Autonomous Spinal Robotic System for Transforaminal Lumbar Epidural Injections: A Proof of Concept of Study.

Study Design: Phantom study.

Objective: The aim of our study is to demonstrate in a proof-of-concept model whether the use of a marker less autonomous robotic controlled injection delivery system will increase accuracy in the lumbar spine.

Methods: Ideal transforaminal epidural injection trajectories (bilateral L2/3, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 and S1) were planned out on a virtual pre-operative planning software by 1 experienced provider.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cataract surgical volume: A North Indian experience.

Purpose: To analyze the impact of the pandemic on trends in cataract surgical volume in 2020 in a high-volume tertiary care academic center in North India.

Methods: The monthly cataract surgical volume for a large, high-volume, tertiary care academic center in North India was obtained from January 2018 through December 2020. Based on historical trends, we used time-series forecasting, probability sensitivity analysis, and linear regression models to estimate what the expected monthly cataract volume should have been from March 2020 onward.

COVID-19 and cataract surgery backlog in Medicare beneficiaries.

Purpose: To forecast the volume of cataract surgery in Medicare beneficiaries in the United States in 2020 and to estimate the surgical backlog that may be created due to COVID-19.

Setting: Medicare Beneficiaries, United States.

Design: Epidemiologic modeling.

SARS-CoV-2 Impact on Elective Orthopaedic Surgery: Implications for Post-Pandemic Recovery.

Background: The aim of our study was to explore the impact of elective-surgery deferment on the United States health-care system and subsequent recovery after COVID-19 containment. Using an orthopaedic elective surgery model, we aimed to answer the following: (1) What is the expected recovery time until the health-care system is back to nearly full capacity for performing elective surgery? (2) What will be the expected backlog of elective surgery over time? (3) How should health care change to address the backlog?

Methods: A Monte Carlo stochastic simulation-based analysis was performed to forecast the post-pandemic volume of elective, inpatient total joint arthroplasty and spinal fusion surgical cases. The cumulative backlog was calculated and analyzed.

Thoracic disc disorders with myelopathy: treatment trends, patient characteristics, and complications.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Objective: To analyze trends in the use of 3 surgical treatments (anterior/anterolateral decompression and spinal fusion [ASF], posterior/posterolateral decompression and spinal fusion [PSF], and disc decompression/excision without fusion [DDE]) for patients with thoracic disc disorders with myelopathy (TDM), and how the treatments differ in terms of patient and hospital characteristics, complications, mortality, and resource utilization.

Summary Of Background Data: Various approaches have been described in the literature, but the preferred method is not well established.

Subependymoma: clinical features and surgical outcomes.

Objective: Subependymomas are rare, indolent neoplasms that have been described in the brain and the spinal cord. The purpose of this study is to report the clinical and radiolographic features, and surgical outcomes of this entity.

Methods: Twenty-six patients with pathologically-verified subependymomas were treated from 1990 through 2009, with a mean follow-up of 39 months.