PEEK Versus Titanium Static Interbody Cages: A Comparison of 1-Year Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes for 1-Level TLIFs.

Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: This study evaluates the patient-reported Health Related Quality of Life outcomes and radiographic parameters of patients who underwent a single level transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with either a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or titanium interbody cage.

Summary Of Background Data: Spinal stenosis with instability is a common diagnosis that is often treated with interbody fusion, in particular transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

Timing of Preoperative Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis After Primary One-Level to Three-Level Lumbar Fusion.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between timing of preoperative surgical antibiotic prophylaxis and postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) among patients with 1-level to 3-level lumbar fusion.

Methods: Patients having undergone a primary 1-level to 3-level lumbar fusion at a single institution were allocated into 5 groups based on the time from preoperative antibiotic administration to incision (group A, 0-15 minutes; group B, 16-30 minutes; group C, 31-45 minutes; group D, 46-60 minutes; and group E, 61+ minutes). Timing of antibiotic administration as a continuous variable was also analyzed.

Preoperative Mental Health Component Scoring Is Related to Patient Reported Outcomes Following Lumbar Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort review.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify depression using the Mental Component Score (MCS-12) of the Short Form-12 (SF-12) survey and to correlate with patient outcomes.

Summary Of Background Data: The impact of preexisting depressive symptoms on health-care related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes following lumbar spine fusion is not well understood.

Treatment of dedifferentiated chordoma: a retrospective study from a large volume cancer center.

Objective: Dedifferentiated chordomas (DC) are genetically and clinically distinct from conventional chordomas (CC), exhibiting frequent SMARCB1 alterations and a more aggressive clinical course. We compared treatment and outcomes of DC and CC patients in a retrospective cohort study from a single, large-volume cancer center.

Methods: Overall, 11 DC patients were identified from 1994 to 2017 along with a cohort of 68 historical control patients with CC treated during the same time frame.