Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
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Cost-utility analysis is currently the preferred method with which to compare the cost-effectiveness of various interventions. The authors conducted a study to establish the cost-utility results of routine neurosurgery-based spinal interventions by examining patient-derived values. ⋯ Spinal surgery led to a statistically significant and clinically important improvement in HRQOL. The cost per QALY gained was reasonable, less than half of that observed, for example, for hip replacement surgery or angioplasty treatment of coronary artery disease; however, a prolonged delay in surgical intervention led to an approximate doubling of the cost per QALY gained by the treatment.
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Clinical Trial
Atlantoaxial stabilization with the use of C1-3 lateral mass screw fixation. Technical note.
Atlantoaxial stabilization has evolved from simple posterior wiring to transarticular screw fixation. In some patients, however, the course of the vertebral artery (VA) through the axis varies, and therefore transarticular screw placement is not always feasible. For these patients, the authors have developed a novel method of atlantoaxial stabilization that does not require axial screws. ⋯ Follow-up data (mean follow-up duration 13.1 months) were available for seven of the remaining nine patients and demonstrated a stable construct with fusion in each patient. The authors present an effective alternative method in which C1-3 lateral mass screw fixation is used to treat patients with unfavorable anatomy for atlantoaxial transarticular screw fixation. In this series of 10 patients, the method was a safe and effective way to provide stabilization in these anatomically difficult patients.
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Comparative Study
Clinical and radiographic outcomes of thoracic and lumbar pedicle subtraction osteotomy for fixed sagittal imbalance.
The authors conducted a study to evaluate the radiographically documented and functional outcomes obtained in patients who underwent pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO). They also compared outcomes after classification of cases into thoracic and lumbar PSO subgroups. ⋯ The ability to perform a PSO at both lumbar and thoracic levels is a powerful asset for the spine surgeon treating spinal deformity. In the present study radiographic and clinical outcomes were superior when PSO was used to treat lumbar deformity rather than thoracic deformity because of several anatomical and technical obstacles that hindered the thoracic procedure. Nevertheless, the thoracic PSO proved a useful addition with which to produce regional improvement in sagittal balance for patients with a fixed thoracic kyphosis.
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Case Reports
Pedicle subtraction osteotomy in the treatment of chronic, posttraumatic kyphotic deformity.
Thoracolumbar fractures, treated operatively or nonoperatively, may cause painful kyphotic deformities over time. A pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) is a single-stage posterior procedure designed to correct sagittal plane deformity. Although it was initially used to treat nontraumatic conditions, a PSO can be highly effective in chronic, posttraumatic fractures of the lumbar spine. In this report the authors review details obtained in the treatment of three patients with severe, posttraumatic spinal deformities. They describe the surgical technique used to correct the sagittal malalignments. ⋯ A PSO is a valuable tool to add to the armamentarium of neurosurgeons who treat patients suffering from painful posttraumatic deformity following fractures of the upper lumbar spine.
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Case Reports
Injuries of the cervical spine in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: experience at two trauma centers.
The cervical spine in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (Bechterew disease) is exposed to maximal risk due to physical load. Even minor trauma can cause fractures because of the spine's poor elasticity (so-called bamboo spine). The authors conducted a study to determine the characteristics of cervical fractures in patients with AS to describe the standard procedures in the treatment of this condition at two trauma centers and to discuss complications of and outcomes after treatment. ⋯ The standard intervention for these injuries is open reduction, anterior decompression and fusion, and anterior-posterior stabilization; these procedures may be conducted in one or two stages. Based on the early implant failures that occurred exclusively after single-session anterior stabilizations (five of 10--a failure rate of 50%), the authors have performed only posterior and anterior procedures since 1997 at both centers. Diagnostic investigations include computed tomography scanning or magnetic resonance imaging of the whole spine, because additional injuries are common. The causative trauma may be very slight, and diagnosis may be delayed because plain radiographs can be initially misinterpreted. In cases in which diagnosis is delayed, patients present with more severe neurological deficits, and postoperative improvement is less pronounced than that in patients in whom a prompt diagnosis is established. Because of postoperative pulmonary and ischemic complications, the mortality rate is high. In the present series the mortality rate was lower than the mean rate reported in the literature.