Type II Odontoid Fractures Case Series: History of Seizures a Risk Factor for Failure of Non-operative Treatment of Type II Odontoid Fractures.

Introduction: Odontoid fractures are one of the most common injuries to the cervical spine. Type II odontoid fracture treatment varies depending on age, co-morbidities, and fracture morphology. Treatment ranges from cervical orthosis to surgical intervention.

Developing a National Trauma Research Action Plan: Results from the Neurotrauma Research Panel Delphi Survey.

Background: In 2016, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine called for the development of a National Trauma Research Action Plan. The Department of Defense funded the Coalition for National Trauma Research to generate a comprehensive research agenda spanning the continuum of trauma and burn care. Given the public health burden of injuries to the central nervous system, neurotrauma was one of 11 panels formed to address this recommendation with a gap analysis and generation of high-priority research questions.

The Risk of Nonunion in Smokers Revisited: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study Design: Systemic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To review and establish the effect of tobacco smoking on risk of nonunion following spinal fusion.

Methods: A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to December 31, 2020, was conducted.

Device profile of the sapphire X anterior cervical plate system: overview of its safety and efficacy.

The Sapphire X Anterior Cervical Plate System is a new medical device designed to provide stability after anterior discectomy and fusion procedures. It has unique benefits over many of the more established plates on the market. It is manufactured predominantly from titanium alloy and was first launched in late 2020.

Innovative Technology System to Prevent Wrong Site Surgery and Capture Near Misses: A Multi-Center Review of 487 Cases.

Wrong site surgery (WSS) is a preventable error. When these events do occur, they are often devastating to the patient, nursing staff, surgeon, and facility where the surgery was performed. Despite the implementation of protocols and checklists to reduce the occurrence of WSS, the rates are estimated to be unchanged.

Perioperative Considerations in Urgent Surgical Care of Suspected and Confirmed COVID-19 Orthopaedic Patients: Operating Room Protocols and Recommendations in the Current COVID-19 Pandemic.

By April 7, 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was responsible for 1,383,436 confirmed cases of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), involving 209 countries around the world; 378,881 cases have been confirmed in the United States. During this pandemic, the urgent surgical requirements will not stop. As an example, the most recent Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reports estimate that there are 2.

Minimizing Blood Loss in Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Broad narrative review.

Objective: To review and summarize the current literature on guidelines, outcomes, techniques and indications surrounding multiple modalities of minimizing blood loss in spine surgery.

Methods: A thorough review of peer-reviewed literature was performed on the guidelines, outcomes, techniques, and indications for multiple modalities of minimizing blood loss in spine surgery.

An Update on Wrong-Site Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Broad narrative review of current literature and adverse event databases.

Objective: The aim of this review is to report the current state of wrong-site spine surgery (WSSS), whether the Universal Protocol has affected the rate, and the current trends regarding WSSS.

Methods: An updated review of the current literature on WSSS, the Joint Commission sentinel event statistics database, and other state adverse event statistics database were performed.

Intradural extramedullary metastasis: a review of literature and case report.

Introduction: Intradural extramedullary (IDEM) metastatic disease is infrequently encountered by spine surgeons and consequently poorly understood. Discovery often corresponds with the onset of neurologic symptoms and no consensus exists regarding the importance of complete resection or anticipated postoperative outcome. We aim to elucidate treatment methodologies that exist in the literature.

Longer follow-up continues to reveal no increased risk of cancer with the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein in spine fusion.

Background Context: Large observational studies on potential oncogenic effects of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP) in spine fusion surgery are limited by relatively short follow-up times.

Purpose: To study the possible association between rhBMP and cancer risk in a long-term follow-up study.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study using a combination of the Washington State Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System, the Washington State Cancer Registry, State of Washington death certificates, and the Washington State Department of Licensing.

Harvesting Autogenous Cancellous Bone Graft from the Anterior Iliac Crest.

Autograft bone graft harvest is an important surgical technique in the armamentarium of the orthopaedic surgeon. The iliac crest can provide a robust amount of bone graft, but using it carries a risk of complications including neurologic injury, gait disturbance, sensory dysesthesia, and ilium fracture. We present a surgical technical involving harvest of cancellous bone graft from the anterior iliac crest that minimizes the complication profile associated with tricortical bone graft harvest.

The Science and Clinical Applications of Placental Tissues in Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Narrative literature review.

Objectives: Placental tissue, amniotic/chorionic membrane, and umbilical cord have seen a recent expansion in their clinical application in various fields of surgery. It is important for practicing surgeons to know the underlying science, especially as it relates to spine surgery, to understand the rationale and clinical indication, if any, for their usage.

Preventing Construct Subsidence Following Cervical Corpectomy: The Bump-stop Technique.

Cervical corpectomy is a viable technique for the treatment of multilevel cervical spine pathology. Despite multiple advances in both surgical technique and implant technology, the rate of construct subsidence can range from 6% for single-level procedures to 71% for multilevel procedures. In this technical note, we describe a novel technique, the bump-stop technique, for cervical corpectomy.

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: literature review.

Review the current literature regarding spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas (SSEHs) and report on the known risk factors, evaluation, and treatment of this rare entity. A literature search was performed using PubMed and Ovid to identify articles pertaining to SSEHs. Due to the rarity of the pathologic entity, only scattered case reports and associated reviews are available.

The Effects of Smoking and Smoking Cessation on Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

 Literature review.  The aim of this literature review was to detail the effects of smoking in spine surgery and examine whether perioperative smoking cessation could mitigate these risks.  A review of the relevant literature examining the effects of smoking and cessation on surgery was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases.

The Risk of Cancer With the Use of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein in Spine Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using the Washington State Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System, the Washington State Cancer Registry, and Washington State death certificates.

Objective: To study the possible association between recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP) and cancer risk.

Summary Of Background Data: The use of rhBMP in spine fusion surgery remains controversial with respect to its possible role in tumorigenesis.

The Effects of Obesity on Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Study Design Literature review. Objective The aim of this literature review is to examine the effects of obesity on postoperative complications and functional outcomes after spine surgery. Methods A review of the relevant literature examining the effects of obesity and spine surgery was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases.

Heterotopic Ossification Causing Radiculopathy after Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty.

To date, no reports have presented radiculopathy secondary to heterotopic ossification following lumbar total disc arthroplasty. The authors present a previously unpublished complication of lumbar total disk arthroplasty (TDA) secondary to heterotopic ossification (HO) in the spinal canal, and they propose a modification to the McAfee classification of HO. The patient had undergone an L5/S1 lumbar TDA two years prior due to discogenic back pain.

Army orthopaedic surgery residency program directors' selection criteria.

Factors associated with successful selection in U.S. Army orthopaedic surgical programs are unreported.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine in children: spinal incidental findings in pediatric patients.

Study Design Retrospective case series. Objective To determine the rate of spinal incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine in the pediatric population. Methods We reviewed MRI imaging of the neuraxial spine in patients less than 18 years of age and documented abnormal spinal findings.

A modified Bohlman technique using a novel implant for treatment of high-grade spondylolisthesis.

Several surgical options for managing high-grade spondylolisthesis have been described in the literature and range from posterior-only in situ fusion to circumferential fusion with complete reduction of the dislocation. The level of evidence supporting any one technique is weak, and to date there is no Level I or II evidence supporting any current surgical treatment option. Techniques have evolved as implant technology has advanced and surgeons have gained experience with deformity correction.

Incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging of the spine in the asymptomatic pediatric population: a systematic review.

Study Design Systematic review. Clinical Question What is the prevalence of incidental magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the spine in asymptomatic pediatric patients? Methods Electronic databases and reference lists of key articles were searched up to December 15, 2013, to identify studies reporting the incidence or prevalence of incidental findings on MRI in asymptomatic pediatric patients. Athletes or children with a known history of trauma, infection, or congenital abnormalities were excluded.

Effect of the degree of reverse Trendelenburg position on intraocular pressure during prone spine surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Background Context: Postoperative vision loss complicates an estimated 1 in 1,100 prone spine surgical cases. This complication has been attributed to ischemic optic neuropathy, with one proposed reason being perioperative elevations in intraocular pressure (IOP). Previous research has studied the effects of table inclination on IOP in awake volunteers; however, the effects in spine surgery patients have not been investigated for reverse Trendelenburg positioning using a prospective, randomized controlled study design.