Incidence and predictors of readmission following hospitalization for thoracic disc herniation.

Objective: Symptomatic thoracic disc herniations (TDH) are relatively rare and can be discovered incidentally on neuroimaging. Surgical interventions for TDH represent only 4 % of all surgeries performed for intervertebral disc pathologies, which are most commonly indicated for myelopathy and radiculopathy. Given the absence of publications on rates of readmissions following hospitalization for TDH, we aim to establish baseline metrics for the 90-day all-cause readmission rates and pertinent risk factors.

Characterising the metabolic functionality of the preterm neonatal gut microbiome prior to the onset of necrotising enterocolitis: a pilot study.

Background: Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating bowel disease that primarily occurs in infants born prematurely and is associated with abnormal gut microbiome development. While gut microbiome compositions associated with NEC have been well studied, there is a lack of experimental work investigating microbiota functions and their associations with disease onset. The aim of this pilot study was to characterise the metabolic functionality of the preterm gut microbiome prior to the onset of NEC compared with healthy controls.

The Association of Bone Mineral Density with Distal Junctional Kyphosis and Distal Junctional Failure after Multilevel Spine Fusions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Distal junctional kyphosis (DJK) and distal junctional failure (DJF) are known complications of adult multilevel spinal fusion surgery. Previous literature has extensively investigated proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and proximal junctional failure (PJF), but DJK and DJF are relatively under-studied. This study investigates the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and DJK/DJF via a Systematic Review (SR) and Meta-Analysis (MA).

Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation as the Source of Cryptogenic Retrieved Clots by a Novel Thrombin Secretion Assay.

Background: Secondary prevention of acute ischemic stroke depends on identifying the source of cryptogenic clots. We previously reported that secreted thrombin activity from endovascularly retrieved clots is significantly different in atrial fibrillation (AF) versus atherosclerosis (AS) related, probably due to the in-vivo biology of the clots.

Objectives: To validate and optimize thrombin secretion for clot source diagnosis.

Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (rhBMP-2) in Spinal Fusion: A Systematic Review.

Study Design: Systematic Review Study.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of rhBMP-2 in spine surgeries.

Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, OVID and CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) databases were systematically searched for studies reporting the use of rhBMP-2 for spinal procedures in comparison to autograft and/or allograft and alternative graft materials under consideration of cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, cost minimization, and/or cost-utility analysis.