Comparative Review of the Socioeconomic Burden of Lower Back Pain in the United States and Globally.

Internationally, the United States (U.S.) cites the highest cost burden of low back pain (LBP).

Integration of Chronological Age Does Not Improve the Performance of a Mixed-Effect Model Using Comorbidity Burden and Frailty to Predict 90-Day Readmission After Surgery for Degenerative Scoliosis.

Objective: We evaluated the contributions of chronological age, comorbidity burden, and/or frailty in predicting 90-day readmission in patients undergoing degenerative scoliosis surgery.

Methods: Patients were identified through the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Readmissions Database. Frailty was assessed using the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups frailty-defining indicator.

The Evolution of Risk Assessment in Spine Surgery: A Narrative Review.

Background: Risk assessment is critically important in elective and high-risk interventions, particularly spine surgery. This narrative review describes the evolution of risk assessment from the earliest instruments focused on general surgical risk stratification, to more accurate and spine-specific risk calculators that quantified risk, to the current era of big data.

Methods: The PubMed and SCOPUS databases were queried on October 11, 2023 using search terms to identify risk assessment tools (RATs) in spine surgery.

The Effect of Osteoporosis on Complications and Reoperation Rates After Surgical Management of Adult Thoracolumbar Spinal Deformity: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis.

Study Design: Systematic Review.

Objectives: While substantial research has explored the impact of osteoporosis on patients undergoing adult spinal deformity (ASD) correction, the literature remains inconclusive. As such, the purpose of this study is to synthesize and analyze existing studies pertaining to osteoporosis as a predictor of postoperative outcomes in ASD surgery.

Completely Minimally Invasive Implant Removal and Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Adjacent Segment Disease: Case Series and Operative Video.

Background And Objectives: Adjacent segment disease is a relatively common late complication after lumbar fusion. If symptomatic, certain patients require fusion of the degenerated adjacent segment. Currently, there are no posterior completely minimally invasive techniques described for fusion of the adjacent segment above or below a previous fusion.

Epigenetic age biomarkers and risk assessment in adult spinal deformity: a novel association of biological age with frailty and disability.

Objective: Surgery for spinal deformity has the potential to improve pain, disability, function, self-image, and mental health. These surgical procedures carry significant risk and require careful selection, optimization, and risk assessment. Epigenetic clocks are age estimation tools derived by measuring the methylation patterns of specific DNA regions.

Patient Frailty Influences Outcome After Open, But Not Minimally Invasive, Transforaminal Interbody Fusion: A Case Series of 115 Patients With Lumbar Degenerative Disease.

Background: For transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), there are equally good open and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) options.

Objective: To determine if frailty has a differential effect on outcome for open vs MIS TLIF.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 115 TLIF surgeries (1-3 levels) for lumbar degenerative disease performed at a single center; 44 MIS transforaminal interbody fusions and 71 open TLIFs were included.

WITHDRAWN: Biological age and spine surgery-genomics and the future of risk assessment.

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, http://doi.org/10.1016/j.

Association of telomere length with risk of complications in adult spinal deformity surgery: a pilot study of 43 patients.

Objective: Risk stratification is a critical element of surgical planning. Early tools were fairly crude, while newer instruments incorporate disease-specific elements and markers of frailty. It is unknown if discrepancies between chronological and cellular age can guide surgical planning or treatment.

Posterior-based resection of spinal meningiomas: an institutional experience of 141 patients with an average of 28 months of follow-up.

Objective: Spinal meningiomas pose unique challenges based on the location of their dural attachment. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating the role of dural attachment location on outcomes after posterior-based approach for spinal meningioma resection. The aim of this study was to investigate any differences in outcomes between dural attachment location subgroups in spinal meningioma patients who underwent posterior-based resection.

Failure in Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Comprehensive Review of Current Rates, Mechanisms, and Prevention Strategies.

Study Design: Literature review.

Objective: The aim of this review is to summarize recent literature on adult spinal deformity (ASD) treatment failure as well as prevention strategies for these failure modes.

Summary Of Background Data: There is substantial evidence that ASD surgery can provide significant clinical benefits to patients.

Comparison of Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Videoangiography vs Postoperative Catheter Angiography to Confirm Microsurgical Occlusion of Spinal Dorsal Intradural Arteriovenous Fistulas.

Background: Dorsal intradural arteriovenous fistulas (DI-AVFs) represent 80% of spinal AVFs. Microsurgical clip occlusion is a durable treatment that uses preoperative and postoperative digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as standard practice. Intraoperative indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA) is a valuable intraoperative adjunct in these cases.

Superior Laryngeal Nerve Palsy After Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion: A Case Report and Cadaveric Description.

Background And Importance: Superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) injury after high cervical dissection can result in changes in vocal pitch due to cricothyroid denervation and dysphagia with aspiration risk because of decreased sensation of the supraglottic larynx.

Clinical Presentation: We describe a 69-year-old singer with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent elective C3/4 and C4/5 anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion. Postoperatively, the patient reported changes in his voice, most noticeable with higher registers.

Sacral Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy for Treatment of High-Grade Spondylolisthesis: A Technical Note and Review of the Literature.

Background: Lumbosacral deformities are caused by high-grade spondylolisthesis, fractures, iatrogenic flat back, and other etiologies. The S1 pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) can facilitate reduction of spondylolisthesis and lower the pelvic incidence. There are limited reports on the indications and outcomes of this technique.

Kickstand Rod With Asymmetric Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy for Treatment of Adult Kyphoscoliosis With Severe Coronal Imbalance.

Background: The kickstand rod has been described for the treatment of severe coronal imbalance. We present a modified description that combines an asymmetric pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) for correction of severe kyphoscoliosis.

Objective: To describe the use of a temporary kickstand rod.

CD97 is associated with mitogenic pathway activation, metabolic reprogramming, and immune microenvironment changes in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor with a median survival under two years. Using in silico and in vitro techniques, we demonstrate heterogeneous expression of CD97, a leukocyte adhesion marker, in human GBM. Beyond its previous demonstrated role in tumor invasion, we show that CD97 is also associated with upregulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/Erk) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathways in GBM.

Management of Malpositioned Cervical Interfacet Spacers: An Institutional Case Series.

Introduction Posterior cervical foraminotomy and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) are the mainstay treatments for cervical radiculopathy. A recent alternative or adjunct involves the placement of interfacet spacers, which promote indirect decompression by increasing foraminal height. Cervical interfacet spacers have been shown to be safe options for indirect decompression and improve short-term clinical outcomes in patients with cervical spine pathologies.

Preliminary experience using S1-alar iliac fixation with navigation: technical note.

Traditional iliac screws and S2-alar iliac (S2-AI) screws are common methods used for pelvic fixation, and many surgeons advocate pelvic fixation for long-segment fixation to the sacrum. However, in patients without severe deformities and only degenerative conditions, many surgeons may choose S1 screws only. Moreover, even with S2-AI screws, there is more muscular dissection than with using S1 screws, and the rod connection can be cumbersome in both S2-AI fixation and placing iliac screws.

Reduced proximal junctional failure with ligament augmentation in adult spinal deformity: a series of 242 cases with a minimum 1-year follow-up.

Objective: Proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and proximal junctional failure (PJF) are well-recognized complications of long-segment spinal fusion. Previous studies have suggested that ligament augmentation can decrease rates of PJF by reducing junctional stress and strengthening upper instrumented vertebrae (UIVs) and adjacent segments. However, there is a paucity of long-term data on the efficacy of ligament augmentation in preventing PJF.

Telemedicine in Neurosurgery: Standardizing the Spinal Physical Examination Using A Modified Delphi Method.

Objective: The use of telemedicine has dramatically increased due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Many neurosurgeons are now using telemedicine technologies for preoperative evaluations and routine outpatient visits. Our goal was to standardize the telemedicine motor neurologic examination, summarize the evidence surrounding clinical use of telehealth technologies, and discuss financial and legal considerations.

Role of c-Met/β1 integrin complex in the metastatic cascade in breast cancer.

Metastases cause 90% of human cancer deaths. The metastatic cascade involves local invasion, intravasation, extravasation, metastatic site colonization, and proliferation. Although individual mediators of these processes have been investigated, interactions between these mediators remain less well defined.

Alignment, Classification, Clinical Evaluation, and Surgical Treatment for Adult Cervical Deformity: A Complete Guide.

Adult cervical deformity management is complex and is a growing field with many recent advancements. The cervical spine functions to maintain the position of the head and plays a pivotal role in influencing subjacent global spinal alignment and pelvic tilt as compensatory changes occur to maintain horizontal gaze. There are various types of cervical deformity and a variety of surgical options available.