Innovative growth and development of a neurological surgery residency cadaveric spine-simulation training program: a single-institution experience.

Objective: Cadaveric and dry 3D model-based simulation training is a valuable educational tool for neurosurgical residents. Such simulation training is an opportunity for residents to hone technical skills and decision-making and enhance their neuroanatomy knowledge. The authors describe the growth and development of the Oregon Health & Science University Department of Neurological Surgery resident-focused, hands-on, spine-simulation surgery courses and provide details of course evaluations, layout, and setup.

Anterior Cervical Arthrodesis With Polyetheretherketone Spacers: What is the Role of the Grafting Material?

Study Design: This was a retrospective study of 2 surgeons' use of a single polyetheretherketone (PEEK) device.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the fusion adjunct placed within PEEK devices to examine the likelihood of an arthrodesis, regardless of the PEEK interbody device itself.

Summary Of Background Data: The effectiveness of PEEK interbody devices in anterior cervical arthrodesis has been questioned.

PEEK interbody devices for multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: association with more than 6-fold higher rates of pseudarthrosis compared to structural allograft.

Objective: Common interbody graft options for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) include allograft and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). PEEK has gained popularity due to its radiolucent properties and a modulus of elasticity similar to that of bone. PEEK devices also result in higher billing costs than allograft, which may drive selection.

Morphological changes of the dorsal contour of the corpus callosum during the first two years of life.

Background: In the medicolegal literature, focal concavities or notching of the corpus callosum has been thought to be associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Recent work suggests corpus callosum notching is a dynamic and normal anatomical feature, although it has not yet been defined in early life or infancy.

Objective: Our purpose was to characterize the dorsal contour of the corpus callosum during the first 2 years of life by defining the prevalence, onset and trajectory of notching on midsagittal T1-weighted images.

Intraoperative neuromonitoring for one-level lumbar discectomies is low yield and cost-ineffective.

Background: Intraoperative neuromonitoring is a common, well-established modality used in spine surgery to prevent intraoperative neural injury. Neuromonitoring use in lumbar discectomy, however, is based on surgeon preference, without evidence-based data. The purpose of this research was to determine intraoperative utility and overall cost effectiveness of neuromonitoring for lumbar discectomy.

Fivefold higher rate of pseudarthrosis with polyetheretherketone interbody device than with structural allograft used for 1-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

In BriefThe authors examined fusion rates after single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, comparing use of a structural allograft with use of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) interbody devices packed with bone graft. The results demonstrate superior results of structural allograft in terms of arthrodesis rates and reoperation rates. Currently, reimbursement rates substantially favor the use of PEEK and other synthetic devices, which the authors believe should be changed based on the results of this study.

Longitudinal relaxographic imaging of white matter hyperintensities in the elderly.

Background: Incidental white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are common findings on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images of the aged brain and have been associated with cognitive decline. While a variety of pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed, the origin of WMHs and the extent to which lesions in the deep and periventricular white matter reflect distinct etiologies remains unclear. Our aim was to quantify the fractional blood volume (vb) of small WMHs in vivo using a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach and examine the contribution of blood-brain barrier disturbances to WMH formation in the deep and periventricular white matter.

Structure-function studies of blood and air capillaries in chicken lung using 3D electron microscopy.

Avian pulmonary capillaries differ from those of mammals in three important ways. The blood-gas barrier is much thinner, it is more uniform in thickness, and the capillaries are far more rigid when their transmural pressure is altered. The thinness of the barrier is surprising because it predisposes the capillaries to stress failure.