The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Intraoperative reduction of low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis (LGLS) remains disputed. There is currently no published data comparing midterm outcomes of reduction versus in situ fusion. ⋯ Intraoperative reduction does not improve outcomes in LGLS with neurogenic symptoms after MIS TLIF. Adequate decompression and solid fusion are likely the keys to good mid-term outcomes.
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Adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients may gain minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in one or more of the health-related quality-of-life instruments without surgical intervention. The present study identifies the baseline characteristics of this subset of nonoperative patients and proposes predictors of those most likely to benefit. ⋯ Nonoperative ASD patients who achieved MCID in SRS activity or pain had a lower baseline SRS pain score and less coronal deformity in the TL region. Greater baseline pain offers significant room for potential improvement, which may be important in identifying ASD patients who have the potential to reach MCID nonoperatively. Coronal deformities in the TL region and associated vertebral obliquity may negatively impact potential for improvement in nonoperative care.
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Comparative Study
Clinical utility of ultrasound to prospectively monitor distraction of magnetically controlled growing rods.
Growing rods are commonly used for surgical treatment of skeletally immature patients with scoliosis, but require repeated surgeries for distractions and are fraught with complications. As an alternative, the use of magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) allows for more frequent non-invasive distractions to mimic normal growth. However, more plain radiographs are needed to monitor increased distraction frequency, thereby increasing ionizing radiation exposure to the developing child. The use of ultrasound, which emits no radiation, has been found in a cross-sectional study to be reliable in measuring MCGR distractions. ⋯ This is the first prospective study to validate that ultrasound assessment of MCGR distraction lengths was highly comparable with that of plain radiographs. The present study has verified that ultrasound can be used to document length changes by distraction over time and that it had high clinical utility. Ultrasound can be a reliable alternative to plain radiographs, thereby avoiding radiation exposure and its potential detrimental sequelae in the developing child.
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The single-stage posterior approach only for spinal tuberculosis (TB) has been reported by some surgeons recently, but few studies have reported single-stage transpedicular decompression, debridement, posterior instrumentation, and fusion in treatment of thoracic TB with kyphosis and spinal cord compression in patients older than 65 years. ⋯ Single-stage transpedicular decompression, debridement, posterior instrumentation, and fusion is an effective and safe method in treatment of thoracic TB with kyphosis and spinal cord compression in aged individuals.
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Case Reports
Left ventricle thrombus after tranexamic acid for spine surgery in an HIV-positive patient.
Our case highlights the underappreciated thrombotic risks of tranexamic acid (TXA) use in non-cardiac surgery and emphasizes the need to elucidate these risks with appropriate clinical trials. ⋯ The thrombotic risks of TXA use in non-cardiac surgery have yet to be adequately studied in clinical trials. Hence, TXA use in this context is still an area of uncertainty, and its thrombogenic risks have yet to be studied as a primary outcome in any large prospective trial to date. Patients with any hypercoagulable risk factors, including HIV infection or any prior thrombotic history in which TXA use is being considered, should prompt a discussion among the perioperative physicians involved.