Publications by authors named "Lovecchio F"
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Objective: Frailty is defined as a state of minimal "physiologic reserve." The modified 5 factor frailty index (mFI-5) is a recently proposed metric for assessing frailty and has been previously studied as a predictor of morbidity and mortality.
Objective: When creating minimally invasive spine fusion constructs, accurate pedicle screw fixation is essential for biomechanical strength and avoiding complications arising from delicate surrounding structures. As research continues to analyze how to improve accuracy, long-term patient outcomes based on screw accuracy remain understudied. The objective of this study was to analyze long-term patient outcomes based on screw accuracy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpinal implant infections are a serious complications of instrumented spinal fusion surgeries, carrying high morbidity and complex management challenges. Early postoperative infections may manifest with wound-healing issues, back pain, and fevers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred imaging modality, but can be limited by metal artifacts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Summary Of Background Data: The optimal surgical approach for multilevel cervical stenosis in elderly patients is controversial because of the risk of life-threatening complication.
Objective: To compare life-threatening early complication rates between ≥3 levels anterior and posterior cervical surgery in elderly patients.
Background: In consideration of rising opioid-stimulant deaths in the United States, this study explored rates of naloxone administration and survival in suspected opioid overdoses with, versus without, stimulants co-involved.
Methods: The study analyzed 26,635 suspected opioid-involved overdoses recorded by law enforcement/first-responders in the Pennsylvania Overdose Information Network in 63 Pennsylvania counties, January 2018-July 2024. All measures, including suspected drug involvement, were based on first-responder assessment/report.
Article Synopsis
- Poor muscle health, indicated by the normalized total psoas area (NTPA), is linked to negative recovery outcomes in spinal deformity surgery, which is a gap in current research.
- The study aims to explore how NTPA correlates with patient mobility and the incidence of adverse events (AEs) post-surgery by analyzing data from 279 patients over a nine-year period.
- Results include assessing postoperative ambulation and complications like urinary issues and delayed healing, using data from MRI to establish cut-off values for NTPA related to patient recovery.
Article Synopsis
- The study was a retrospective cohort review comparing single level (SLD) and dual level (DLD) minimally invasive decompression surgeries for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) in patients with adjacent level disease.
- Findings indicated that patients undergoing single level decompression experienced similar clinical outcomes to those with dual level decompression over a 2-year period, despite longer operative times for DLD procedures.
- The conclusion suggests that for patients with single level symptoms and adjacent stenosis, treating only the symptomatic level is equally effective, potentially reducing unnecessary risks and surgery time associated with dual level procedures.
Article Synopsis
- * The study will follow 300 participants with chronic low back pain, assessing factors like sleep disturbances and pain, using various methods over 12 months to identify their impact on developing multiple COPCs.
- * The research aims to analyze how sleep and circadian rhythm issues relate to pain intensity, psychological distress, and the spread of pain across the body, potentially guiding future treatment and prevention approaches for these conditions.
The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess existing literature and determine the association between the Hounsfield unit (HU) value and the vertebral body quality (VBQ) score with mechanical complications (MCs) after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. Although bone quality is considered an increasingly important factor for MCs after ASD surgery, the utility of the HU value assessed by computed tomography and the VBQ score assessed by magnetic resonance imaging remains unknown. A systematic review of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to find studies evaluating the association between the HU value and the VBQ score with MCs after ASD surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A recent study examined how preoperative factors impact recovery outcomes after cervical spine surgery, focusing specifically on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to predict postoperative success in pain relief and functionality.
- The research analyzed data from 139 patients who underwent surgery, using measures like the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and PROMIS assessments before and after the procedure.
- Findings indicated that for overall patients, a 1-point increase in preoperative disability scores decreased the odds of achieving a satisfactory symptom state post-surgery, especially among those with radiculopathy, while showing different results for myelopathy patients.
Background: Interspinous process devices (IPDs) introduce a new class of complications to surgical decompression without fusion: hardware-related complications. The purpose of this study was to describe the adverse events associated with IPDs.
Study Design: This was a retrospective review of the Food and Drug Administration Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database.
Study Design: Systematic review.
Objective: To describe the various definitions of PJK and PJF used in spinal deformity literature and their utility over time.
Summary Of Background Data: Proximal junctional kyphosis or failure (PJK/PJF) is among the most common complication after long-segment fusions, but there is no consensus on their definitions.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the carbon footprint (CF) associated with adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery, aiming to fill the gap in research about its environmental impact.
- - Researchers analyzed data from 15 matched pairs of patients who underwent either traditional open surgery or minimally invasive surgery, collecting data on disposables, reusable instruments, anesthetic gases, and energy used.
- - The findings reveal an average CF of 147.7 kg-COe per surgery, primarily due to energy used for sterilization (54%) and anesthetic gas emissions (17%), suggesting a need for a multidisciplinary approach to reduce carbon emissions in surgical practices.
: There exists limited data guiding open-door laminoplasty. The objective of this study is to determine if open-door laminoplasty affects radiographic decompression or arm pain outcomes. : Adult patients who underwent unilateral open-door laminoplasty cervical myelopathy were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground Context: Returning to recreational sporting activities after adult spinal deformity (ASD) correction may significantly impact the patient's perceived quality of life.
Purpose: This study sought to characterize participation in sporting activities before and after ASD surgery, and to identify factors associated with impaired return to sports.
Study Design: Cross-sectional survey and retrospective review of prospectively collected data.
Article Synopsis
- The study used a retrospective cohort design to investigate the impact of bracing on proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) after adult spinal deformity correction.
- Starting in 2021, patients who underwent lower thoracic fusions were braced for the first 6 weeks post-surgery, and a non-braced group was matched for comparison based on various factors.
- Results indicated that braced patients experienced significantly lower rates of PJK at one year compared to non-braced patients, suggesting the potential benefits of extension bracing and paving the way for future studies.
Background: A pathway for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) with a single intravenous (IV) dose of dalbavancin was previously shown to reduce hospital admissions and shorten inpatient length of stay (LOS).
Objectives: To describe pathway implementation at the emergency department (ED) and evaluate cost-effectiveness of a single-dose dalbavancin administered to ED patients who would otherwise be hospitalized to receive usual care with multidose IV antibiotics.
Methods: The dalbavancin pathway was previously implemented at 11 U.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Objective: To determine the relationship between preoperative physical therapy (PT) and postoperative mobility, adverse events (AEs), and length of stay (LOS) among patients with low normalized total psoas area (NTPA) undergoing adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery.
Background: Sarcopenia, as defined by low NTPA, has been shown to predict poor perioperative outcomes of ASD surgery.
Background Context: Left-digit bias is a behavioral heuristic or cognitive "shortcut" in which the leftmost digit of a number, such as patient age, disproportionately influences surgical decisions.
Purpose: To determine if left-digit bias in patient age influences the decision to perform arthrodesis with instrumentation vs decompression in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).
Design: Retrospective cohort.
The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been linked to numerous health benefits. This umbrella review aims to synthesize evidence from systematic reviews on the MD's impact on children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years. Following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, we included 11 systematic reviews focusing on the MD's effects on health outcomes, such as asthma, anthropometric measures, physical fitness, and inflammatory markers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Design: Reliability analysis.
Objectives: Vertebral pelvic angles (VPA) are gaining popularity given their ability to describe the shape of the spine. Understanding the reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) is necessary to determine how these measurement tools should be used in the manual assessment of spine radiographs.
Article Synopsis
- Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) is a minimally invasive surgery that allows for anterior fusion of the lumbar spine but often requires patient repositioning for posterior work, increasing time and anesthesia exposure.
- The single-position prone transpsoas approach eliminates repositioning by accessing both front and back aspects of the spine, enhancing surgical efficiency; robotic assistance further improves accuracy and reduces radiation exposure.
- Alternative approaches include traditional LLIF that starts laterally and may require repositioning, as well as other methods like anterior or posterior lumbar interbody fusion techniques.
Article Synopsis
- Racial disparities in spine surgery, particularly between Black and White patients, have been noted, but the impact of these disparities in outpatient settings has not been widely studied.
- The purpose of this research was to analyze differences in postoperative outcomes, such as adverse events and readmissions, following both outpatient and inpatient spinal surgeries for Black and White patients over a span of four years.
- The study found that a majority of surgeries (about 60.4% inpatient and 39.6% outpatient) involved White patients, with Black patients facing higher rates of complications after inpatient procedures, highlighting ongoing racial inequities in spine surgery outcomes.*
Purpose: To assess the characteristics and risk factors for decisional regret following corrective adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery at our hospital.
Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of a single-surgeon ASD database. Adult patients (> 40 years) who underwent ASD surgery from May 2016 to December 2020 with minimum 2-year follow-up were included (posterior-only, ≥ 4 levels fused to the pelvis) (n = 120).