Sacral/Pelvic Fixation: New Tools and Techniques.

This review article explores the advancements in sacropelvic fixation, comparing traditional and modern techniques, with a focus on iliac and sacral 2 alar-iliac screw fixations. It addresses the biomechanical challenges inherent in securing the lumbosacral junction and discusses the integration of current and future technologies like robotics and augmented reality to improve surgical outcomes. The article underscores the importance of these innovations in enhancing stability and reducing complications in complex spinal surgeries.

Cervical Spine Research Society-Cervical Stiffness Disability Index (CSRS-CSDI): Validation of a Novel Scoring System Quantifying the Effect of Postarthrodesis Cervical Stiffness on Patient Quality of Life.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Objective: The aim was to create and validate a novel patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) focusing on stiffness-related patient functional limitations after cervical spine fusion.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical arthrodesis is a common treatment for myelopathy/radiculopathy, however, results in increased neck stiffness as a collateral outcome.

Complications in the Elderly Population Undergoing Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study Design: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: The elderly have an increased risk of perioperative complications for Adult Spinal Deformity (ASD) corrections. Stratification of these perioperative complications based on risk type and specific risk factors, however, remain unclear.

The lexicon of multirod constructs in adult spinal deformity: a concise description of when, why, and how.

The use of multirod constructs in the setting of adult spinal deformity (ASD) began to prevent rod fracture and pseudarthrosis near the site of pedicle subtraction osteotomies (PSOs) and 3-column osteotomies (3COs). However, there has been unclear and inconsistent nomenclature, both clinically and in the literature, for the various techniques of supplemental rod implantation. In this review the authors aim to provide the first succinct lexicon of multirod constructs available for the treatment of ASD, providing a universal nomenclature and definition for each type of supplementary rod.

The Intradiscal Osteotomy: An Alternative Technique for Adult Spinal Deformity Correction.

Adult spinal deformity (ASD) correction has changed considerably since the initial description of a Smith-Petersen osteotomy (SPO), including pedicle subtraction osteotomies (PSO), and more minimally invasive techniques. Here, we introduce and describe the intradiscal osteotomy (IDO), a novel variation of Schwab type 3 and 4 osteotomies allowing pedicle and vertebral body preservation, and its advantages and disadvantages. After pedicle screw placement, the posterior elements (except pedicles) are removed from the appropriate vertebrae, including the superior/inferior articulating processes, laminae, and spinous processes.

The Number of Organ System Injuries Is a Predictor of Intrahospital Mortality in Complete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective: We sought to determine the extent to which polytrauma significantly impacts intrahospital mortality among patients with complete cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) and to assess whether an organ system-based approach would be appropriate as a mortality predictor as compared with conventional standards to help guide prognosis and management.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patient medical records and assessed the type of associated trauma at presentation. We then reviewed its correlation with mortality in patients who were admitted at our institution between 2012 and 2021.

The Central Cord Score: A Novel Classification and Scoring System Specific to Acute Traumatic Central Cord Syndrome.

Background: Acute traumatic central cord syndrome (ATCCS) is the most common form of spinal cord injury in the United States. Treatment remains controversial, which is a consequence of ATCCS having an inherently different natural history from conventional spinal cord injury, thus requiring a separate classification system. We devised a novel Central Cord Score (CCscore), which both guides treatment and tracks improvement over time with symptoms specific to ATCCS.

Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Classification Systems: What Is Available and a Proposed Alternative.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a challenging disease in terms of surgical decision-making and improving neurologic outcome. As we have now entered a new era founded on routine "big data" capture, more advanced and meaningful yet simplified SCI classification systems and outcome measurement tools would be helpful to determine the efficacy of potential therapeutics in future clinical trials and registries. The proposed classification herein focuses on gross sensorimotor, sacral function below the injured level via an easy-to-use scoring system yielding grades 1 to 4 of injury severity.

Foraminal Ligaments Tether Upper Cervical Nerve Roots: A Potential Cause of Postoperative C5 Palsy.

 Nerve root tethering upon dorsal spinal cord (SC) migration has been proposed as a potential mechanism for postoperative C5 palsy (C5P). To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate this relationship by anatomically comparing C5-C6 nerve root translation before and after root untethering by cutting the cervical foraminal ligaments (FL).  The aim of this study is to determine if C5 root untethering through FL cutting results in increased root translation.

Antibiotic-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate strut graft as a treatment of spinal osteomyelitis: case series and description of novel technique.

Objective: The surgical treatment of osteomyelitis and discitis of the spine often represents a challenging clinical entity for a multitude of reasons, including progression of infection despite debridement, development of spinal deformity and instability, bony destruction, and seeding of hardware. Despite advancement in spinal hardware and implantation techniques, these aforementioned challenges not uncommonly result in treatment failure, especially in instances of heavy disease burden with enough bony endplate destruction as to not allow support of a modern titanium cage implant. While antibiotic-infused polymethylmethacrylate (aPMMA) has been used in orthopedic surgery in joints of the extremities, its use has not been extensively described in the spine literature.

Factors Associated With C5 Palsy Following Cervical Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: C5 palsy (C5P) is a not uncommon and disabling postoperative complication with a reported incidence varying between 0% and 30%. Among others, one explanation for its occurrence includes foraminal nerve root tethering.

Intraoperative Ischemic Stroke in Elective Spine Surgery: A Retrospective Study of Incidence and Risk.

Study Design: . Retrospective study.

Objective: .

Management of Acute Traumatic Central Cord Syndrome: A Narrative Review.

Study Design: Narrative review.

Objectives: To provide an updated overview of the management of acute traumatic central cord syndrome (ATCCS).

Methods: A comprehensive narrative review of the literature was done to identify evidence-based treatment strategies for patients diagnosed with ATCCS.

The ABC's of Spinal Decompression: Pearls and Technical Notes.

Objective: The foundation of spine surgery centers on the proper identification, decompression, and stabilization of bony and neural elements. We describe easily reproducible and reliable methods for optimal decompression and release of neural structures to alleviate symptoms and improve patients' quality of life.

Methods: Multiple spinal decompression techniques were described in procedures for which the goal of surgery was decompression alone or decompression and fusion.

Early Complications and Cement Leakage in Elderly Patients Who Have Undergone Intraoperative Computed Tomography (CT)-Guided Cement Augmented Pedicle Screw Placement: Eight-Year Single-Center Experience.

Objective: To assess early complications, mortality rate, and cement leakage in elderly patients who had undergone navigation-based pedicle screw placement of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

Methods: Eighty-six patients older than 65 years of age who had received cement-augmented pedicle screws for various conditions were retrospectively included between May 2008 and December 2016. Complications, mortality, and cement leakage were determined.

Neurotrauma From Border Wall Jumping: 6 Years at the Mexican-American Border Wall.

Background: The border between the United States (US) and Mexico is an international boundary spanning 3000 km, where unauthorized crossings occur regularly. We examine patterns of neurotrauma, health care utilization, and financial costs at our level 1 trauma center incurred by patients from wall-jumping into the US.

Objective: To determine the clinical and socioeconomic consequences from neurotrauma as a result of jumping over the US-Mexico border wall.

Completion of the Circle of Willis Varies by Gender, Age, and Indication for Computed Tomography Angiography.

Objective: The circle of Willis (CoW) is the foremost anastomosis and blood distribution center of the brain. Its effectiveness depends on its completion and the size and patency of its vessels. Gender-related and age-related anatomic variations in the CoW may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases.

A Rare Case of Optic Nerve Schwannoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background And Importance: Schwannomas are typically benign tumors of the peripheral nervous system that originate from Schwann cells. It is well known that the optic nerves are myelinated by oligodendrocytes since their cell bodies arise centrally within the lateral geniculate nuclei. Because of this basic cellular anatomy, optic schwannomas should theoretically not exist.

Mathematically modeling the biological properties of gliomas: A review.

Although mathematical modeling is a mainstay for industrial and many scientific studies, such approaches have found little application in neurosurgery. However, the fusion of biological studies and applied mathematics is rapidly changing this environment, especially for cancer research. This review focuses on the exciting potential for mathematical models to provide new avenues for studying the growth of gliomas to practical use.

A hierarchical model for the development of cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

Objective: Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are vascular lesions whose pathogenesis, although not fully elucidated, is likely multifactorial. Recent research investigating vessel development suggests a potential hierarchical model in which capillary sprouts from higher-flow arteries give rise to lower-flow veins. It is possible that an embryologic structural vascular dysgenesis in this hierarchical development heavily contributes to the formation of AVMs.

Current management and surgical outcomes of medically intractable epilepsy.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders in the world. While anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are the mainstay of treatment in most cases, as many as one-third of patients will have a refractory form of disease indicating the need for a neurosurgical evaluation. Ever since the first half of the twentieth century, surgery has been a major treatment option for epilepsy, but the last 10-15 years in particular has seen several major advances.