World Neurosurg
-
Thoracolumbar vertebral fractures are one of the most common fractures; however, there is a lack of mechanical analyses for what the posterior fixation is for different spine alignments. ⋯ It may be more beneficial to use 6PS compared with 4PS to reduce stresses on the fractured vertebrae and instrumentation, regardless of the spinal alignment.
-
To the best of our knowledge, prior research has not investigated the uncertainty in the relationship between patient frailty and postoperative outcomes after brain tumor surgery. The present study used Bayesian methods to quantify the statistical uncertainty between the 5-factor modified frailty index (mFI-5) and postoperative outcomes for patients undergoing brain tumor resection. ⋯ Although mFI-5 scores might be able to effectively predict short-term outcomes such as length of stay, our results demonstrate no meaningful association between mFI-5 scores and 90-day readmission or 90-day mortality. Our study highlights the need for rigorously quantifying statistical uncertainty to safely risk-stratify neurosurgical patients.
-
We sought to assess correlational relationship between mental health and outcomes following lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF). ⋯ Better mental health scores correlated with superior physical function, pain, and disability scores when measured by both SF-12 MCS and PHQ-9. PHQ-9 more consistently reported significant correlation to all outcomes measured when compared to SF-12 MCS.
-
The San Diego-Mexico border wall height extension is associated with increased traumatic injuries and related costs after wall falls. We report previous trends and a neurological injury type not previously associated with border falls: blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs). ⋯ We review the injuries correlating with the border wall extension and reveal an association with rare, potentially devastating BCVIs that were not seen before the border wall modifications. These BCVIs and associated morbidity shed light on the trauma increasingly found at the southern U.S. border, which could be informative for future infrastructure policy decisions.
-
The occurrence of early osteointegration and reduced modulus of elasticity have been proved with 3-dimensinally (3D) printed porous titanium (3DP-titanium) cages used for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). The present study was conducted to demonstrate the fusion rate, subsidence, and clinical outcomes for the 3DP-titanium cage in PLIF and to compare its results with those of the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage. ⋯ The 3DP-titanium cage resulted in a higher fusion rate than the PEEK cage when used for PLIF. The subsidence rate did not differ significantly between the 2 cage materials. Therefore, the 3DP-titanium cage can be safely used for PLIF, considering its stable construct.