Preoperative Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection Increases the Risk of a Dural Tear During Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy.

Background: Preoperative lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESI) are known to be a risk factor for intraoperative dural tears in traditional spine surgery. However, whether the same holds true after minimally invasive surgery is debatable. The authors decided to investigate the incidence of complications in patients undergoing minimally invasive lumbar discectomy after a preoperative LESI.

The Great Imitator - Disseminated Tuberculosis Presenting as Baker's Cyst: A Case Report.

Tuberculosis is known to be a great mimicker, and it can present in a myriad of ways, which often result in an incorrect diagnosis. In a country that is endemic to tuberculosis, the presentation can take many forms ranging from tumour to trauma. We present a case of Baker's cyst that was provisionally diagnosed as pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) of the knee and eventually turned out to be tuberculous arthritis.

Time to revisit contraindications of vertebroplasty- A retrospective study of osteoporotic burst fracture operated with vertebroplasty and short segment fixation.

Background: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vertebroplasty with short segmented cement augmented pedicle screws fixation for severe osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) with posterior/anterior wall fracture patients.

Methods: A retrospective study of 48 patients of DGOU type-4 (vertebra plana) OVCF with posterior/anterior wall fracture, were treated by vertebroplasty and short segment PMMA cement augmented pedicle screws fixation. Radiological parameters (kyphosis angle and compression ratio) and clinical parameters Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were analysed.

Does a high BMI affect the outcome of minimally invasive TLIF? A retrospective study of 207 patients.

Purpose: We investigated whether a high Body Mass Index (BMI) affects the outcomes following Minimally Invasive TLIF (MI-TLIF) for degenerative lumbar pathologies.

Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken to include patients operated between January 2016 and January 2020 with at least one-year follow-up. Various preoperative and demographic parameters were recorded and the patients were classified into normal, overweight and obese based on the BMI.

Retro-Odontoid Pseudotumor Without Radiographic Instability with Congenital C1 Assimilation and C2-C3 Fusion: A Case Report.

Case: The authors present a case of retro-odontoid pseudotumor (ROP) with congenital C1 assimilation and C2-C3 block vertebra without radiological instability who presented with cervical myelopathy with spastic quadriparesis. The patient was managed with occipitocervical fusion and C1 laminectomy. She had rapid neurological recovery in 3 months postoperatively and at 2 years had complete resolution of the retro-odontoid mass.