Increasing incidence of normal pressure hydrocephalus in Germany: an analysis of the Federal Statistical Office Database from 2005 to 2022.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a reversible cause of gait disturbances and dementia in the elderly, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. In Germany, the epidemiology and surgical management of NPH are not well understood. This study aimed to characterise epidemiological trends and evaluate surgical management strategies for NPH in Germany.

Artificial intelligence in risk prediction and diagnosis of vertebral fractures.

With the increasing prevalence of vertebral fractures, accurate diagnosis and prognostication are essential. This study assesses the effectiveness of AI in diagnosing and predicting vertebral fractures through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive search across major databases selected studies utilizing AI for vertebral fracture diagnosis or prognosis.

Management of severe pyogenic spinal infections: the 2SICK study by the EANS spine section.

Background Context: Spondylodiscitis management presents significant clinical challenges, particularly in critically ill patients, where the risks and benefits of surgical intervention must be carefully balanced. The optimal timing of surgery in this context remains a subject of debate.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of early surgery versus delayed surgery or conservative management in critically ill patients with de novo pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

The effectiveness of various CSF diversion surgeries in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is commonly treated using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedures, most commonly ventriculoperitoneal (VP) but also lumboperitoneal (LP), ventriculoatrial (VA) shunting, and endoscopic third-ventriculostomy (ETV). Despite the prevalence of these interventions and recent advancements in iNPH diagnostic processes, there is limited up-to-date evidence regarding surgical outcomes.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to analyse the effects of CSF diversion surgeries among iNPH patients.

Comparing Conservative and Early Surgical Treatments for Pyogenic Spondylodiskitis: An International Propensity Score-Matched Retrospective Outcome Analysis.

Background And Objectives: Pyogenic spinal infections pose therapeutic challenges, with the optimal treatment approach remaining contentious. This study aimed to compare outcomes of conservative vs early surgical treatment (SuT) modalities in primary pyogenic spondylodiskitis through an international cohort analysis.

Methods: A retrospective outcome analysis was conducted of 392 patients from the United Kingdom and Germany, treated between 2017 and 2022 with primary pyogenic spondylodiskitis.

Artificial Intelligence for Prediction of Shunt Response in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Systematic Review.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a reversible cause of dementia, typically treated with shunt surgery, although outcomes vary. Artificial intelligence (AI) advancements could improve predictions of shunt response (SR) by analyzing extensive datasets.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review to assess AI's effectiveness in predicting SR in iNPH.

Examining Introduction of E-consent in the Neurosurgical Caseload: Understanding the Barriers to Implementation.

Objective: To evaluate current usage and barriers of electronic consent (e-consent) implementation in neurosurgical practice. E-consent forms provide an alternative method for conducting the informed consent (IC) procedure. IC requires an ability to understand, retain, weigh up, and communicate decisions regarding the proposed procedure.

The Association Between Cervical Foraminal Stenosis and Adhesive Capsulitis: An Imaging-based Case-Control Study.

Study Design: Retrospective single-center imaging-based case-control study.

Objective: To determine the association between cervical foraminal stenosis and adhesive capsulitis.

Summary Of Background Data: Patients with cervical spondylosis often exhibit shoulder symptoms.

Epidemiological trends of pyogenic spondylodiscitis in Germany: an EANS Spine Section Study.

Pyogenic spondylodiscitis presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. In Germany, a comprehensive understanding of its epidemiology and inpatient management outcomes is limited, hindering the optimisation of therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to characterise the evolving epidemiological trends of pyogenic spondylodiscitis in Germany, and concurrently evaluate inpatient management strategies and outcomes.

Conservative versus early surgical treatment in the management of pyogenic spondylodiscitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Spondylodiscitis is the commonest spine infection, and pyogenic spondylodiscitis is the most common subtype. Whilst antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment, some advocate that early surgery can improve mortality, relapse rates, and length of stay. Given that the condition carries a high mortality rate of up to 20%, the most effective treatment must be identified.

Methodological and ethical challenges in the use of focused ultrasound for blood-brain barrier disruption in neuro-oncology.

Background: Focused ultrasound (FUS) shows promise for enhancing drug delivery to the brain by temporarily opening the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and it is increasingly used in the clinical setting to treat brain tumours. It remains however unclear whether FUS is being introduced in an ethically and methodologically sound manner. The IDEAL-D framework for the introduction of surgical innovations and the SYRCLE and ROBINS-I tools for assessing the risk of bias in animal studies and non-randomized trials, respectively, provide a comprehensive evaluation for this.

Increasing incidence of spondylodiscitis in England: An analysis of the national health service (NHS) hospital episode statistics from 2012 to 2021.

Background: Spondylodiscitis is a potentially life-threatening infection of the intervertebral disk and adjacent vertebral bodies, with a mortality rate of 2-20%. Given the aging population, the increase in immunosuppression, and intravenous drug use in England, the incidence of spondylodiscitis is postulated to be increasing; however, the exact epidemiological trend in England remains unknown.

Objective: The Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database contains details of all secondary care admissions across NHS hospitals in England.

Radiological predictors of shunt response in the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Patients with the dementia subtype idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) may improve clinically following cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion (shunt) surgery, though the predictors of shunt response remain debated. Currently, radiological features play an important role in the diagnosis of iNPH, but it is not well established which radiological markers most precisely predict shunt responsive iNPH.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify radiological predictors of shunt responsiveness, evaluate their diagnostic effectiveness, and recommend the most predictive radiological features.

The use of augmented reality in transsphenoidal surgery: A systematic review.

Background: Augmented reality (AR) has become a promising tool in neurosurgery. It can minimise the anatomical challenges faced by conventional endoscopic or microscopic transsphenoidal reoperations and can assist in intraoperative guidance, preoperative planning, and surgical training.

Objectives: The aims of this systematic review are to describe, compare, and evaluate the use of AR in endoscopic and microscopic transsphenoidal surgery, incorporating the latest primary research.

Cerebrospinal fluid and venous biomarkers of shunt-responsive idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurodegenerative disease and dementia subtype involving disturbed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homeostasis. Patients with iNPH may improve clinically following CSF diversion through shunt surgery, but it remains a challenge to predict which patients respond to shunting. It has been proposed that CSF and blood biomarkers may be used to predict shunt response in iNPH.

Extended, virtual and augmented reality in thoracic surgery: a systematic review.

Objectives: Extended reality (XR), encompassing both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality, allows the user to interact with a computer-generated environment based on reality. In essence, the immersive nature of VR and augmented reality technology has been warmly welcomed in all aspects of medicine, gradually becoming increasingly feasible to incorporate into everyday practice. In recent years, XR has become increasingly adopted in thoracic surgery, although the extent of its applications is unclear.

Clinical predictors of shunt response in the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Positive shunt response (SR) remains the gold standard for diagnosing idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). However, multiple pathologies mimic iNPH symptoms, making it difficult to select patients who will respond to shunt surgery. Although presenting features, extended lumbar drainage (ELD), infusion test (IT), intracranial pressure monitoring (ICPM), and tap test (TT) have been used to predict SR, uncertainty remains over which diagnostic test to choose.

Exploring the barriers and facilitators of psychological safety in primary care teams: a qualitative study.

Background: Psychological safety is the concept by which individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves in a work environment, without fear of embarrassment or criticism from others. Psychological safety in healthcare is associated with improved patient safety outcomes, enhanced physician engagement and fostering a creative learning environment. Therefore, it is important to establish the key levers which can act as facilitators or barriers to establishing psychological safety.