Patient-Physician Racial Concordance Increases Likelihood of Total Knee Arthroplasty Recommendation.

Background: Minority patients have been shown to underutilize total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared to non-Hispanic White patients. Specific drivers of this underutilization have not been identified. We sought to determine if racial concordance between patient and physician is associated with the surgeon's likelihood to recommend TKA.

Pre-operative stereotactic radiosurgery and peri-operative dexamethasone for resectable brain metastases: a two-arm pilot study evaluating clinical outcomes and immunological correlates.

Enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy in brain metastases (BrM) requires an improved understanding of the immune composition of BrM and how this is affected by radiation and dexamethasone. Our two-arm pilot study (NCT04895592) allocated 26 patients with BrM to either low (Arm A) or high (Arm B) dose peri-operative dexamethasone followed by pre-operative stereotactic radiosurgery (pSRS) and resection (n= 13 per arm). The primary endpoint, a safety analysis at 4 months, was met.

Integrated Germline and Somatic Features Reveal Divergent Immune Pathways Driving Response to Immune Checkpoint Blockade.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized cancer treatment; however, the mechanisms determining patient response remain poorly understood. Here, we used machine learning to predict ICB response from germline and somatic biomarkers and interpreted the learned model to uncover putative mechanisms driving superior outcomes. Patients with higher infiltration of T-follicular helper cells had responses even in the presence of defects in the MHC class-I (MHC-I).

Single Position Prone Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Review of the Current Literature.

Purpose Of Review: Spinal fusion, vital for treating various spinal disorders, has evolved since the introduction of the minimally invasive Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF) by Pimenta in 2001. Traditionally performed in the lateral decubitus position, LLIF faces challenges such as intraoperative repositioning, neurological complications, and lack of access to lower lumbar levels. These challenges lead to long surgery times, increased rates of perioperative complications, and increased costs.