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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Degenerative spine disease (DSD) is increasingly prevalent due to aging populations, leading to higher surgical interventions and associated complications. This necessitates a comprehensive preoperative assessment, evaluating frailty through tools such as the modified Frailty Index 5 and modified Frailty Index 11 (mFI-5 and mFI-11). Despite the utility of mFI-5 and mFI-11 in predicting postoperative complications, these indices do not account for sarcopenia, a syndrome related to but distinct from frailty, which is associated with higher complication rates. This paper aims to retrospectively evaluate the influence of sarcopenia and frailty on postoperative adverse events in a cohort of patients who underwent posterior spine fusion for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine. ⋯ Frailty is a robust predictor of postoperative complications in DSD surgeries, while sarcopenia, appears to play a lesser role. The findings suggest that frailty alone provide a more comprehensive assessment of risk than sarcopenia.
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Clinicians monitor scoliosis progression using radiographs during growth. Three standing positions were assessed because the arms must be elevated to visualize all vertebrae on radiographs, possibly affecting sagittal parameters. 3D Ultrasound (3DUS) is safe to assess positions without radiation, but its test-retest reliability has not been established for common radiograph positions. The aim was to determine the test-retest reliability of frontal, sagittal, and transverse measurements obtained from three positions using 3DUS imaging. ⋯ 3DUS produces reliable frontal, sagittal, and transverse measurements for research use in three standing positions. Hands on wall produces reliable measurements for clinical practice.