European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of topical vancomycin powder for microbial profile in spinal surgical site infections.
To systematically evaluate the impact of topical vancomycin powder for microbial profile in spinal surgical site infections. ⋯ Topical administration of vancomycin powder may not increase the rates of gram-negative bacterial or polymicrobial infections in spinal surgical sites. On the contrary, it can significantly reduce the infection rates of gram-positive bacteria, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus (MRS) and microorganism. Of course, the topical vancomycin powder cannot change the rates of gram-negative bacterial infections, which may be related to the antimicrobial spectrum of vancomycin. Due to the limited number of articles included in this study, additional large-scale and high-quality studies are needed to provide more reliable clinical evidence.
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Recent research shows an increasing recognition that organisms not traditionally considered infectious in nature contribute to disease processes. Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is a gram-positive, aerotolerant anaerobe prevalent in the sebaceous gland-rich areas of the human skin. A ubiquitous slow-growing organism with the capacity to form biofilm, P. acnes, recognized for its role in acne vulgaris and medical device-related infections, is now also linked to a number of other human diseases. While bacterial culture and molecular techniques are used to investigate the involvement of P. acnes in such diseases, definitive demonstration of P. acnes infection requires a technique (or techniques) sensitive to the presence of biofilms and insensitive to the presence of potential contamination. Fortunately, there are imaging techniques meeting these criteria, in particular, fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence coupled with confocal laser scanning microscopy, as well as immunohistochemistry. ⋯ We conclude that P. acnes is an opportunistic pathogen with a likely underestimated role in the development of various human diseases associated with significant morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. As such, these findings offer the potential for new studies aimed at understanding the pathological mechanisms driving the observed disease associations, as well as novel diagnostic strategies and treatment strategies, particularly for degenerative disc disease. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
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This study examined for factors contributing to postoperative pain in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), including those of sagittal alignment and lumbar disc degeneration. ⋯ While preoperative lumbar disc degeneration was not associated with pre- or postoperative pain in AIS, higher preoperative pain and higher postoperative T5-12 kyphotic angle had significant associations with augmented postoperative pain. Higher preoperative pain was related to increased Risser grade and lower mental health score. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
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The current classifications of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) aim to guide surgical decision making. However, variance exists within treatment recommendations and suboptimal outcomes have been observed while following these guidelines based on two-dimensional images. We used previously developed 3D classification for right thoracic AIS patients and aimed to determine the variation in surgical decision making and the risk of suboptimal outcomes in each subtype according to our classification. ⋯ Following the preoperative 3D classification of the AIS patients, we showed that the UIV and LIV selection has a different impact on the surgical outcomes in each of the five subtypes. The proposed 3D classification has the potential for risk stratification following a posterior spinal surgery in right thoracic AIS. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
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Clinical photography has proven to be reliable for posture assessment in adolescents and young adults with idiopathic scoliosis. This paper attempts to elucidate whether clinical photography is capable of distinguishing the distinctive characteristics in trunk deformity of the different Lenke patterns in patients with severe scoliosis candidate for surgery. ⋯ Clinical photography is a valid method for assessing trunk asymmetry in severe idiopathic scoliosis. Specifically, for waist area measurements, robust cutoff values can be determined to discriminate among different curve patterns according to Lenke classification. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.