The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Although most cadaveric studies of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN) have focused on course variations, they have usually been done on preserved (fixed and embalmed) cadavers, which renders the RLN immobile and of less surgical landmark value. ⋯ We found that the most reliable anatomical landmark for the RLN bilaterally was the ITA and Berry's ligament, both of which would be encountered as readily identifiable structures in anterior cervical spinal exposure before the nerve itself. We believe this will help spinal surgeons to refine their surgical technique to identify RLN where necessary, thus preventing iatrogenic injury. Our landmark protocol of FEEL-LOOK-AVOID can serve as an easy aide-mémoire for intraoperative surgical anatomy of the RLN during ACDF regardless of side.
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Short-term readmission rates are becoming widely used as a quality and performance metric for hospitals. Data on unplanned short-term readmission after spine fusion for deformity in pediatric patients are limited. ⋯ The short-term readmission rate for pediatric spine deformity surgery is driven by patient-related factors, as well as several risk factors that may be modified to reduce this rate.