Fueling the future of neurosurgery: increasing trends in female enrollment expanding the neurosurgical workforce from 2010 to 2019.

Objective: Regular reporting on recruitment of women into neurosurgery is a mechanism to track the progress of minority inclusion and diversity. For more than 20 years, half of US medical students have been women, yet a disproportionate minority pursue a career in neurosurgery. The authors previously published data tracking women in neurosurgery for the prior decade from 2000 to 2009, which showed an increasing match rate of women over time, from 18 women matched at the beginning of the decade to 36 matched at the end.

Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury: Are We Overscreening Low-Mechanism Trauma?

Background And Purpose: Screening patients with trauma for blunt cerebrovascular injury with neck CTA is a common practice, but there remains disagreement regarding which patients should be screened. We reviewed adult blunt cerebrovascular injury data from a level 1 trauma center to investigate whether screening is warranted in low-mechanism trauma.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed all neck CTAs performed on adult trauma patients in the emergency department during the 2019 calendar year.

Evaluation of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Lead Biomechanical Interaction with Brain Tissue.

The current study aims to examine the effect of material properties on implanted leads used for deep brain stimulation (DBS) using finite element (FE) analysis to investigate brain deformation around an implanted DBS lead in response to daily head accelerations. FE analysis was used to characterize the relative motion of the DBS lead in a suite of fifteen cases sampled from a previously derived kinematic envelope representative of everyday activities describing translational and rotational pulse shape, magnitude, and duration. Load curves were applied to the atlas-based brain model (ABM) with a scaled Haversine acceleration pulse in four directions of rotation: + X, - Y, + Y, and + Z.

Pilot characterization of head kinematics in grassroots dirt track racing.

Objective: The objective of this study was to utilize an instrumented mouthpiece sensor to characterize head kinematics experienced by grassroots dirt track race car drivers.

Methods: Four dirt track race car drivers (ages 16-19) were instrumented with custom mouthpiece sensors capable of accurately measuring head motion during racing. Sensors were deployed before races and recorded tri-axial linear acceleration and rotational velocity for approximately 10 min at 200 Hz.

Long-Term Follow-up of Aneurysms Treated With Hydrogel-Coated Coils Shows Progressive Thrombosis and Improvement in Raymond-Roy Classification.

Background: Coil embolization of aneurysms has been shown to be a safe and effective method of aneurysm treatment. Hydrogel-coated coils were developed as a hybrid embolization device to increase the packing density of a coil mass in an aneurysm and to reduce retreatment and rerupture rates. Previous studies have shown a benefit compared with bare metal coils.

Trends in mechanical thrombectomy and decompressive hemicraniectomy for stroke: A multicenter study.

Background And Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke has increasingly become a procedural disease following the demonstrated benefit of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) on clinical outcomes and tissue salvage in randomized trials. Given these data and anecdotal experience of decreased numbers of decompressive hemicraniectomies (DHCs) performed for malignant cerebral edema, we sought to correlate the numbers of strokes, thrombectomies, and DHCs performed over the timeline of the 2013 failed thrombolysis/thrombectomy trials, to the 2015 modern randomized MT trials, to post-DAWN and DEFUSE 3.

Materials And Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective compilation of patients who presented with ELVO in 11 US high-volume comprehensive stroke centers.

Activity of Rifampin, Rifabutin, and Rifapentine against Enterococci and Streptococci from Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

After staphylococci, streptococci and enterococci are the most frequent causes of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). MICs and minimum biofilm bactericidal concentrations of rifampin, rifabutin, and rifapentine were determined for 67 enterococcal and 59 streptococcal PJI isolates. Eighty-eight isolates had rifampin MICs of ≤1 μg/ml, among which rifabutin and rifapentine MICs were ≤ 8 and ≤4 μg/ml, respectively.

Predictors of Citations in Neurosurgical Research: A 5-Year Follow-Up.

Background: Citation rates are an important measure for the impact of articles. This study is the most comprehensive analysis of predictors for scientific neurosurgical research articles.

Methods: Scientific articles published in 13 neurosurgical journals in 2015 were selected.

Outcomes of COVID-19 With the Mayo Clinic Model of Care and Research.

Objective: To report the Mayo Clinic experience with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related to patient outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with COVID-19 diagnosed between March 1, 2020, and July 31, 2020, at any of the Mayo Clinic sites. We abstracted pertinent comorbid conditions such as age, sex, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index variables, and treatments received.

Safety and Tolerability of Fluoroquinolones in Patients with Staphylococcal Periprosthetic Joint Infections.

Background: Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are known to be accompanied by significant risks. However, the incidence of adverse events (ADEs) resulting in unplanned drug discontinuation when used for periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) is currently unknown.

Methods: This study included 156 patients over the age of 18 treated for staphylococcal PJI with debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention between 1 January 2007 and 21 November 2019.

Novel Use of Rifabutin and Rifapentine to Treat Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Rat Model of Foreign Body Osteomyelitis.

Background: Owing to patient intolerance or drug interactions, alternative agents to rifampin are needed for management of staphylococcal periprosthetic joint infection. In the current study, we evaluated rifabutin, rifapentine and rifampin, with and without vancomycin, in a rat model of foreign body osteomyelitis.

Methods: Proximal tibiae were inoculated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and a Kirschner wire (K-wire) implanted in each.

Dissecting the Financial Relationship Between Industry and Academic Neurosurgery.

Background: Established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Open Payments Database (OPD) has reported industry payments to physicians since August 2013.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency, type, and value of payments received by academic neurosurgeons in the United States over a 5-yr period (2014-2018).

Methods: The OPD was queried for attending neurosurgeons from all neurosurgical training programs in the United States (n = 116).

What Variables Correlate With Different Clinical Outcomes of Abusive Head Injury?

Background: The spectrum of injury severity for abusive head trauma (AHT) severity is broad, but outcomes are unequivocally worse than accidental trauma. There are few publications that analyze different outcomes of AHT.

Objective: To determine variables associated with different outcomes of AHT.

Innovation, Royalties, and Introduction of the Patent Hirsch Index within U.S. Academic Neurosurgery.

Background: Historically, practicing neurosurgeons have been key drivers of neurosurgical innovation. We sought to describe the patents held by U.S.

Blood pressure reduction and outcome after endovascular therapy with successful reperfusion: a multicenter study.

Background: Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) correlates with worse outcome. However, the association between SBP reduction (SBPr) and outcome after successful reperfusion with MT is not well established.

Objective: To investigate the association between SBPr in the first 24 hours after successful reperfusion and the functional and safety outcomes of MT.

Activity of Rifampin, Rifabutin, Rifapentine, and Rifaximin against Planktonic and Biofilm States of Staphylococci Isolated from Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

The activities of rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, and rifaximin were tested against 200 periprosthetic joint infection (PJI)-associated staphylococci. Seven rifampin-resistant isolates had MICs of ≥4 μg/ml. Three isolates had rifampin MICs of 0.

Two cases of severe neutropenia in patients on low-dose methotrexate and ceftriaxone.

Purpose: There are limited data on the effect of ceftriaxone on methotrexate clearance, with results of some studies indicating altered methotrexate pharmacokinetics with the administration of ceftriaxone. We describe 2 possible cases demonstrating an interaction between methotrexate and ceftriaxone, resulting in profound neutropenia.

Summary: The decision to continue methotrexate therapy in the setting of surgery or during treatment of an active infection continues to be a topic of debate due to perceived negative effects on the healing process.

Predictors of Citations in Neurosurgical Research.

Objective: The number of citations an article receives is an important measure of impact for published research. There are limited published data on predictors of citations in neurosurgery research. We aimed to analyze predictors of citations for neurosurgical articles.

Big Data Research in Pediatric Neurosurgery: Content, Statistical Output, and Bibliometric Analysis.

Background/aims: We sought to describe pediatric "big data" publications since 2000, their statistical output, and clinical implications.

Methods: We searched 4 major North American neurosurgical journals for articles utilizing non-neurosurgery-specific databases for clinical pediatric neurosurgery research. Articles were analyzed for descriptive and statistical information.

An Analysis of Publication Productivity During Residency for 1506 Neurosurgical Residents and 117 Residency Departments in North America.

Background: Bibliometrics is defined as the study of statistical and mathematical methods used to quantitatively analyze scientific literature. The application of bibliometrics in neurosurgery continues to evolve.

Objective: To calculate a number of publication productivity measures for almost all neurosurgical residents and departments within North America.

A Review of Industry Funding in Randomized Controlled Trials Published in the Neurosurgical Literature-The Elephant in the Room.

Objective: To analyze the role of industry sponsorship of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published exclusively in 3 major North American neurosurgical journals.

Methods: Our primary objective was to determine whether an association exists between study conclusion(s) in favor of industry sponsored drugs, devices/implants, or surgical techniques and industry sponsorship. The secondary objective was to describe the quality/quantity of these neurosurgical RCTs.

The Impact of a Pediatric Shunt Surgery Checklist on Infection Rate at a Single Institution.

Background: Shunt infections remain a significant challenge in pediatric neurosurgery. Numerous surgical checklists have been introduced to reduce infection rates.

Objective: To introduce an evidence-based shunt surgery checklist and its impact on our shunt infection rate.

Big Data Research in Neurosurgery: A Critical Look at this Popular New Study Design.

The use of "big data" in neurosurgical research has become increasingly popular. However, using this type of data comes with limitations. This study aimed to shed light on this new approach to clinical research.