Spine
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Multivariate analysis of prospectively collected registry data. ⋯ After univariate and multivariate analyses, Medicaid insurance status was found to be a risk factor for postoperative complications. This corresponds to an ever-growing body of medical literature that has shown similar trends and raises the concern of underinsurance.
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Multicenter Study
Vertebral artery injury associated with blunt cervical spine trauma: a multivariate regression analysis.
Retrospective analysis of prospective registry data. ⋯ VAI associated with blunt cervical spine injury is a marker for more severely injured patients. High-risk patients with basilar skull fractures, occipitocervical dissociation, fracture displacement into the transverse foramen more than 1 mm, ankylosing spondylitis/diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperosteosis, and facet subluxation/dislocation deserve focused consideration for VAI screening.
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Prospective in vivo radiation exposure study. ⋯ Prolonged exposure to "low-level" radiation as an occupational risk remains a concern for medical personnel. Radiation exposures to unprotected, radiosensitive locations, such as the axilla or eye, are worrisome. However, following radiation safety guidelines, 2700 LLIF procedures can be performed per year before exceeding occupational dose limits. Adherence to radiation safety guidelines is necessary to avoid sequelae related to an invisible but potentially deadly risk of minimally invasive spine surgery procedures.
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Retrospective review. ⋯ The use of chemoprophylaxis appears to be safe in at-risk patients in the immediate postoperative period after spinal trauma surgery. No epidural hematomas occurred, and the risk of wound drainage is small. Body mass index, injury severity score, presence of neurological deficits, and number of spinal levels fused should be considered when determining which patients should receive chemoprophylaxis after surgical stabilization.