Higher socioeconomic status is associated with greater rates of surgical resource utilization prior to spine fusion surgery.

Background Context: Previous research has demonstrated an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and patient health, specifically noting that patients of lower SES have poor health outcomes. Understanding how social factors, including socioeconomic status (SES), relate to disparities in health outcomes is critical to closing gaps in equitable care to patients. While several studies have examined the effect of SES on postoperative spine outcomes, there is limited spine literature evaluating SES in the context of barriers to spine care.

Impact of Antidepressant Use on Intraoperative Blood Loss and Transfusion Rates in Lumbar Fusion Surgery.

Objective: A quarter of spine surgery patients take antidepressants. Basic science research has suggested serotonergic antidepressants impair platelet function. This has been supported by only a small number of works in the setting of spine surgery.

Postoperative Ketamine May be Associated with Venous Thromboembolism in Chronic Opioid Users After Spine Surgery.

Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious postoperative adverse event after spine surgery. In patients with pain refractory to typical multimodal analgesia regimens after spine surgery, whom are often chronic opioid users, perioperative ketamine is an alternative analgesic that has grown in popularity. The aim of this study is to assess the risk of VTE in chronic opioid users undergoing spine surgery.

The Effect of Community-Level Socioeconomic Status on Surgical Outcomes Following Revision Lumbar Fusion.

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of community-level socioeconomic status (SES) on surgical outcomes and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following revision lumbar fusion.

Methods: Adult patients who underwent revision lumbar fusion surgery from 2011-2021 were grouped by Distressed Community Index (DCI) into Prosperous, Comfortable, Mid-tier, and At-Risk/Distressed cohorts. Demographics, surgical information, and PROMs were compared based on DCI community status.

Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Representation Among US Academic Spine Surgeons.

Background: Although diversity has improved across certain orthopaedic subspecialties, enhancing diversity within spine surgery has remained a challenge. We aimed to investigate the current state of sex, racial, and ethnic diversity among academic orthopaedic spine surgeons in the United States.

Methods: In January 2024, a cross-sectional analysis of orthopaedic spine surgery faculty in the United States was conducted using the Doximity database to identify eligible surgeons.

One-year patient reported outcomes after single-level lumbar fusion at orthopedic specialty hospital compared to tertiary referral center.

Background Context: Lumbar spinal fusion is an increasingly common operation to treat symptoms related to degenerative disorders of the spine including radiculopathy and pain. As the volume of spine surgeries grows, it is becoming increasingly common for procedures to take place in nontertiary care centers, including orthopaedic specialty hospitals (OSH). While previous research demonstrates that surgical outcomes at an OSH are noninferior to those at a tertiary referral center (TRC), the implications of this difference on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have not been sufficiently assessed.

Impact of the Prognostic Nutritional Index on Outcomes in Native Spine Infection.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if baseline prognostic nutritional index (PNI) score could be used to predict outcomes in patients with native spine infections, including the need for operative intervention.

Summary Of Background Data: Nutritional status is an important, potentially modifiable risk factor, to consider in the native spine population.

Opioid Prescription Trends Among Orthopaedic, Primary Care, and Pain Management Providers in Spine Surgery Patients.

Objective: To determine prescription trends across specialties in the perioperative care of patients undergoing spine surgery from 2018 to 2021.

Summary Of Background Data: A range of measures, including implementation of state prescription drug monitoring programs, have been instituted to combat the opioid epidemic. Considering the continued presence of opioids for spine-related pain management, a better understanding of the patterns of opioid prescription practices may be important for future intervention.

Socioeconomic Status Impacts Length of Stay and Nonhome Discharge Disposition After Posterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To examine how community-level economic disadvantage impacts short-term outcomes following posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Summary Of Background Data: The effects of socioeconomic factors, measured by the Distress Community Index (DCI), on postoperative outcomes after PCDF are underexplored.

An evaluation of fusion status following lumbar fusion surgery utilizing multi-planar computed tomography.

Purpose: To report the rate of fusion in a sample of patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery and assess interrater reliability of computed tomography (CT)-based parameters for the assessment of fusion.

Methods: All adult patients who underwent lumbar fusion surgery from 2017 to 2021 were retrospectively identified. Patient demographics and surgical characteristics were collected through chart review of the electronic medical records.

Preoperative Radiographic Predictors of Subsequent Fusion After Lumbar Decompression Surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine which demographic, surgical, and radiographic preoperative characteristics are most associated with the need for subsequent fusion after decompression lumbar spinal surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: There is a relatively high rate of the need for repeat decompression or fusion after an index decompression procedure for degenerative spine disease.

Which North American spine society disc herniation morphology descriptors are most associated with improvements in clinical outcomes after microdiscectomy?

Background: The North American Spine Society (NASS) assembled the first ever comprehensive naming system for describing lumbar disc disease, including lumbar disc herniation. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine which NASS descriptors are most predictive of independent patient-reported outcomes after microdiscectomy and (2) to identify the inter-rater reliability of each NASS descriptor.

Methods: Adult patients (≥18 years) who underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy from 2014-2021 were retrospectively identified.

Impact of Preoperative Intervertebral Disc Degeneration on Patient-Reported Outcome Measures After Lumbar Fusion.

Objective: The Pfirrmann scoring system classifies lumbosacral disc degeneration based on magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity. The relationship between pre-existing disc degeneration and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after one-level lumbar fusion is not well documented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of preoperative intervertebral disc degeneration and preoperative and postoperative PROMs in patients undergoing one-level lumbar fusion.

Construct length analysis of type B and C cervical and thoracolumbar fractures.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify if construct length affects the rate of surgical complications and instrumentation revision following surgical fixation of subaxial and thoracolumbar Type B and C fractures. This study evaluates the effect of ankylosing spondylitis/diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (AS/DISH) within this population on outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective review of 91 cervical and 89 thoracolumbar Type B and C fractures.

A Comparison of Clinical Outcomes Between Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Versus Posterior Cervical Laminoplasty for Multilevel Cervical Myelopathy.

Study Design: Retrospective Cohort.

Objective: To compare patient-reported outcomes and surgical outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) versus cervical laminoplasty for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Background: Treatment options for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy include ACDF and cervical laminoplasty.

Postoperative opioid consumption patterns diverge between propensity matched patients undergoing traumatic and elective cervical spine fusion.

Background Context: Prolonged opioid therapy following spine surgery is an ongoing postoperative concern. While prior studies have investigated postoperative opioid use patterns in the elective cervical surgery patient population, to our knowledge, opioid use patterns in patients undergoing surgery for traumatic cervical spine injuries have not been elucidated.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare opioid use and prescription patterns in the postoperative pain management of patients undergoing traumatic and elective cervical spine fusion surgery.

The Impact of Outpatient Physical Therapy on Patient-Reported Outcomes After Lumbar Fusion: Perspective from A Bundled Care Dataset.

Objective/background: As value-based care grows in popularity across the United States, more payers have turned toward bundled payment models for surgical procedures. Though episode costs in spine are highly variable, physical therapy (PT) has been identified as a driver of 90-day cost. The goal of this study is to assess the impact of postoperative PT on patient-reported outcomes and cost after lumbar fusion surgery using bundled insurance data.

The Impact of the Preoperative Mental Health Component Summary (MCS) Score on Short-term Outcomes after Lumbar Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize the relationship between preoperative MCS and surgical outcomes after lumbar spine surgery including inpatient complications, length of stay, readmissions, and reoperations.

Summary Of Background Data: As the prevalence of mental health disorders in the United States increases, it is important to identify risks associated with poor mental health status in the surgical spine patient.