The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Meta Analysis
Imaging for low back pain: is clinical use consistent with guidelines? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The problem of imaging patients with low back pain (LBP) when it is not indicated is well recognized. The converse is also possible, although rarely considered. The extent of these two problems is presently unclear. ⋯ Inappropriate imaging is common in LBP management, including both overuse in those where imaging is not indicated and underuse of imaging when it is indicated. Appreciating that both underuse and overuse can occur is fundamental to efforts to improve imaging practice to align with current guidelines and best evidence.
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Multicenter Study
Does intrawound vancomycin powder reduce surgical site infection after posterior instrumented spinal surgery? A propensity score-matched analysis.
Recent reports suggested that placing vancomycin powder into surgical wounds before closure can prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) in spinal surgery. ⋯ Intrawound application of vancomycin powder was not associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of SSIs after posterior instrumented spinal surgeries in a propensity score-matched analysis. However, the rate of infections caused by Staphylococcus species was lower in the vancomycin group.
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Distal junctional kyphosis (DJK) is a primary concern of surgeons correcting cervical deformity. Identifying patients and procedures at higher risk of developing this condition is paramount in improving patient selection and care. ⋯ In a surgical cohort of patients with cervical deformity, we found a 23.8% incidence of DJK. Different procedures and patient malalignment predicted incidence of DJK up to 1 year. Preoperative T1 slope-cervical lordosis, cervical kyphosis, SVA, and cervical lordosis all strongly predicted DJK at specific cut-off points. Knowledge of these factors will potentially help direct future study and strategy aimed at minimizing this potentially dramatic occurrence.
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Epidural steroid injection has been used to treat back or radicular pain from lumbar and lumbosacral disc herniation (LDH). However, the superiority of transforaminal injection (TFESI) to caudal injection (CESI) remains controversial. ⋯ Comprehensive reviews of selected articles revealed better clinical benefits with TFESI than with CESI, possibly because TFESI had the ability to deliver medication directly into the target area. Because of a low level of evidence and no significant results on meta-analysis, TFESI could be weakly recommended over CESI.