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Objectives: To explore the views of patients and healthcare providers on current rehabilitation after lumbar fusion surgery (LFS) to fuel the development of a novel rehabilitation care pathway., Design: A cross-sectional, qualitative study with an interpretive descriptive design., Setting: Academic and non-academic hospital setting in Belgium., Participants: 31 caregivers from (non)-academic settings and 5 patients with LFS were purposefully sampled and in-depth interviewed., Results: Out of the data of all interviews, participants reported opinions on 23 thematic clusters that were expressed in a time-contingent manner from the preoperative, perioperative to postoperative phase. Afterwards, themes were mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, with a larger role for concepts related to the innovation, inner and individual domain. As an overarching theme, the importance of an 'individualised, patient-centred rehabilitation built on a strong therapeutic alliance with an accessible interprofessional team' was stressed for patients undergoing LFS. Specifically, participants stated that a biopsychosocial approach to rehabilitation should start in the preoperative phase and immediately be continued postoperatively. No consensus was observed for movement restrictions postoperatively. Uniform communication between the involved caregivers was considered essential for optimal therapeutic alliance and clinical outcome. The precise role and competence of each member of the interprofessional team needs, therefore, to be clearly defined, respected and discussed. An accessible case manager to guide the patient trajectory and tackle problems could further support this. Interestingly, only patients, psychologists and physiotherapists addressed return to work as an important outcome after LFS., Conclusions: This qualitative study identified key experiences and points to consider in the current and future rehabilitation pathway for LFS. Future research should incorporate these findings to build a novel rehabilitation pathway for LFS and evaluate its feasibility and cost-effectiveness., Trial Registration Number: This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03427294)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: There is limited evidence to guide the rehabilitation of patients following single or double-level lumbar fusion surgery (LFS). This is reflected in extensive variability in current rehabilitation regimes and subsequent low clinical success rates, which urges a call for a consensus rehabilitation pathway., Aim: To establish consensus on the optimal pre-, peri- and postoperative rehabilitation of LFS., Design: A modified Delphi Study., Setting: Belgium and the Netherlands., Population: A multidisciplinary panel of 31 experts in the field of LFS and rehabilitation participated. Nine patients validated the consensus pathway., Methods: A three-round online Delphi questionnaire was followed by an in-person consensus meeting. In each round, experts could suggest new statements, and received group summary statistics and feedback for reconsidered statements. Consensus threshold was set at ≥75% agreement. The resulting rehabilitation pathway was validated by patients through an online questionnaire and subsequent in-person focus group., Results: A total of 31 experts participated in the first online round, with 27 (87%) completing all online rounds, and 17 (55%) attending the in-person consensus meeting. Consensus was reached on 122 statements relating to pre-, peri- and postoperative rehabilitation of LFS, and validated by patients. Key components of the rehabilitation pathway included prehabilitation, education, physiotherapy in every phase, early postoperative mobilization, and little movement restrictions. Patients emphasized the need for support during the return-to-work process., Conclusions: This process resulted in 122 expert-consensus statements on best practice rehabilitation for managing LFS, validated by patients., Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: The proposed rehabilitation pathway can serve as guidance to support clinicians, reduce practice variability, and subsequently improve clinical outcomes after LFS.

Background: Diagnostic imaging for low back pain (LBP) without any indication of a serious underlying cause does not improve patient outcomes. However, there is still overuse of imaging, especially at emergency departments (EDs). Although evidence-based guidelines for LBP and radicular pain management exist, a protocol for use at the ED in the Belgian University Hospitals Leuven was not available, resulting in high practice variation. The present paper aims to describe the process from protocol development to the iterative implementation approach and explore how it has influenced practice., Methods: In accordance with a modified 'knowledge-to-action' framework, five steps took place within the iterative bottom-up implementation process: (1) identification of the situation that requires the implementation of evidence based recommendations, (2) context analysis, (3) development of an implementation plan, (4) evaluation and (5) sustainability of the implemented practice recommendations. Two potential barriers were identified: the high turnover of attending specialists at the ED and patients' and general practicioners' expectations that might overrule the protocol. These were tackled by educational sessions for staff, patient brochures, an information campaign and symposium for general practitioners., Results: The rate of imaging of the lumbar spine decreased from over 25% of patients to 15.0%-16.4% for CT scans and 19.0%-21.8% for X-rays after implementation, but started to fluctuate again after 3 years. After introducing a compulsory e-learning before rotation and catchy posters in the ED staff rooms, rates decreased to 14.0%-14.6% for CT scan use and 12.7-13.5% for X-ray use., Conclusions: Implementation of a new protocol in a tertiary hospital ED with high turn over of rotating trainees is a challenge and requires ongoing efforts to ensure sustainability. Rates of imaging represent an indirect though useful indicator. We have demonstrated that it is possible to implement a protocol that includes demedicalisation in an ED environment and to observe changes in indicator results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Obtaining a spine that is well balanced after fusion for scoliotic deformity is primordial for the patients' quality of life. A simple T-shaped instrument combined with standard intraoperative fluoroscopy can be of great help to evaluate the coronal alignment quickly. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a T-shaped device could predict the postoperative coronal balance. Before finalization of the rod fixation, the balance was checked by verifying the relationship between the T-shaped instrument and the upper instrumented vertebra (UIV), and final adjustments were made to correct the coronal balance. A retrospective study was conducted on 48 patients who underwent surgery to correct scoliotic deformity. Intraoperative and postoperative coronal alignment was measured independently by two observers. The mean intraoperative horizontal offset measured between T-shaped instrument and the center of the UIV was 1,69mm to the right with a standard deviation (SD) of 12,43 mm. On postoperative full spine radiographs, the mean offset between the centra sacral vertical line and the center of the UIV was 2,44mm to the left with a SD of 13,10mm. There is no significant difference in coronal balance between both measurements (p=0,12). With this technique we were able to predict the postoperative coronal balance in all but one patient (97,92%). We conclude that the use of a simple T-shaped instrument can provide adequate intraoperative assessment of coronal balance in correcting scoliotic deformity. Level of evidence : IV - case series.

The purpose of this prospective mono-centric case series study is to investigate the mid-term (minimum follow-up 24 months) safety and efficacy using a new "zero-profile" stand-alone cage with integrated angle-stable fixation in single- and multilevel anterior cervical fusions. 53 consecutive patients with radiculopathy/myelopathy at one to three levels underwent an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion procedure using the "zero-profile" implant (97 levels operated). A CT-scan at 12-months was taken to assess fusion status, implant failure, subsidence and migration. The overall fusion rate was 97%. 3 out of 45 patients (6.6%) complained about mild dysphagia related symptoms at 24 months follow-up . There was no recorded incidence of hardware failure. The new cervical stand-alone anterior fusion device allows a safe anterior cervical decompression and stabilisation, a low rate of chronic dysphagia and achieves a high fusion rate. Prospective randomised trials are necessary to confirm these results.

Parsonage-Turner syndrome (PTS) is a distinct clinical syndrome, characterized by acute and severe (mostly) unilateral shoulder pain, followed by paresis and atrophy of the shoulder girdle, while the pain decreases. Most authors consider it as an immune-mediated disorder. PTS is notoriously unrecognised and is usually diagnosed with delay. A PTS may also occur following a surgical procedure. Postsurgical PTS is an under-recognised and challenging clinical entity, as illustrated in the case reported here of a 59-year-old man, 4 weeks after anterior discectomy and fusion C5C7. In such cases, the differential diagnosis must be made with a complication of surgery, such as postoperative C5 palsy due for instance to a migrated bone graft. Arguments for PTS are: a certain delay between surgery and symptoms, intolerable pain followed by weakness and improvement of pain complaints, divergent distribution of weakness, sensory deficit and pain, which may be confirmed by electrodiagnosis. Early recognition of postsurgical PTS may avoid unnecessary investigations or surgical exploration. It allows to treat the patient properly, leading to greater satisfaction of both surgeon and patient; pain management, physical therapy and reassurance are the cornerstones.