Transcranial MEPs predict clinical outcome during minimally invasive dorsal decompression for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Objectives: Motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring is a reliable method for real-time assessment of corticospinal tract integrity. However, the potential benefits of MEP monitoring during degenerative spine surgery remain controversial. This study aims to determine the role of MEP monitoring during surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) in prediction of prognosis.

Robot-assisted spinal augmentation procedures: is it worth the increased effort?

Purpose: Spinal augmentation procedures (SAP) are standard procedures for vertebral compression fractures. Often, SAPs are carried out in a minimally invasive, percutaneous way. Certain anatomic conditions such as small pedicles or kyphotic deformities resulting from a significant collapse of the vertebral body might render the operation more difficult and increase the risk of complications.

Surgery for brain metastases: radiooncology scores predict survival-score index for radiosurgery, graded prognostic assessment, recursive partitioning analysis.

Background: Radiooncological scores are used to stratify patients for radiation therapy. We assessed their ability to predict overall survival (OS) in patients undergoing surgery for metastatic brain disease.

Methods: We performed a post-hoc single-center analysis of 175 patients, prospectively enrolled in the MetastaSys study data.

High Periventricular T1 Relaxation Times Predict Gait Improvement After Spinal Tap in Patients with Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Purpose: The diagnosis of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) can be challenging. Aim of this study was to use a novel T1 mapping method to enrich the diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected iNPH.

Methods: Using 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) we prospectively evaluated rapid high-resolution T1 mapping at 0.

Angulation Toward Coronal Convexity Measure and Catheter Length Indication Improves the Quality of Ventricular Catheter Placement-A Smartphone-Assisted Guidance Technique.

Background: Accurate placement of a ventricular catheter (VC) is crucial to reduce the risk of shunt failure. In the randomized, prospective, multicenter GAVCA (guided application of ventricular catheters) trial, which evaluated the quality of VC placement, the subgroup of patients with detailed length-marked VCs (dVCs) reflected a difference in the primary endpoint of optimal VC placement compared with the subgroup of patients with simplified length-marked VCs (sVCs). The objective of the present analysis was to compare the dVC and sVC groups and the smartphone-assisted guidance technique (GA) with the standard freehand technique (FH) for VC placement.