Minimally invasive lateral approaches for the treatment of spinal tumors: single-position surgery without the "flip".

Although primary tumors of the spine and neural elements are rare, metastatic disease to the spine is quite common. Traditionally, surgical treatment for spinal tumor patients involves open decompression with or without stabilization. The single-position minimally invasive (MIS) lateral approach, which has been recently described over the recent decade, allows simultaneous access to the anterior and posterior columns with the patient positioned in the lateral decubitus position.

Tissue-Sparing Posterior Cervical Fusion With Interfacet Cages: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Study Design: Literature review.

Objectives: Posterior cervical interfacet cages are an alternative to lateral mass fixation in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery. Recently, a percutaneous, tissue-sparing system for interfacet cage placement has been developed, however, there is limited clinical evidence supporting its widespread use.

Accuracy of cortical bone trajectory screw placement in midline lumbar fusion (MIDLF) with intraoperative cone beam navigation.

Background: Cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screws have been recently described as a method of lumbosacral fixation. These screws are typically inserted under fluoroscopic guidance with a medial-to-lateral trajectory in the axial plane and a caudal-to-cephalad trajectory in the sagittal plane. In an effort to reduce surgeon radiation exposure and improve accuracy, CBT screws may be inserted under navigation with intraoperative cone beam computed tomography (CT).

Acute and Hyper-acute Thoracolumbar Corpectomy for Traumatic Burst Fractures Using a Mini-open Lateral Approach.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of acute (<24 hours) and hyperacute (<8 hours) treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures to maintain or improve spinal injury scores.

Summary Of Background Data: Historically, treatment of spinal burst fractures within 24 hours from injury was considered an "acute" treatment timeframe.

Outpatient Minimally Invasive Lumbar Interbody: Fusion Predictive Factors and Clinical Results.

Study Design: Retrospective review of data from a prospective patient outcomes registry.

Objective: The object of this work was to examine patient and surgical predictors of early postoperative discharge and test the predictive model against two clinical series of outpatient minimally invasive lumbar fusion patients.

Summary Of Background Data: Outpatient and ambulatory surgery centers are regularly utilized for procedures with low-risk profiles and minimal need for extended postoperative observation, but little has been reported in lumbar spinal fusion producers.

A comparison of perioperative charges and outcome between open and mini-open approaches for anterior lumbar discectomy and fusion.

The objectives of this study were to examine charge data and long-term outcomes of two approaches for anterior lumbar interbody fusion: a mini-open lateral approach (extreme lateral interbody fusion, XLIF) and an open anterior approach (anterior lumbar interbody fusion, ALIF) through retrospective chart review. A total of 202 patients underwent surgery: 87 with ALIF (Open) and 115 with XLIF (Mini-open) procedures, all with transpedicular fixation. Complications occurred in 16.

Lumbarized sacrum as a relative contraindication for lateral transpsoas interbody fusion at L5-6.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Objective: To determine if lumbarized sacra at the L5-6 level (functional L4-5) are a contraindication to a lateral transpsoas approach.

Summary Of Background Data: Transitional vertebrae at the lumbosacral junction present mechanical and morphologic changes, though these changes have not been characterized with respect to the feasibility of a lateral transpsoas approach.