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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The evaluation of lumbar spine degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is prone to inter-reader variability, including when assessing foraminal changes. This variability, often due to subjective criteria and inconsistent terminology, may affect clinical correlations. Standardized criteria could help improve agreement among readers. ⋯ Levels of agreement can differ depending on the scale used. Simpler dichotomous scales may return higher levels of agreement compared to more complex ones. For the non-dichotomous scales, using different scales may not result in overall different levels of agreement. Given the overall low inter-rater agreements observed, there is probably significant potential to enhance agreement through more rigorous training and consensus-building.
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To characterize the type, content, and results of care interventions that support spine surgery patients in their early post-discharge recovery. ⋯ The included studies demonstrated diverse interventions across settings, populations, interventions, controls, follow-up times, and outcome measures. This variability suggests unclear patient needs and preferences for post-discharge care. Given the heterogeneity and overall study quality, further high-quality research is essential. Future studies should prioritize identifying these needs before intervention design.
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For anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), stand-alone anchored spacers (SAAS) and cage-plate system (CPS) are currently employed. However, controversy remains over the effectiveness and security of these two apparatuses in multilevel ACDF. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the global long-term effectiveness and safety of SAAS versus CPS with multilevel ACDF. ⋯ SAAS provided comparable long-term effectiveness and safeness for multilevel ACDF regarding JOA scores, NDI scores, fusion rates and ASD rates at endpoint compared to CPS. In comparison to CPS, SAAS demonstrated significant advancement in the reduction of operative time, intraoperative blood loss and the incidence of postoperative dysphagia. As a consequence, SAAS appeared more desirable than CPS among people who needed multilevel ACDF. Yet in long-term observation, SAAS was inferior to CPS in maintaining CSA and FSH and in preventing cage descent. However, whether or not radiographic abnormality has an impact on clinical presentation awaits confirmation from research with more longitudinal follow-up.
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Complete removal of the lesion from the spinal cord cavernous malformation is crucial in patients with spinal cord cavernous malformation. Herein, we report that narrow-band imaging (NBI) is useful to confirm the complete removal of spinal cord cavernous malformations. ⋯ NBI is helpful in detecting hidden spinal cord cavernous malformations.
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Evaluate the validity of rasterstereography compared to low-dose, biplanar spine radiography for assessing thoracic kyphosis (TK) angles in Scheuermann's disease patients. ⋯ Rasterstereography is a reliable means of quantifying TK angles in Scheuermann's disease patients. It could directly reduce the number of radiographic scans patients need over time, minimising their radiation exposure.