Awake lumbar spine surgery performed under spinal versus conventional anesthesia.

Background: Lumbar spine surgery for discectomy or laminectomy is mostly performed under general anesthesia (GA). Here, we explored whether, in a series of 84 patients, better peri-operative outcomes and lower complication rates could be achieved for those undergoing diskectomy/laminectomy under spinal anesthesia (SA) versus GA.

Methods: From 2022 to 2023, 84 patients were randomly assigned to undergo lumbar discectomy/laminectomy for stenosis under SA: 42 patients versus GAGA: 42 patients.

Safety and Efficacy of Mini Open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Objective: Mini-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Mini-TLIF) and other minimally invasive approaches introduced for the purpose of treating lumbar degenerative disc disease and instability are achieving high success and safety rates as the conventional approaches. Moreover, it has less soft tissue damage, minimal blood loss, and less hospital stay.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted from 2012 to 2014 on 28 patients who were subjected to Mini-open TLIF combined with transpedicular screw fixation for spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease.

Percutaneous Transpedicular Fixation: Technical tips and Pitfalls of Sextant and Pathfinder Systems.

Study Design: The efficacy of the operative techniques, possible benefits as well as pitfalls and limitations of the techniques are discussed. Potential drawbacks are also detected.

Purpose: This study aims to report indications, techniques, and our experience with the use of the Sextant and PathFinder percutaneous transpedicular screw fixation systems.

Epidural Fibrosis after Lumbar Disc Surgery: Prevention and Outcome Evaluation.

Study Design: This is a prospective, randomized, controlled study designed and conducted over 10 years from 2002 to 2012.

Purpose: The study aimed to monitor the effect of suction drains (SD) on the incidence of epidural fibrosis (EF) and to test, if the use of SD alone, SD with local steroids application, SD combined with fat grafts and local steroids application, or SD combined with fat grafts and without local steroids application, would improve outcome.

Overview Of Literature: EF contributes to significant unsatisfactory failed-back syndrome.

Lumbar transpedicular implant failure: a clinical and surgical challenge and its radiological assessment.

Study Design: It is a multicenter, controlled case study review of a big scale of pedicle-screw procedures from January 2000 to June 2010. The outcomes were compared to those with no implant failure.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review retrospectively the outcome of 100 patients with implant failure in comparison to 100 control-patients, and to study the causes of failure and its prevention.

Cervical pedicle screw fixation: anatomic feasibility of pedicle morphology and radiologic evaluation of the anatomical measurements.

Study Design: All parameters were measured manually and with a computed tomography (CT) scanner. For the manual measurements, a Vernier scale instrument was used.

Purpose: This study evaluates quantitatively pedicles of middle and lower cervical spine (C3 to C7) and to evaluate the possibilities of using these structures as anchors in posterior cervical fusion.