The modified Frailty Index does not correlate with survival in surgically-treated patients with metastatic spine disease.

With the increasing burden of metastatic spinal disease there is ever-more pressure on the health system to provide optimal management. Multiple treatment modalities, including surgical intervention, are available. Multiple prognostic scoring systems have been developed to aid both clinician and patient in making the best decision for each individual.

C2 Fractures in the Elderly: Single-Center Evaluation of Risk Factors for Mortality.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify features associated with increased mortality risk in traumatic C2 fractures in the elderly, including measures of comorbidity and frailty.

Overview Of Literature: C2 fractures in the elderly are of increasing relevance in the setting of an aging global population and have a high mortality rate.

Detecting Facet Joint and Lateral Mass Injuries of the Subaxial Cervical Spine in Major Trauma Patients.

Study Design: Radiologic imaging measurement study.

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of detecting lateral mass and facet joint injuries of the subaxial cervical spine on plain radiographs using computed tomography (CT) scan images as a reference standard; and the integrity of morphological landmarks of the lateral mass and facet joints of the subaxial cervical spine.

Overview Of Literature: Injuries of lateral mass and facet joints potentially lead to an unstable subaxial cervical spine and concomitant neurological sequelae.

Strategy in the surgical treatment of primary spinal tumors.

Primary spine tumors are rare, accounting for only 4% of all tumors of the spine. A minority of the more common primary benign lesions will require surgical treatment, and most amenable malignant lesions will proceed to attempted resection. The rarity of malignant primary lesions has resulted in a paucity of historical data regarding optimal surgical and adjuvant treatment and, although we now derive benefit from standardized guidelines of overall care, management of each neoplasm often proceeds on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the individual characteristics of patient operability, tumor resectability, and biological potential.

The Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System: an external agreement validation study.

Background Context: In 2007, the Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification (SLIC) system was introduced demonstrating moderate reliability in an internal validation study.

Purpose: To assess the agreement on the SLIC system using clinical data from a spinal trauma population and whether the SLIC treatment algorithm outcome improved agreement on treatment decisions among surgeons.

Study Design: An external classification validation study.