Racial Disparities in Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Study Design: Systematic Review.

Objectives: To synthesize previous studies evaluating racial disparities in spine surgery.

Methods: We queried PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for literature on racial disparities in spine surgery.

Height Gain After Spinal Fusion for Idiopathic Scoliosis: Which Model Fits Best?

Background: Patients will often inquire about the magnitude of height gain after scoliosis surgery. Several published models have attempted to predict height gain using preoperative variables. Many of these models reported good internal validity but have not been validated against an external cohort.

Minimizing the Risk of Vascular Injury: Anatomy of the Popliteal Artery in the Pediatric Knee.

Background: Displaced pediatric tibial tubercle fractures are commonly stabilized with screws directed posteriorly toward neurovascular structures. Here, we (1) characterize the variation of the popliteal artery among pediatric patients; and (2) recommend a safe screw trajectory for fixation of tibial tubercle fractures.

Methods: We retrospectively identified 42 patients (42 knees; 29 female) aged 12-17 years with lower-extremity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a tertiary academic center.

Development and Validation of SCFE Percutaneous Pinning Surgical Simulation.

Background: In situ screw fixation with a single percutaneously placed femoral screw remains widely accepted for femoral head fixation in adolescent patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). Given the potential risks involved with this procedure, a simulation whereby surgical skills could be refined before entering the operating room may be of benefit to orthopaedic trainees.

Methods: We developed a synthetic model for the simulated treatment of SCFE.

Late spinal infections are more common after pediatric than after adult spinal deformity surgery.

Purpose: To compare the incidence, timing, and microbiologic factors associated with late spinal infection (onset ≥ 6 months after index operation) in pediatric versus adult spinal deformity patients who underwent instrumented posterior spinal fusion (PSF).

Methods: We retrospectively queried our institutional database for pediatric (aged ≤ 21 years) and adult patients who underwent instrumented PSF from 2000 to 2015. Inclusion criteria were > 12-month follow-up, spinal arthrodesis spanning 4 or more levels, and idiopathic or degenerative spinal deformity.

Surgical Evaluation and Management of Spinal Pathology in Patients with Connective Tissue Disorders.

Connective tissue disorders represent a varied spectrum of syndromes that have important implications for the spine deformity surgeon. Spine surgeons must be aware of these diverse and global manifestations of disease because they have significant impact on perioperative and postoperative outcomes.

Patient-reported outcomes after operative versus nonoperative treatment of pediatric lateral humeral condyle fractures.

Lateral humeral condyle fractures in children are treated with several approaches, yet it is unclear which has the best treatment outcomes. We hypothesized that functional outcomes would be equivalent between treatment types, reduction approaches, and fixation types. Our purpose was to assess patient-reported outcomes and complications by treatment type (operative versus nonoperative), reduction approach (open versus percutaneous), and fixation type (cannulated screws versus Kirschner wires).

Spinal Fusion with Sacral Alar Iliac Pelvic Fixation in Severe Neuromuscular Scoliosis.

Unlabelled: Neuromuscular scoliosis is characterized by rapid progression of curvature during growth and may continue to progress following skeletal maturity. Posterior spinal fusion in patients with cerebral palsy and severe scoliosis results in substantial improvements in health-related quality of life. Correction of pelvic obliquity can greatly improve sitting balance, reduce pain, and decrease skin breakdown.

Tranexamic acid use is associated with reduced intraoperative blood loss during spine surgery for Marfan syndrome.

Purpose: The utility of tranexamic acid (TXA) in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) is uncertain given associated aberrations within the vasculature and clotting cascade. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the association of TXA use with intraoperative blood loss and allogeneic blood transfusions in patients with MFS who underwent spinal arthrodesis.

Methods: We queried our institutional database for MFS patients who underwent spinal arthrodesis for scoliosis between 2000 and 2020 by one surgeon.

Arthroscopic Posterior Capsulotomy for Knee Flexion Contracture Using a Spinal Needle.

Knee flexion contractures can arise from posterior capsule arthrofibrosis secondary to trauma, surgery, or chronic degenerative disease. This leads to limited knee extension and increased mechanical stress on the contralateral joint. Depending on the severity of the contracture, a treatment option may include surgical release of the posterior capsule.

Cost-utility Analysis Comparing Bracing Versus Observation for Skeletally Immature Patients with Thoracic Scoliosis.

Study Design: Cost-utility analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the cost-utility of bracing versus observation in patients with thoracic scoliosis who would be indicated for bracing.

Summary Of Background Data: There is high-quality evidence that bracing can prevent radiographic progression of spinal curvature in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients with curves between 25° and 40° and Risser 0 to 2 skeletal maturity index.

Case of the Missing Vertebra: A Report of a Radiographic Stitching Error in a Scoliosis Patient.

Case: A 14-year-old girl with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis underwent imaging in preparation for scoliosis surgery. Posteroanterior traction radiographs showed 4 lumbar vertebrae, while the standing film showed 5. Reconciliation with the component radiographs used for the traction showed the discrepancy was caused by a software error.

Using Predictive Modeling and Supervised Machine Learning to Identify Patients at Risk for Venous Thromboembolism Following Posterior Lumbar Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Objective: To use predictive modeling and machine learning to identify patients at risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) following posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) for degenerative spinal pathology.

Methods: Patients undergoing single-level PLF in the inpatient setting were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database.