Is Shoulder Imbalance a Useful Parameter in the Screening of Idiopathic Scoliosis? A Preliminary Study.

 The present study aims to analyze the use of shoulder imbalance as a parameter for scoliosis screening as well as its relationship with other parameters of physical examination.  This study assesses a smartphone application that analyzes several parameters of the physical examination in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Medical and non-medical examiners applied the screening tool in students in a public school and in a private sports club.

Surgical timing in traumatic spinal cord injury: current practice and obstacles to early surgery in Latin America.

Study Design: Cross-sectional.

Objectives: To evaluate current practice of Latin American spine surgeons regarding surgical timing in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) and to identify potential barriers for early surgery.

Setting: Web-based.

Epidemiology and Management of Spinal Trauma in Children and Adolescents <18 Years Old.

Objective: This retrospective study reports the epidemiology, clinical aspects, and management of spinal trauma in children and adolescents.

Methods: Multicenter study of 215 cases of spinal trauma in individuals <18 years of age. All patients were submitted to preoperative and postoperative radiologic and clinical evaluation.

Effectiveness of Operative and Nonoperative Care for Adult Spinal Deformity: Systematic Review of the Literature.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objective: There is a need for synthesizing data on effectiveness of treatments for patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) due to its increasing prevalence and health care costs for these patients. The objective of this review was to estimate the effectiveness of surgery versus nonoperative care in patients with ASD.

Management of Type II Odontoid Fractures: Experience from Latin American Spine Centers.

Objective: To analyze characteristics of type II odontoid fracture (TII-OF), including clinical and radiographic factors, that influence surgical planning in 8 Latin American centers.

Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed of 88 patients with TII-OF between 2004 and 2015 from 8 Latin American centers. Parameters studied included 1) demographic data and causes of TII-OF, 2) clinical and neurologic presentation, 3) characteristics of fracture (degree of odontoid displacement, displacement of odontoid relative to C2 body, anatomy of fracture line, distance between fragments, presence of comminution, contact area between odontoid and C2 body), 4) type of treatment, and 5) clinical and radiographic outcome.

Perspective of Value-Based Management of Spinal Disorders in Brazil.

Introduction: The state of value-based management of spinal disorders and ongoing Brazilian strategies toward its implementation are highlighted in this article.

Methods: The health care system, economic impact of spine surgery, use of patient-reported outcomes, ongoing studies about health economics, and current strategies toward implementation of quality assessment of spine care in Brazil are reviewed.

Results: During the past 20 years, there has been an increase of 226% in the number and 540% in the total cost of spine surgeries in the public health system.

Responsiveness of depression and its influence on surgical outcomes of lumbar degenerative diseases.

Objective: To demonstrate the responsiveness of depression after surgery for lumbar degenerative disease and to verify the impact of this condition on surgical outcomes.

Patient Sample: A prospective cohort study with 91 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases who were evaluated preoperatively, at 30 days and 1 year postoperatively.

Outcome Measures: Evolution of depression between the follow-ups and its correlation with satisfaction.

Surgical planning and neurological outcome after anterior approach to remove a disc herniation at the C7-T1 level in 19 patients.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the neurological presentation, outcome and surgical planning in a series of patients with a symptomatic single-level C7-T1 disc herniation who underwent anterior surgical discectomy and fusion.

Summary Of Background Data: Disc herniations at C7-T1 are uncommon, and there are few large series in the literature describing anterior treatment of such herniations.

Depression Subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale applied preoperatively in spinal surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of the Depression Subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) in spine surgery, comparing it to Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the HADS-D and the BDI were applied to patients undergoing spine surgery for lumbar (n=139) or cervical spondylosis (n=17). Spearman correlation tests for HADS-D and BDI were applied.

Correlation between persistent neurological impairment and clinical outcome after microdiscectomy for treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

Background: Outcome of lumbar disc herniation is often based on clinical scores and less frequently on the neurological examination. However, even when clinical outcome measures are favorable, patients may still experience motor or sensory impairment.

Objective: To evaluate the percentage of patients with persistent neurological deficits after lumbar disc surgery and whether these correlate with clinical outcome.

Effect of deep wound infection following lumbar arthrodesis for degenerative disc disease on long-term outcome: a prospective study: clinical article.

Object: Deep wound infections are one of the most common and serious complications of spinal surgery. The impact of such infections on long-term outcomes is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional status and satisfaction in patients who suffered a deep wound infection after undergoing lumbar arthrodesis for symptomatic degenerative disc disease.

Anterior approach to the cervicothoracic junction: proposed indication for manubriotomy based on preoperative computed tomography findings.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to present straightforward preoperative methods to define the need for manubriotomy in the anterior surgical approach to the cervicothoracic junction.

Methods: Preoperative MR imaging and CT scanning studies were performed in all patients. The CT images with sagittal reconstructions including the manubrium were done to apply the so-called surgeons' view line.

Anterior cervical interbody fusion with hydroxyapatite graft: clinical and radiological analysis of graft breakage.

Study Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of hydroxyapatite (HA) grafts in combination with cervical plates in terms of fusion, restoration, and maintenance of cervical lordosis and to compare clinical and radiologic outcomes of patients who experienced graft breakage with patients who did not.

Summary Of Background Data: The most common complication related to the use of HA graft for cervical anterior fusion is graft breakage.

Intraosseous sacral paraganglioma with extradural extension: case report.

Background: Paragangliomas are tumors that arise from the paraganglion system, which is a component of the neuroendocrine system. Approximately 10% are located in the extra-adrenal paraganglion system. Paragangliomas of the spine, however, are rare.

Intramuscular myxoma of the cervical paraspinal muscle.

Myxoma is a neoplasm of mesenchymal origin composed of undifferentiated stellate cells in a myxoid stroma. This tumor can develop in a variety of locations. Myxomas that arise from skeletal muscles are called intramuscular myxomas.

Anterior surgical management of the cervicothoracic junction lesions at T1 and T2 vertebral bodies.

Lesions of the cervicothoracic junction have a high propensity for causing instability and present unique challenges in the surgical treatment. Several surgical approaches to this region have been described in the literature. We report our experience in the surgical treatment of six patients with unstable lesions involving the cervicothoracic junction at T1 and T2 vertebral bodies.

Comparison of open discectomy with microendoscopic discectomy in lumbar disc herniations: results of a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: We compared the intra- and postoperative differences, as well as the final outcome of patients with herniated lumbar discs who underwent either open discectomy (OD) or microendoscopic discectomy (MED).

Methods: We performed a prospective controlled randomized study of 40 patients with sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniations nonresponsive to conservative treatment who underwent OD or MED with a 24-month follow-up period. Pre- and postoperative neurological status, pain, and functional outcome were evaluated.