Clinical and radiological outcomes of selective fusion for rotatory olisthesis in degenerative lumbar scoliosis: a retrospective cohort study.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To investigate the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes of selective fusion for rotatory olisthesis (RO) in degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS).

Overview Of Literature: DLS is often associated with RO, and selective fusion of RO is a common surgical treatment option.

The Concept of Lamina-Pedicle Perpendicularity: Part 2: Thoracic Spine.

Study Design: Retrospective radiographic study.

Purpose: The hypothesis of this study was that the pedicle axis (PA) is almost perpendicular to the interlaminar line (ILL) in the sagittal plane of the thoracic vertebrae. The objective of the current study was to define the thoracic lamina-PA inclination in order to verify the right-angle concept and to estimate the safety zones for sagittal inclination during pedicle screw insertion.

The Concept of Lamina-Pedicle Perpendicularity: Part 1. Lumbar Spine.

Study Design: Retrospective radiographic study.

Purpose: We hypothesized that the pedicle is almost perpendicular to the interlaminar line in the sagittal plane of the lumbar vertebrae. The current study aimed to define the lumbar lamina-pedicle inclination to verify the right-angle concept and to estimate the safety zones of sagittal inclination during pedicle screw insertion.

When Should We Wean Bracing for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis?

Background: Current brace weaning criteria for adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) are not well defined. Risser Stage 4, ≥ 2 years since the onset of menarche, and no further increase in body height over 6 months are considered justifications for stopping bracing. However, despite adherence to such standards, curve progression still occurs in some patients, and so better criteria for brace discontinuation are needed.

Prognosis of cervical myelopathy based on diffusion tensor imaging with artificial intelligence methods.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been proposed for the prognosis of cervical myelopathy (CM), but the manual analysis of DTI features is complicated and time consuming. This study evaluated the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) methods in the analysis of DTI for the prognosis of CM. Seventy-five patients who underwent surgical treatment for CM were recruited for DTI imaging and were divided into two groups based on their one-year follow-up recovery.

APSS-ASJ Best Clinical Research Award: Predictability of Curve Progression in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Using the Distal Radius and Ulna Classification.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Purpose: To determine the risk of clinically significant curve progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) based on the initial Cobb angle and to test the utility of the distal radius and ulna (DRU) classification in predicting these outcomes.

Overview Of Literature: Determining the remaining growth potential in AIS patients is necessary for predicting prognosis and initiating treatment.

Robust spinal cord resting-state fMRI using independent component analysis-based nuisance regression noise reduction.

Background: Physiological noise reduction plays a critical role in spinal cord (SC) resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI).

Purpose: To reduce physiological noise and increase the robustness of SC rsfMRI by using an independent component analysis (ICA)-based nuisance regression (ICANR) method.

Study Type: Retrospective.

Curve Progression in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Does Not Match Skeletal Growth.

Background: Determining the peak growth velocity of a patient with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is important for timely treatment to prevent curve progression. It is important to be able to predict when the curve-progression risk is greatest to maximize the benefits of any intervention for AIS. The distal radius and ulna (DRU) classification has been shown to accurately predict skeletal growth.

Managing the Pediatric Spine: Growth Assessment.

Management of pediatric spinal deformities requires an accurate prediction of growth spurts to allow for timely initiation of treatment and prevention of curve progression. Determining remaining growth potential is also important for avoiding prolonged unnecessary treatment, e.g.

Mapping the SRS-22r questionnaire onto the EQ-5D-5L utility score in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

This is a prospective study to establish prediction models that map the refined Scoliosis Research Society 22-item (SRS-22r) onto EuroQoL-5 dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) utility scores in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. Comparison of treatment outcomes in AIS can be determined by cost-utility analysis. However, the mainstay spine-specific health-related quality of life outcome measure, the SRS-22r questionnaire does not provide utility assessment.

A computational measurement of cartilaginous endplate structure using ultrashort time-to-echo MRI scanning.

Background And Objective: Ultrashort time-to-echo (UTE) MRI scanning has been applied to observe the cartilaginous endplate (CEP) in intervertebral disc. CEP plays a critical role in IVD health and disease. Nevertheless, current measurements of CEP based on UTE MRI technique are still by manual segmentation, and observation of signal abnormality was usually time-consuming and often disturbed by subjective bias.

A Machine Learning-based Surface Electromyography Topography Evaluation for Prognostic Prediction of Functional Restoration Rehabilitation in Chronic Low Back Pain.

Study Design: A retrospective study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and applicability of support vector machine (SVM) algorithm in classifying patients with LBP who would obtain satisfactory or unsatisfactory progress after the functional restoration rehabilitation program.

Summary Of Background Data: Dynamic surface electromyography (SEMG) topography has demonstrated the potential use in predicting the prognosis of functional restoration rehabilitation for patients with low back pain (LBP).

Preventing Fusion Mass Shift Avoids Postoperative Distal Curve Adding-on in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Background: Surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is only complete after achieving fusion to maintain the correction obtained intraoperatively. The instrumented or fused segments can be referred to as the "fusion mass". In patients with AIS, the ideal fusion mass strategy has been established based on fulcrum-bending radiographs for main thoracic curves.

Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuation (ALFF) in the Cervical Spinal Cord with Stenosis: A Resting State fMRI Study.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a common spinal cord dysfunction disease with complex symptoms in clinical presentation. Resting state fMRI (rsfMRI) has been introduced to study the mechanism of neural development of CSM. However, most of those studies focused on intrinsic functional connectivity rather than intrinsic regional neural activity level which is also frequently analyzed in rsfMRI studies.

Cervical spinal canal stenosis first presenting after spinal cord injury due to minor trauma: An insight into the value of preventive decompression.

Purpose: Patients with pre-existing cervical spinal canal stenosis (CSCS) may have minimal or no symptoms. However, performing preventive decompression is controversial as the incidence of CSCS leading to severe cord injury is unknown. Hence, this study aims to revisit the threshold for surgery in "silent" CSCS by reviewing the neurologic outcomes of patients with undiagnosed CSCS who sustained a cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI).

The paradoxical relationship between ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and developmental lumbar spinal stenosis.

Background: Ligamentum flavum (LF) hypertrophy is a common cause of lumbar spinal stenosis and is thought to be degeneration-driven. Developmental spinal stenosis (DSS) is characterized by pre-existing narrowed spinal canals and is likely a developmental problem that occurs in childhood. In these cases, the LF may demonstrate different characteristics as compared to degeneration-driven stenosis.

Organization of the intrinsic functional network in the cervical spinal cord: A resting state functional MRI study.

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) has been extensively applied to investigate the organization of functional networks in the brain. As an essential part of the central nervous system (CNS), the spinal cord has not been well explored about its intrinsic functional network. In this study, we aim to thoroughly investigate the characteristics of the intrinsic functional network in the spinal cord using rsfMRI.

Critical Values of Facet Joint Angulation and Tropism in the Development of Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis: An International, Large-Scale Multicenter Study by the AOSpine Asia Pacific Research Collaboration Consortium.

Study Design: An international, multicenter cross-sectional image-based study performed in 33 institutions in the Asia Pacific region.

Objective: The study addressed the role of facet joint angulation and tropism in relation to L4-L5 degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS).

Methods: The study included 349 patients (63% females; mean age: 61.

Is lumbar facet joint tropism developmental or secondary to degeneration? An international, large-scale multicenter study by the AOSpine Asia Pacific Research Collaboration Consortium.

Background: Facet joint tropism is asymmetry in orientation of the bilateral facets. Some studies have shown that tropism may increase the risk of disc degeneration and herniations, as well as degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). It remains controversial whether tropism is a pre-existing developmental phenomena or secondary to progressive remodeling of the joint structure due to degenerative changes.

Two subtypes of intervertebral disc degeneration distinguished by large-scale population-based study.

Background Context: Lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) is a major cause of low back pain, and is a common and disabling condition worldwide. It has been defined and measured by multiple spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features, but the heterogeneity among them has never been fully addressed.

Purpose: This study examined the intercorrelations, risk factor associations, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heritabilities of lumbar disc MRI features in a large-scale sample to classify the different intervertebral disc phenotypes associated with LDD.

Psychometric Validation of the Traditional Chinese Version of the Early Onset Scoliosis-24 Item Questionnaire (EOSQ-24).

Study Design: Questionnaire translation and validation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Early Onset Scoliosis-24 item Questionnaire (EOSQ-24) into traditional Chinese, and to assess its validity, reliability, and sensitivity in Southern-Chinese patients diagnosed with early onset scoliosis (EOS).

Summary Of Background Data: Relying on radiographs alone for assessing treatment outcomes in EOS patients is inadequate.

Complications of Anterior and Posterior Cervical Spine Surgery.

Cervical spine surgery performed for the correct indications yields good results. However, surgeons need to be mindful of the many possible pitfalls. Complications may occur starting from the anaesthestic procedure and patient positioning to dura exposure and instrumentation.

Efficacy of Postoperative Pain Management Using Continuous Local Anesthetic Infusion at the Iliac Crest Bone Graft Site in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Parallel, Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

Study Design Randomized controlled trial. Objective Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity that affects every population. In severe deformity, surgical intervention is performed.

Antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infection in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion: 2 doses versus antibiotics till drain removal.

Purpose: There is much variation in the choice, timing and duration of antimicrobial prophylaxis for preventing surgical site infections (SSI) but no guideline exists for scoliosis surgery. The aim of study was to compare the efficacy of two antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) protocols with cephazolin in preventing SSI in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods: A retrospective comparative analysis of two post-operative AMP protocols (two postoperative doses versus continued antibiotics till drain removal) was performed.