Enhanced Recovery Pathway Reduced Opioid Use and Pain Scores in Elective Spine Surgery.

The purpose of this study was to determine if implementation of an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP) for elective spine surgery reduced opioid use and pain scores in elective spine surgery. A historical cohort study of 171 patients undergoing elective spine procedures between 2017 and 2021 was performed. The primary outcomes were opioid use and average daily pain scores.

Nonoperative Management of Isolated Thoracolumbar Flexion Distraction Injuries: A Single-Center Study.

Background: Nonoperative management is an appealing option for purely transosseous thoracolumbar flexion-distraction injuries given the prospects of osseous healing and restoration of the posterior tension band complex. This study seeks to examine differences in outcomes following flexion-distraction injuries after operative and nonoperative management.

Methods: This study reviews all patients at a single Level 1 trauma center from 2004 to 2022 with AO Spine B1 thoracolumbar injuries treated operatively vs nonoperatively.

Limited Intervention in Adult Scoliosis-A Systematic Review.

Background/objectives: Adult scoliosis is traditionally treated with long-segment fusion, which provides strong radiographic correction and significant improvements in health-related quality of life but comes at a high morbidity cost. This systematic review seeks to examine the literature behind limited interventions in adult scoliosis patients and examine the best approaches to treatment.

Methods: This is a MEDLINE- and PubMed-based literature search that ultimately included 49 articles with a total of 21,836 subjects.

Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection among patients with orthopaedic fracture surgery in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C).

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the outcomes of COVID-19-positive patients undergoing orthopaedic fracture surgery using data from a national database of U.S. adults with a COVID-19 test for SARS-CoV-2.

Magel2 truncation alters select behavioral and physiological outcomes in a rat model of Schaaf-Yang syndrome.

Previous studies in mice have utilized Magel2 gene deletion models to examine the consequences of its absence. We report the generation, molecular validation and phenotypic characterization of a novel rat model with a truncating Magel2 mutation modeling variants associated with Schaaf-Yang syndrome-causing mutations. Within the hypothalamus, a brain region in which human MAGEL2 is paternally expressed, we demonstrated, at the level of transcript and peptide detection, that rat Magel2 exhibits a paternal, parent-of-origin effect.

Risk Factors for Postoperative Urinary Retention Following Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Review of Current Literature and Meta-Analysis.

Study Design: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a common complication following lumbar spine surgery (LSS) and timely recognition is imperative to avoid long-term consequences. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to systematically review the literature in order to identify risk factors associated with POUR after LSS.

Unilateral atlanto-occipital injury: A case series and detailed radiographic description.

Context: Atlanto-occipital dissociation is a highly lethal ligamentous injury at the craniocervical junction (CCJ). Previous studies have described rare cases of milder forms of atlanto-occipital injury (AOI) which might be managed nonoperatively, but there is a paucity of literature on this subject.

Aims: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional experience to characterize the injury patterns, treatments, and clinical courses of patients with unilateral AOI.

Characterization of a robot-assisted UV-C disinfection for the inactivation of surface-associated microorganisms and viruses.

Microorganisms pose a serious threat for us humans, which is exemplified by the recent emergence of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 or the increasing number of multi-resistant pathogens such as MRSA. To control surface microorganisms and viruses, we investigated the disinfection properties of an AI-controlled robot, HERO21, equipped with eight 130-W low pressure UV-C mercury vapor discharge lamps emitting at a wavelength of 254 nm, which is strongly absorbed by DNA and RNA, thus inactivating illuminated microorganisms. Emissivity and spatial irradiance distribution of a single UV-C lamp unit was determined using a calibrated spectrometer and numerical simulation, respectively.

Modeling splicing outcome by combining 5'ss strength and splicing regulatory elements.

Correct pre-mRNA processing in higher eukaryotes vastly depends on splice site recognition. Beyond conserved 5'ss and 3'ss motifs, splicing regulatory elements (SREs) play a pivotal role in this recognition process. Here, we present in silico designed sequences with arbitrary a priori prescribed splicing regulatory HEXplorer properties that can be concatenated to arbitrary length without changing their regulatory properties.

Opioid Sparing Analgesics in Spine Surgery.

Combinations of various nonopioid analgesics have been used to decrease pain and opioid consumption postoperatively allowing for faster recovery, improved patient satisfaction, and decreased morbidity. These opioid alternatives include acetaminophen, NSAIDs, COX-2 specific inhibitors, gabapentinoids, local anesthetics, dexamethasone, and ketamine. Each of these drugs presents its own advantages and disadvantages which can make it difficult to implement universally.

Halo Gravity Traction for the Correction of Spinal Deformities in the Pediatric Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Halo gravity traction (HGT) is an effective way of managing pediatric spinal deformities in the preoperative period. This study comprehensively reviews the existing literature and evaluates the effect of HGT on various radiographic parameters regarding spinal correction and, secondarily, evaluates the improvement in pulmonary function as well as nutritional status.

Methods: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted for articles on HGT in the treatment of spinal deformity.

Ankle Fracture and Length of Stay in US Adult Population Using Data From the National COVID Cohort Collaborative.

Background: The National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) is an innovative approach to integrate real-world clinical observations into a harmonized database during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic when clinical research on ankle fracture surgery is otherwise mostly limited to expert opinion and research letters. The purpose of this manuscript is to introduce the largest cohort of US ankle fracture surgery patients to date with a comparison between lab-confirmed COVID-19-positive and COVID-19-negative.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of adults with ankle fracture surgery using data from the N3C database with patients undergoing surgery between March 2020 and June 2021.

Association of Mortality and Charlson Comorbidity Index in Surgical Spinal Trauma Patients at a Level I Academic Center.

Objectives: The Charlson Comorbidity Index score (CCI) records the presence of comorbidities with various weights for a total score to estimate mortality within 1 year of hospital admission. Our study sought to assess the association of CCI with mortality rates of patients undergoing surgical intervention.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Association Between COVID-19 and Mortality in Hip Fracture Surgery in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C): A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: This study investigated the outcomes of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-positive patients undergoing hip fracture surgery using a national database.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study comparing hip fracture surgery outcomes between COVID-19 positive and negative matched cohorts from 46 sites in the United States. Patients aged 65 and older with hip fracture surgery between March 15 and December 31, 2020, were included.

Prevalence, Bias, and Rank List Impact of Illegal Questions in Surgical Specialty Residency Interviews.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize illegal questions as defined by federal law and to assess their impact on applicants' rank lists across four surgical specialties.

Design: A survey was developed and sent to surgical specialty residency applicants. The survey asked demographics, the frequency of questions about age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, family status and impact on final rank list.

Modifying splice site usage with : Maintaining the while changing the underlying .

Codon degeneracy of amino acid sequences permits an additional "mRNP code" layer underlying the genetic code that is related to RNA processing. In pre-mRNA splicing, splice site usage is determined by both intrinsic strength and sequence context providing RNA binding sites for splicing regulatory proteins. In this study, we systematically examined modification of splicing regulatory properties in the neighborhood of a GT site, i.

Differential acute impact of therapeutically effective and overdose concentrations of lithium on human neuronal single cell and network function.

Lithium salts are used as mood-balancing medication prescribed to patients suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Lithium salts cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain parenchyma within few hours after oral application, however, how lithium influences directly human neuronal function is unknown. We applied patch-clamp and microelectrode array technology on human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cortical neurons acutely exposed to therapeutic (<1 mM) and overdose concentrations (>1 mM) of lithium chloride (LiCl) to assess how therapeutically effective and overdose concentrations of LiCl directly influence human neuronal electrophysiological function at the synapse, single-cell, and neuronal network level.

VarCon: An R Package for Retrieving Neighboring Nucleotides of an SNV.

Reporting of a single nucleotide variant (SNV) follows the Sequence Variant Nomenclature (http://varnomen.hgvs.org/), using an unambiguous numbering scheme specific for coding and noncoding DNA.

TGF-β1 Suppresses Proliferation and Induces Differentiation in Human iPSC Neural Models.

Persistent neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation is, among others, a hallmark of immaturity in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based neural models. TGF-β1 is known to regulate NSCs during embryonic development in rodents. Here we examined the role of TGF-β1 as a potential candidate to promote differentiation of hiPSCs-derived NSCs and maturation of neuronal progenies.

Bisphosphonates and parathyroid hormone analogs for improving bone quality in spinal fusion: State of evidence.

Spinal fusion is among the most commonly performed surgical procedures for elderly patients with spinal disorders - including degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis, deformities, and trauma. With the large increase in the aging population and the prevalence of osteoporosis, the number of elderly osteoporotic patients needing spinal fusion has risen dramatically. Due to reduced bone quality, postoperative complications such as implant failures, fractures, post-junctional kyphosis, and pseudarthrosis are more commonly seen after spinal fusion in osteoporotic patients.