Impact of Depression and Anxiety on Patient Reported Outcomes Measures after Lumbar Fusion.

Background: Depression and anxiety are common in patients undergoing spinal surgery and might negatively impact outcomes. This study investigates the possible effect of these diagnoses on patient reported outcomes following lumbar fusion.

Methods: Retrospective review of a registry containing prospectively collected data of lumbar fusion procedures at a single institution was performed from May 23, 2012 to June 15, 2022.

Implementation of a spine triage program and its effect on outpatient radiology utilization.

Objective: Clinical care pathways designed to triage spinal disorders have been shown to reduce wait times and improve patient satisfaction. The goal of this study was to perform an analysis of outpatient radiology costs before and after the implementation of a spine care triage pathway.

Methods: All imaging orders and surgical procedures were captured in a prospective spine registry for patients referred to the department of neurosurgery within a single academic center between July 1, 2017, and November 3, 2020.

A Prospective Study of Lumbar Facet Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Degenerative Spondylolisthesis and Stenosis: Results from the Total Posterior Spine System (TOPS) IDE Study.

Study Design: Prospective randomized Food and Drug Administration investigational device exemption clinical trial.

Objective: The purpose of the present study is to report the 1-year clinical and radiographic outcomes and safety profile of patients who underwent lumbar facet arthroplasty through implantation of the Total Posterior Spine System (TOPS) device.

Summary Of Background Data: Lumbar facet arthroplasty is one proposed method of dynamic stabilization to treat grade-1 spondylolisthesis with stenosis; however, there are currently no Food and Drug Administration-approved devices for facet arthroplasty.

Prospective, randomized controlled multicenter study of posterior lumbar facet arthroplasty for the treatment of spondylolisthesis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a posterior facet replacement device, the Total Posterior Spine (TOPS) System, for the treatment of one-level symptomatic lumbar stenosis with grade I degenerative spondylolisthesis. Posterior lumbar arthroplasty with facet replacement is a motion-preserving alternative to lumbar decompression and fusion. The authors report the preliminary results from the TOPS FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) trial.

The New England Neurosurgical Society: growth and evolution over 70 years.

The New England Neurosurgical Society (NENS) was founded in 1951 under the leadership of its first President (Dr. William Beecher Scoville) and Secretary-Treasurer (Dr. Henry Thomas Ballantine).

A reflective process led by a family physician to develop a renal-protection surveillance tool for HIV patients newly started on dolutegravir.

A group of Vanguard Community Health Centre doctors embarked on a Health System's Improvement (HSI) project with the aim of reducing harm to renal function in patients who were either commenced on or switched to a dolutegravir (DTG)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen since 2019, when the usual monitoring and evaluation of ART-regimen switches were disrupted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This intended harm-reduction exercise, involving a reflective process that was facilitated by the family physician, led to the development of a Vanguard Renal Protection Surveillance tool, which is now used at Vanguard to detect and prevent renal decline.

Age, body mass index, and osteoporosis are more predictive than imaging for adjacent-segment reoperation after lumbar fusion.

Background: Adjacent-segment disease (ASD) is a well-described long-term complication after lumbar fusion. There is a lack of consensus about the risk factors for development of ASD, but identifying them could improve surgical outcomes. Our goal was to analyze the effect of patient characteristics and radiographic parameters on the development of symptomatic ASD requiring revision surgery after posterior lumbar fusion.

Spine Instrumented Surgery on a Budget-Tools for Lowering Cost Without Changing Outcome.

Study Design: Review article.

Objectives: There have been substantial increases in the utilization of complex spinal surgery in the last 20 years. Spinal instrumented surgery is associated with high costs as well as significant variation in approach and care.

Effect of Ventral vs Dorsal Spinal Surgery on Patient-Reported Physical Functioning in Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction worldwide. It remains unknown whether a ventral or dorsal surgical approach provides the best results.

Objective: To determine whether a ventral surgical approach compared with a dorsal surgical approach for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy improves patient-reported physical functioning at 1 year.

Can the Charlson Comorbidity Index be used to predict the ASA grade in patients undergoing spine surgery?

Background: The American Society of Anaesthesiologists' Physical Status Score (ASA) is a key variable in predictor models of surgical outcome and "appropriate use criteria". However, at the time when such tools are being used in decision-making, the ASA rating is typically unknown. We evaluated whether the ASA class could be predicted statistically from Charlson Comorbidy Index (CCI) scores and simple demographic variables.

Opioid Use, Risk Factors, and Outcome in Lumbar Fusion Surgery.

Objective: Inappropriate opioid use resulted in 68% of all U.S. drug overdoses in 2017-nearly 75% of all opioid deaths-costing $80 billion per year.

Multicenter study of lumbar discectomy with Barricaid annular closure device for prevention of lumbar disc reherniation in US patients: A historically controlled post-market study protocol.

Background: Patients with large defects in the annulus fibrosus following lumbar discectomy have high rates of symptomatic reherniation. The Barricaid annular closure device provides durable occlusion of the annular defect and has been shown to significantly lower the risk of symptomatic reherniation in a large European randomized trial. However, the performance of the Barricaid device in a United States (US) population has not been previously reported.

Assessing pediatric tobacco exposure using parent report: comparison with hair nicotine.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between screening questions for secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and biomarker results using hair nicotine levels. Our ultimate goal was to develop sensitive and valid screening tools in pediatric clinical settings for SHS exposure.

Methods: Investigators developed a core set of questions regarding exposure.

"Ensure that you are well aware of the risks you are taking…": actions and activities medical tourists' informal caregivers can undertake to protect their health and safety.

Background: When seeking care at international hospitals and clinics, medical tourists are often accompanied by family members, friends, or other caregivers. Such caregiver-companions assume a variety of roles and responsibilities and typically offer physical assistance, provide emotional support, and aid in decision-making and record keeping as medical tourists navigate unfamiliar environments. While traveling abroad, medical tourists' caregiver-companions can find themselves confronted with challenging communication barriers, financial pressures, emotional strain, and unsafe environments.

De Novo Intraneural Arachnoid Cyst Presenting with Complete Third Nerve Palsy: Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Intraneural arachnoid cyst is an extremely rare etiology of isolated cranial nerve palsy. Although seldom encountered in clinical practice, this pathology is amenable to surgical intervention. Correct identification and treatment of the cyst are required to prevent permanent nerve damage and potentially reverse the deficits.

"Bloodless" Neurosurgery Among Jehovah's Witnesses: A Comparison with Matched Concurrent Controls.

Background: Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) are a Christian faith with >1 million members in the United States who do not accept autologous blood transfusions. The optimal management of these patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures is not well defined. Here, we examined the feasibility and safety of JW undergoing neurosurgery in a blood management program.

Pediatrician Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Related to Electronic Cigarettes.

Purpose: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have grown rapidly in popularity, creating concerns for pediatricians and families. Evaluating pediatricians' understanding of e-cigarettes is an important first step in effectively addressing these products in practice. This qualitative study assesses pediatricians' knowledge, attitudes, and current clinical practices related to e-cigarettes.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Instrumented Fusion Versus Decompression Alone for Grade I L4-L5 Spondylolisthesis at 1-Year Follow-up: A Pilot Study.

Study Design: Retrospective 1-year cost-utility analysis.

Objective: To determine the cost-effectiveness of decompression with and without instrumented fusion for patients with grade I degenerative L4-L5 spondylolisthesis at 1-year follow-up.

Summary Of Background Data: Despite its benefits to health outcomes, lumbar fusion is associated with substantial costs.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion With Plating (ACDFP) Versus Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy (PCF) for Patients With Single-level Cervical Radiculopathy at 1-Year Follow-up.

Study Design: A retrospective 1-year cost-utility analysis.

Objective: To determine the cost-effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plating (ACDFP) in comparison with posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF) for patients with single-level cervical radiculopathy.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical radiculopathy due to cervical spondylosis is commonly treated by either PCF or ACDFP for patients who are refractory to nonsurgical treatment.