Neurosurgery
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The disappointing outcomes of conventional nerve repair or grafting procedures for proximal ulnar nerve injuries have led the scientific community to search for better alternatives. The pronator quadratus branch of the anterior interosseous nerve has been transferred to the distal ulnar motor branch in a reverse end-to-side fashion with encouraging results. ⋯ We have reviewed the existing preclinical and clinical literature relevant to this transfer to summarize the current level of understanding of the underlying mechanisms, define the indications for performing this transfer in the clinic, and identify the complications and best practices with respect to the operative technique. We have also attempted to identify the major deficiencies in our current level of understanding of the recovery process to propose directions for future research.
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The electronic health record (EHR) is central to clinical workflow, yet few studies to date have explored EHR usage patterns among neurosurgery trainees. ⋯ Residents spent, on average, 9 hours of their on-call shift actively using the EHR, and there was no improved efficiency as residents gained experience. We noted several areas of administrative EHR burden, which could be reduced.
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Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) causes drug-resistant epilepsy in children that can be cured surgically, but the lesions are often unseen by imaging. ⋯ A combination of multiple imaging techniques, including PET, ASL, and VBM analysis of T1-weighted images, is effective in detecting subtle FCD in children.
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The most significant paradigm shift in surgical management of skull base chordomas has been the adoption of the endoscopic endonasal approach, but the impact on patient outcomes compared with open skull base approaches remains unclear. ⋯ There was no difference in survival rates for patients treated in the current era, primarily using endoscopic endonasal techniques, compared with previously published results using open skull-base approaches by the same surgeon. Although use of endoscopic endonasal approach resulted in higher rates of radical resection, patients undergoing first-time resection and fewer staged surgeries were required.
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Surgeons can preoperatively assess bone quality using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or computed tomography; however, this is not feasible for all patients. Recently, a MRI-based scoring system was used to evaluate the lumbar spine's vertebral bone quality. ⋯ We found that a higher C-VBQ score was significantly associated with cage subsidence after ACDF. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between C-VBQ and HU. The C-VBQ score may be a valuable tool for assessing preoperative bone quality and independently predicting cage subsidence after ACDF.