Pain physician
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Despite the existence of several screening tools for neuropathic pain, none of these are specific to surgery. We have developed a simple questionnaire tool, the Neuropathic Pain scale for Postsurgical patients (NeuPPS), to measure neuropathic pain in postsurgical patients. ⋯ Scale validation, Rasch analysis, item response model, persistent postoperative pain, intercostobrachial nerve, neuropathy, neuropathic pain, quantitative sensory testing, breast cancer.
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The facet joints contribute to chronic cervical spine pain in an estimated 55% of chronic neck pain cases and can be treated with percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy (PRN). Damage to surrounding structures during treatment or successful treatment of the primary pain source leading to unmasking could lead to new onset of pain, including cervicogenic headache (CGH). In this study, we aimed to define the incidence of headache in patients who have been previously treated with PRN for lower cervical facet pain. ⋯ Cervical spine, facetogenic pain, percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy, cervicogenic headache, chronic pain, zygapophysial joints, innervation convergence, retrospective chart review.
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Foot drop that results from compression of the exiting L5 nerve as a result of far lateral disc herniation (FLDH) at L5-S1 poses a significant surgical challenge to the minimally-invasive spine surgeon given the narrow corridor for an extraforaminal approach because of the high iliac crest. ⋯ Endoscopic spine surgery, minimally-invasive, transforaminal, foot drop, far lateral disc herniation.
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Transforaminal endoscopic lumbar disc decompression (TELD) has emerged as a treatment alternative to open lumbar discectomy, but rates of herniated lumbar disc (HLD) recurrence after TELD are higher by comparison. ⋯ Disc herniation, lumbar, endoscopic, recurrence, early.
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Observational Study
Radiation Dose Practice Audit of 6,234 Fluoroscopically-Guided Spinal Injections.
Fluoroscopic imaging guidance is frequently used in performing spinal interventional techniques. Reference level standards are a quality improvement tool to help reduce radiation dose and serve as benchmarks for physicians and their technologists to achieve reasonable radiation exposure while performing fluoroscopically-guided spinal procedures. There are limited data describing radiation dose for musculoskeletal injections - in particular, spinal injections without any published reference standards. ⋯ Spinal procedures, radiation dose, patient safety.