Clinical Significance of Improved Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring Signal during Spine Surgery: A Retrospective Study of a Single-Institution Prospective Cohort.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Purpose: We reviewed the cases that showed significant improvement of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) signals during spine surgery to assess whether there is a correlation with signal improvement and postoperative clinical status and its clinical significance.

Overview Of Literature: To reduce the risk of neural injury, many spine surgeons are using multimodality IONM.

Restoration of the Spinous Process Following Muscle-Preserving Posterior Lumbar Decompression via Sagittal Splitting of the Spinous Process.

Background: In lumbar spinal stenosis, spinous process-splitting decompression has demonstrated good clinical outcomes with preservation of the posterior ligamentous complex and paraspinal muscles in comparison to conventional laminectomy, but the radiological consequence and clinical impact of the split spinous processes have not been fully understood.

Methods: Seventy-three patients who underwent spinous process-splitting decompression were included. The bone union rate and pattern were evaluated by computed tomography performed 6-18 months after surgery and compared among subgroups divided according to the number of levels decompressed and the extent of spinous process splitting.

Infection following percutaneous vertebral augmentation with polymethylmethacrylate.

Unlabelled: Although the incidence of infection following vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty is rare, postoperative infection and cement augmentation in preexistent spondylitis can cause life-threatening complications in frail patients with notable comorbidities. In such cases, urgent culture and biopsy and the long-term use of proper antibiotics are necessary.

Purpose: Infection following vertebral augmentation with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is rare.

Mortality following benign sacral insufficiency fracture and associated risk factors.

Unlabelled: This study demonstrated increased mortality following sacral insufficiency fractures as with other major osteoporotic fractures. The 6-month mortality rate was 9.8%, the 1-year mortality rate was 17.

Diagnostic Value of Technetium-99m Bone Scintigraphy in the Detection of Cervical Spine Metastases in Oncological Patients.

Unlabelled: MINI: Bone scan remains the modality of choice for the screening of bone metastases. This study demonstrated the diagnostic value of bone scan in detecting bone metastases limited to the cervical spine in oncological patients remains uncertain due to the moderately high false-negative diagnostic rate.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort, radiographic study.

Asymmetry of the cross-sectional area of paravertebral and psoas muscle in patients with degenerative scoliosis.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to assess the change of psoas and paravertebral muscles in patients with degenerative scoliosis.

Methods: Eighty-five patients with degenerative scoliosis were evaluated with simple radiography for the location and direction of the apex of scoliosis, coronal Cobb's angle, rotational deformity and lumbar lordosis, and with magnetic resonance imaging scan at the apex level of each patient, the cross-sectional area (CSA) and the fatty infiltration rate (FI) of bilateral paravertebral and psoas muscles were measured and the values of convex and concave side were compared.

Results: Fifty-three patients had apex of curves on the left side and thirty-two patients on the right.

Evaluation of vitamin D level and grip strength recovery in women with a distal radius fracture.

Purpose: Vitamin D is known to contribute to muscular function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the level of vitamin D is associated with grip strength recovery in women after a distal radius fracture.

Methods: We analyzed grip strength recovery after a distal radius fracture in 70 women over age 50 years.

Pitfalls and important issues in testing reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients in orthopaedic research.

Background: Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) provide a statistical means of testing the reliability. However, their interpretation is not well documented in the orthopedic field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of ICCs in the orthopedic literature and to demonstrate pitfalls regarding their use.