Free Vascularized Fibula Graft as Primary Salvage Procedure for Acute Cervical Osteomyelitis Caused by Epidural Abscess.

Acute cervical osteomyelitis due to an epidural abscess and pyogenic spondylodiscitis in an immunosuppressed patient with progressive myelopathy is a challenge for the reconstructive surgeon. This report presents our novel approach to treat such a condition in a 56-year-old patient in whom antibiotic treatment and decompression of the medulla by laminectomy of C4-C6 failed. Under general anesthesia, debridement of all infected tissue, including anterior corpectomy of C4-C6, was performed.

Machine Learning Models for Predicting Disability and Pain Following Lumbar Disc Herniation Surgery.

Importance: Lumber disc herniation surgery can reduce pain and disability. However, a sizable minority of individuals experience minimal benefit, necessitating the development of accurate prediction models.

Objective: To develop and validate prediction models for disability and pain 12 months after lumbar disc herniation surgery.

Patient Characteristics Associated With Worsening of Neck Pain-Related Disability After Surgery for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Nationwide Study of 1508 Patients.

Background And Objectives: Functional status, pain, and quality of life usually improve after surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), but a subset of patients report worsening. The objective was to define cutoff values for worsening on the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and identify prognostic factors associated with worsening of pain-related disability 12 months after DCM surgery.

Methods: In this prognostic study based on prospectively collected data from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery, the NDI was the primary outcome.

Long-Term Results After Surgery for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

Background And Objectives: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a frequent cause of spinal cord dysfunction, and surgical treatment is considered safe and effective. Long-term results after surgery are limited. This study investigated long-term clinical outcomes through data from the Norwegian registry for spine surgery.

The Norwegian registry for spine surgery (NORspine): cohort profile.

Purpose: To review and describe the development, methods and cohort of the lumbosacral part of the Norwegian registry for spine surgery (NORspine).

Methods: NORspine was established in 2007. It is government funded, covers all providers and captures consecutive cases undergoing operations for degenerative disorders.

The Norwegian degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis (NORDSTEN) study: study overview, organization structure and study population.

Purpose: To provide an overview of the The Norwegian Degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis (NORDSTEN)-study and the organizational structure, and to evaluate the study population.

Methods: The NORDSTEN is a multicentre study with 10 year follow-up, conducted at 18 public hospitals. NORDSTEN includes three studies: (1) The randomized spinal stenosis trial comparing the impact of three different decompression techniques; (2) the randomized degenerative spondylolisthesis trial investigating whether decompression surgery alone is as good as decompression with instrumented fusion; (3) the observational cohort tracking the natural course of LSS in patients without planned surgical treatment.

Persistent Use of Prescription Opioids Before and After Lumbar Spine Surgery: Observational Study With Prospectively Collected Data From Two Norwegian National Registries.

Study Design: Prospective pharmacoepidemiologic study.

Objective: To investigate clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with persistent opioid use in the years following spine surgery among patients with persistent opioid use preceding lumbar spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: It is unknown whether successful spine surgery leads to a cessation of preoperative persistent opioid use.

Impact of the number of previous lumbar operations on patient-reported outcomes after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis or lumbar disc herniation.

Repeated lumbar spine surgery has been associated with inferior clinical outcomes. This study aimed to examine and quantify the impact of this association in a national clinical register cohort. This is a population-based study from the Norwegian Registry for Spine surgery (NORspine).

Characteristics and outcomes of patients who did not respond to a national spine surgery registry.

Background: Loss to follow-up may bias outcome assessments in medical registries. This cohort study aimed to analyze and compare patients who failed to respond with those that responded to the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery (NORspine).

Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 474 consecutive patients operated for lumbar spinal stenosis at four public hospitals in Norway during a two-year period.

Clinical outcomes after surgery for cervical radiculopathy performed in public and private hospitals : a nationwide relative effectiveness study.

Aims: The number of patients undergoing surgery for degenerative cervical radiculopathy has increased. In many countries, public hospitals have limited capacity. This has resulted in long waiting times for elective treatment and a need for supplementary private healthcare.

Non-respondents do not bias outcome assessment after cervical spine surgery: a multicenter observational study from the Norwegian registry for spine surgery (NORspine).

Background: The Norwegian registry for spine surgery (NORspine) is a national clinical quality registry which has recorded more than 10,000 operations for degenerative conditions of the cervical spine since 2012. Registries are large observational cohorts, at risk for attrition bias. We therefore aimed to examine whether clinical outcomes differed between respondents and non-respondents to standardized questionnaire-based 12-month follow-up.

Anterior surgical treatment for cervical degenerative radiculopathy: a prediction model for non-success.

Purpose: By using data from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery, we wanted to develop and validate prediction models for non-success in patients operated with anterior surgical techniques for cervical degenerative radiculopathy (CDR).

Methods: This is a multicentre longitudinal study of 2022 patients undergoing CDR surgery and followed for 12 months to find prognostic models for non-success in neck disability and arm pain using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Model performance was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and a calibration test.

Predictors for failure after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis: a prospective observational study.

Background/context: Some patients do not improve after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), and surgical treatment implies a risk for complications and deterioration. Patient selection is of paramount importance to improve the overall clinical results and identifying predictive factors for failure is central in this work.

Purpose: We aimed to explore predictive factors for failure and worsening after surgery for LSS.

Effect of Spinal Cord Burst Stimulation vs Placebo Stimulation on Disability in Patients With Chronic Radicular Pain After Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The use of spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain after lumbar spine surgery is increasing, yet rigorous evidence of its efficacy is lacking.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of spinal cord burst stimulation, which involves the placement of an implantable pulse generator connected to electrodes with leads that travel into the epidural space posterior to the spinal cord dorsal columns, in patients with chronic radiculopathy after surgery for degenerative lumbar spine disorders.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This placebo-controlled, crossover, randomized clinical trial in 50 patients was conducted at St Olavs University Hospital in Norway, with study enrollment from September 5, 2018, through April 28, 2021.

Is surgery for recurrent lumbar disc herniation worthwhile or futile? A single center observational study with patient reported outcomes.

Objective: To examine outcomes and complications following microdiscectomy for recurrent lumbar disc herniation.

Methods: Prospectively collected data for patients operated at the Department of Neurosurgery, St. Olavs University Hospital, Norway, were obtained from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery from May 2007 through July 2016.

Surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis: a nationwide registry-based study with patient-reported outcomes.

Purpose: To compare patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) following surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) versus those without rheumatic diseases.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery. The primary outcome was change in the Neck Disability Index (NDI) at 1 year.

A nationwide study of patients operated for cervical degenerative disorders in public and private hospitals.

During the last decades, there has been an increase in the rate of surgery for degenerative disorders of the cervical spine and in the use of supplementary private health insurance. Still, there is limited knowledge about the differences in characteristics of patients operated in public and private hospitals. Therefore, we aimed at comparing sociodemographic-, clinical- and patient management data on patients operated for degenerative cervical radiculopathy and degenerative cervical myelopathy in public and private hospitals in Norway.

Surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy in the elderly: a nationwide registry-based observational study with patient-reported outcomes.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical outcomes in patients aged ≥ 70 undergoing decompressive surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) differ from those of younger patients (50-70 years) at 1 year.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery (NORspine). Among 651 patients included, 177 (27.

Comparison of 3 Different Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Operations for lumbar spinal stenosis is the most often performed surgical procedure in the adult lumbar spine. This study reports the clinical outcome of the 3 most commonly used minimally invasive posterior decompression techniques.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of 3 minimally invasive posterior decompression techniques for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Cervical spine surgery in the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority area in 2014-18.

Background: Knowledge about the variation in treatment rates is needed to assess whether the access to health services is equitable. The objective of this study was to investigate the rates of surgical treatment of degenerative cervical spine disease in Norway and the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority area and the local coverage in the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority area, and to assess the activity in the region.

Material And Method: We included cervical spine procedures recorded in the Norwegian Patient Registry from the years 2014-18 and estimated age-standardised treatment rates for Norway, the health regions and health trusts in Northern Norway Regional Health Authority.

Accuracy and agreement of national spine register data for 474 patients compared to corresponding electronic patient records.

Purpose: Data quality is essential for all types of research, including health registers. However, data quality is rarely reported. We aimed to assess the accuracy of data in a national spine register (NORspine) and its agreement with corresponding data in electronic patient records (EPR).

Persistent Use of Prescription Opioids Following Lumbar Spine Surgery: Observational Study with Prospectively Collected Data From Two Norwegian Nationwide Registries.

Study Design: Prospective pharmacoepidemiological study.

Objective: To investigate the use of prescription opioids 2 years following degenerative lumbar spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: There are limited data providing details to evaluate patterns of opioid use.