Patient Predictors of Surgical Candidacy in Elective Spine Disorders.

Background: The expansion of age-related degenerative spine pathologies has led to increased referrals to spine surgeons. However, the majority of patients referred for surgical consultation do not need surgery, leading to inefficient use of healthcare resources. This study aims to elucidate preoperative patient variables that are predictive of patients being offered spine surgery.

Video Diversion Improves Success Rate of Fundoscopic Examination in Children: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Fundoscopy is an important component of the neurological examination as it can detect pathologies such as high intracranial pressure. However, the examination can be challenging in young children. This study evaluated whether playing a video during eye examination improves the success, duration, and ease of pediatric fundoscopy.

Performance Indicators in Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objective: To elucidate how performance indicators are currently used in spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has given significant traction to the idea that healthcare must provide value to the patient through the introduction of hospital value-based purchasing.

Anterior Surgical Fixation for Cervical Spine Flexion-Distraction Injuries.

Background: Optimal surgical management for flexion-distraction cervical spine injuries remains controversial with current guidelines recommending anterior, posterior, and circumferential approaches. Here, we determined the incidence of and examined risk factors for clinical and radiographic failure in patients with 1-segment cervical distraction injuries having undergone anterior surgical fixation.

Methods: A retrospective review of 57 consecutive patients undergoing anterior fixation for subaxial flexion-distraction cervical injuries between 2008 and 2012 at our institution was performed.

Adjacent Segment Pathology: Progressive Disease Course or a Product of Iatrogenic Fusion?

Objective: Cervical spine clinical adjacent segment pathology (CASP) has a reported 3% annual incidence and 26% ten-year prevalence. Its pathophysiology remains controversial, whether due to mechanical stress of a fusion segment on adjacent levels or due to patient propensity to develop progressive degenerative change. We investigate this relationship by comparing prevalence of CASP in traumatic and spondylotic patient cohorts.

Validation of the Calgary Spine Severity Score.

Background Context: The Calgary Spine Severity Score (CSSS) is a published triage score reported in the Spine Journal in 2010. It separates spine referrals into four time categories of urgency. It stratifies patients according to clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings.