Minimal Invasive Pre-Op CT-Guided Gold-Fiducials in Local Anesthesia for Easy Level Localization in Thoracic Spine Surgery.

The accurate identification of intraoperative levels is of paramount importance in spinal surgery, particularly in cases of obesity or anatomical anomalies affecting the thoracic spine. The aim of this work was to clarify whether the preoperative percutaneous placement of fiducial markers under local anesthesia only, with minimal discomfort to the patient, can be performed safely and efficiently. Patients treated at our institution between June 2019 and June 2020 for thoracic intraspinal lesions with preoperative percutaneous gold fiducial placement were analyzed.

Influence of the sagittal spinal profile type on the long-term outcome of patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis after microsurgical decompression.

Objective: Microsurgical decompression for patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) has demonstrated long-term improvement concerning pain and function. Nonetheless, a considerable proportion of these patients do not experience satisfactory alleviation of symptoms. Previous studies have not found a direct influence of single sagittal parameters on patient outcomes.

2D H sLASER Long-TE and 3D P Chemical Shift Imaging at 3 T for Monitoring Fasting-Induced Changes in Brain Tumor Tissue.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that fasting could play a key role in cancer treatment. Its metabolic effects on gliomas require further investigation.

Purpose: To design a multi-voxel H/P MR-spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) protocol for noninvasive metabolic monitoring of cerebral, fasting-induced changes on an individual patient/tumor level, and to assess its technical reliability/reproducibility.

Comparison of head positioning using the Mayfield skull clamp versus padded headrest in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery.

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a commonly implemented surgical intervention for a variety of pathologies affecting the cervical spine. The current literature and daily practice reveal variations on patient head positioning for this procedure with both rigid fixations in the Mayfield skull clamp as well as use of a padded headrest being used. In this study, we therefore examine whether patients undergoing surgery using head positioning in the Mayfield skull clamp versus a padded headrest differ in regard to adverse events, surgical parameters and clinical outcome.

From the Oral Cavity to the Spine: Prevalence of Oral Cavity Infections in Patients with Pyogenic Spinal Infection.

Background incidence of pyogenic spinal infections has increased in recent years. In addition to treating the spinal infection, optimal care also includes identifying the source of the pyogenic spinal infection and the presence of other infections. The aim of this study is to elucidate the prevalence of oral cavity infection (OCI) within this patient cohort.