World Neurosurg
-
Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Unilateral vs Bilateral Cages in Lumbar Interbody Fusions: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes.
Bilateral cages are often used for interbody fusion. However, this procedure may not be possible in some cases making unilateral cages a reasonable alternative. The literature remains divided on the clinical and radiological distinctions when comparing unilateral to bilateral cages in lumbar interbody fusion. Thus, this meta-analysis will analyze the clinical and radiographic outcomes between these 2 groups. ⋯ Unilateral cages were shown to be superior due to their reduced OR time and estimated blood loss. As for the higher rate of pseudoarthrosis, this outcome may not be related to the cage numbers and it did not affect clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, one must consider other factors such as radiographic sagittal parameters before making a surgical decision.
-
Review Meta Analysis
Application of Machine Learning for Classification of Brain Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Classifying brain tumors accurately is crucial for treatment and prognosis. Machine learning (ML) shows great promise in improving tumor classification accuracy. This study evaluates ML algorithms for differentiating various brain tumor types. ⋯ ML demonstrated excellent performance in classifying brain tumor images, with near-maximum area under the curves, sensitivity, and specificity.
-
The long-term outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for pediatric brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) remain poorly understood given the paucity of longitudinal studies. A systematic review was conducted to pool cumulative incidences for all outcomes. ⋯ Studies assessing long-term outcomes after SRS are moderate in quality and retrospective. Thus, interpretation with caution is advised given the variable degree of loss to follow-up, which suggests that complication rates may be higher than the values stated in the literature. Future prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.
-
Review Meta Analysis
Gene Therapy and Spinal Fusion: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Available Data.
To analyze the extant literature describing the application of gene therapy to spinal fusion. ⋯ Gene therapy may augment spinal fusion; however, future investigation in clinical populations is necessary.
-
Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major determinant of quality of life and outcomes. However, SES remains difficult to measure comprehensively. Distress communities index (DCI), a composite of 7 socioeconomic factors, has been increasingly recognized for its correlation with poor outcomes. As a result, the objective of the present study is to determine the predictive value of the DCI on outcomes following intracranial tumor surgery. ⋯ Intracranial tumor patients from distressed communities are at increased risk for adverse events and death in the postoperative period. DCI may be a useful, holistic measure of SES that can help risk stratifying patients and should be considered when building healthcare pathways.