with fusion (D&F) differed depending on the presence or absence of the facet effusion sign in degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Summary Of Background Data: There is ongoing discussion as to whether D&F is superior to D in the surgical treatment of patients with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS) and symptoms of spinal or radicular claudication.

A comparison of patient and surgeon preoperative expectations of spinal surgery.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study of agreement between patients' and surgeons' expectations of the outcome of spinal surgery.

Objective: Patients' satisfaction after spinal surgery depends, in part, on whether their expectations of surgery are fulfilled. Whether the patient always fully understands the key messages conveyed by the surgeon, to formulate realistic expectations, is not known.