Search

To evaluate the surgical results of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) with inconsistency between deep tendon reflex findings and cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and to analyze the differences between patients with good and poor surgical outcomes.We evaluated 50 subjects with CSM (30 males, 20 females; mean age: 70.4 years) who underwent posterior surgery and were followed for at least 1 year postoperatively. Matched CSM was defined as a consistent preoperative neurological pattern determined by deep tendon reflex and cervical MRI T2-weighted high-signal intramedullary area or stenosis in the most cranial compression levels. A lack of consistency was classified as unmatched CSM. Recovery rate (RR) according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scoring preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively were compared between the groups.The matched and unmatched CSM group included 27 subjects (13 males, 14 females; mean age: 68.2 years) and 23 subjects (17 males, 6 females; mean age: 72.8 years), respectively. RR was significantly higher in the matched CSM group (56.1 ± 3.7 % vs 36.8 ± 2.7 %; p = 0.002). Unmatched CSM was significantly associated with a lower RR independently of sex, patient age, surgical procedure, preoperative JOA score, diagnosis levels, and complication of diabetes.Postoperative JOA score RR was significantly diminished among unmatched CSM patients comprising of 46% of cases. Some patients with unmatched CSM had multiple levels of spinal canal stenosis, foraminal stenosis, and peripheral neuropathy, suggesting that surgical results were poorer than those of matched CSM.

Posterior spinal fusion with pedicle screws is commonly used for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). To reduce radiation exposure, methods other than computed tomography (CT) are desirable for preoperative determination of pedicle diameter.Investigate the differences between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT measurements of pedicle diameter.Cross-sectional research.Twenty-one AIS Lenke type 1 patients (19 female and 2 males, mean age at surgery: 15.4 years) who underwent posterior spinal fusion between April 2009 and October 2019.Gap between CT and MRI pedicle diameters.The inner and outer diameters of the right and left pedicles from T1 to L3 were measured separately by two spine surgeons for statistical comparisons.The respective minimum and maximum CT-MRI values were -3.7 mm and 4.7 mm for inner diameter and -4.6 mm and 5.3 mm for outer diameter. Regarding inter-examiner error, the probability of a 2 mm difference in measurement was less than 5% for both modalities. The probability of a 1 mm difference was also less than 5%, and that of a 3 mm or more difference was 2.1% for the inner diameter and 2.9% for the outer diameter. Whereas low body weight was significantly associated with measurement differences, pedicle laterality was not.MRI does not have the reliability to measure pedicle size in AIS patients at present. However, with advancements in image processing technology, the accuracy of pedicle size measurement by MRI may soon improve.

Background Musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome caused by pathogenic variants in CHST14 (mcEDS-CHST14) is a recently delineated connective tissue disorder characterized by multisystem congenital malformations and progressive connective tissue fragility-related manifestations. With only 2 cases of mcEDS-CHST14 containing precise information on surgical spinal correction being reported to date, there remains no consensus on treatment standards. This study describes the detailed clinical and radiologic outcomes of the third known patient with mcEDS-CHST14 who successfully underwent surgery for severe kyphoscoliosis. Case Description The patient was a 19-year-old girl with mcEDS-CHST14 who suffered from low back pain and decreased daily activities caused by progressive kyphoscoliosis. She underwent posterior spinal fusion with an all-pedicle screw construct from T4 to L4 for a preoperative main curve Cobb angle of 69 degrees and kyphotic angle of 27 degrees. Postoperative Cobb angle of the main curve and kyphotic angle were 26 and 6 degrees, respectively. Although sufficient correction was achieved without disseminated intravascular coagulation or other serious sequelae, a large amount of blood (2600 g) was lost due to tissue fragility. Her low back pain was decreased at 1 year after surgery. Conclusions On the basis of the present and 2 earlier reported cases, posterior spinal fusion may be a reasonable surgical option for severe progressive spinal deformities in patients with mcEDS-CHST14. However, careful attention is needed for possible massive blood loss from tissue fragility.

Reducing the number of screw insertions while maintaining good clinical outcomes can improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of scoliosis surgery. However, the optimal minimum number of pedicle screws remains unclear. This study searched for factors to estimate the fewest number of pedicle screws required between end vertebrae in relation to preoperative main thoracic curve flexibility.Sixty-nine subjects (4 male and 65 female, mean age: 14.8 ± 2.5 years) who underwent skip pedicle screw fixation for Lenke type 1-4 or 6 curves and were followed for at least 1 year were enrolled. Intervention technique was selected according to the size and flexibility of the preoperative main thoracic curve. Surgery-related variables included pedicle screw number, rod material and diameter, and extent of Ponte osteotomy. The effect on postoperative correction angle (i.e., the difference between the preoperative supine position maximum bending and postoperative standing Cobb angles of the main thoracic curve) according to surgical intervention technique was estimated using multiple linear mixed regression models with the preoperative supine position maximum bending correction angle (i.e., the difference between the standing preoperative and supine position maximum bending Cobb angles) as a random effect.The preoperative maximum bending correction angle was 8-42° and had a moderate negative correlation with postoperative correction angle (r = -0.65, P 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed a 1.7° (95% CI 0.7-2.6; P 0.01) correction gain per single-screw insertion and a 1.8° (95% CI 0.5-3.1; P 0.01) gain per intervertebral level in Ponte osteotomy.The number of pedicle screws necessary to correct main thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis curves can be estimated by calculating correction gains of 1.7° per pedicle screw and 1.8° per Ponte osteotomy intervertebral level. Based on these results, it may be possible to reduce invasiveness and cost for patients requiring a smaller degree of correction.

In skip pedicle screw fixation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the mid-term effects of reducing screw number on correction and clinical results are uncertain. We clarified the mid-term outcomes of this technique in patients with Lenke type 1 and 2 AIS.Thirty-four patients who underwent skip pedicle screw fixation (mean screw density: 1.35 screws) for Lenke type 1 and 2 AIS were retrospectively reviewed. The follow-up period was at least 5 years (mean follow-up period: 6.1 years), and the follow-up rate was 89.5%. Radiological parameters and clinical symptoms were evaluated before, immediately after, and at 2 years and 5 years after surgery.The mean Cobb angle of the main thoracic (MT) curve before, immediately after, at 2 years after surgery, and at the final 5-year minimum follow-up was 52.5°, 16.4°, 20.5°, and 19.4°, respectively. The Cobb angle of the MT curve was significantly improved immediately after, at 2 years after surgery, and at the final follow-up compared with that before surgery (p 0.01). The mean correction rate immediately after surgery was 69.0% and the rate of correction loss at the final follow-up was 8.3%. All Scoliosis Research Society-22 patient questionnaire (SRS-22r) sub scores 5 years after surgery were significantly improved compared with those beforehand (p 0.01).Correction using skip pedicle screw fixation in AIS was well maintained from the initial follow-up measurements to the final follow-up. The SRS-22r sub scores at the final follow-up were significantly improved over preoperative levels.

It is generally recognized that the main thoracic curve Cobb angle threshold for surgical correction is approximately 50 degrees in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Although AIS with a Cobb angle of50 degrees is sometimes treated surgically to improve cosmesis, the precise outcomes are unclear. This study analyzed the postoperative results for AIS with a main thoracic curve of 50 degrees.Thirty-nine consecutive patients with Lenke type 1-2 curves underwent posterior spinal fusion for AIS. These subjects were divided into the50 degrees of main thoracic curve group (n = 14) and the ≥50 degrees group (n = 25). Clinical and radiographic data were compared.The mean Cobb angle of the main thoracic curve before and at 2 years after surgery for the50 degrees and ≥50 degrees groups was 44.5 and 60.3 degrees (p 0.001) and 14.0 and 19.5 degrees (p = 0.016), respectively. Preoperatively, both groups had comparable Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) scores (all p 0.05). Patients with a Cobb angle of50 degrees displayed significantly milder postoperative pain (4.7 vs. 4.3, p = 0.031), with no remarkable differences in other SRS-22 domain scores. These patients also had a significantly shorter operative time (194 vs. 235 min, p = 0.021) and fused level (9.2 vs. 10.8 vertebrae, p = 0.006) along with similar correction rate (68.1 vs. 65.8%, p = 0.622) and blood loss volume (932 vs. 1009 ml, p = 0.715).Surgical correction of AIS with50 degrees of main thoracic curve may less invasively achieve results that are comparable with those for AIS with 50 degrees or more, including improvements in self-image.

A retrospective single-center and single-surgeon study.This study investigated the clinical and radiological results of skip pedicle screw fixation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).At present, the generally used technique for pedicle screw fixation for the surgical correction of AIS entails inserting a pedicle screw into every segment on the corrective side and into every or every other segment on the supportive side. To reduce operation time, blood loss, and cost, we developed skip pedicle screw fixation to achieve correction of AIS using fewer pedicle screws.We evaluated 62 consecutive patients who had undergone computer-assisted skip pedicle screw fixation from August 2005 to June 2014. All patients were followed up for at least two years. We investigated the clinical results of skip pedicle screw fixation for AIS.The mean number of fused vertebrae was 10.3 ± 2.0, the mean surgical time was 242 ± 78 min, and the mean blood loss volume was 1060 ± 688 ml. The mean Cobb angle of main thoracic (MT) curve two years after surgery improved significantly compared with that before surgery (p 0.01). The mean correction rate of MT curve immediately after surgery was 62.4 ± 12.4% and correction loss of MT curve at two years after surgery was 1.9 ± 5.8°. The SRS-22 subtotal score two years after surgery improved significantly compared to that before surgery (p 0.01). Although no patients experienced major complications, eight (12.9%) encountered minor complications (two [3.2%] had massive blood loss [3000 ml], three [4.8%] had a broken screw, one [1.6%] had a set-screw that dropped out, one [1.6%] experienced deep vein thrombosis, one [1.6%] experienced acute renal failure, and one [1.6%] experienced intercostal neuralgia). Revision surgery was not performed.Subjects with AIS who underwent skip pedicle screw fixation had significantly improved clinical and radiological parameters at two years after surgery, indicating that skip pedicle screw fixation could be used to successfully treat AIS.Level 4.

Spinal deformity is a characteristic feature of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), for which surgical correction is indicated when the deformity is progressive to avoid neurological deficits and respiratory impairment. However, there exist few reports on the surgical treatment of spinal deformity in MPS and no treatment standard has been established. We herein describe the clinical and radiological outcomes of a patient with MPS-I receiving surgery for severe thoracolumbar (TL) kyphoscoliosis. The patient was a 12-year-old girl with MPS-I who underwent posterior spinal fusion with an all pedicle screw construct from T9 to L4 for a preoperative TL curve Cobb angle of 50° and TL kyphotic angle of 71°. Postoperative Cobb angle of the TL curve and TL kyphotic angle improved to 5 and 12°, respectively. Although her lumbar lordosis decreased slightly due to mild back-out of the pedicle screws in L4, bony union was achieved 3 years after surgery without perioperative complications. Based on the present case, posterior spinal fusion represents a strong treatment option for severe spinal deformity in MPS. Keywords: Posterior spinal fusion, Pedicle screw, Thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis, Radiological findings, Mucopolysaccharidosis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The EuroQol (EQ-5D) is a widely used comprehensive measure of health-related quality of life. There has been no study that has evaluated the health-related quality of life before and after the surgical reconstruction of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cervical spine lesions using EQ-5D. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to evaluate the improvement of quality of life before and after surgical reconstruction of rheumatoid cervical spine using EQ-5D, and the surgical outcomes of cervical spine affected by RA. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of the patients who underwent surgical reconstruction of cervical disorders in RA. PATIENT SAMPLE: Twenty-five patients (seven men, 18 women, mean age 62.2 years) who underwent surgical reconstruction of cervical disorders in RA were enrolled. OUTCOME MEASURES: Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and EQ-5D. METHODS: Clinical symptoms were evaluated before surgery and at 2 years after surgery by measuring the JOA score. We also investigated health-related quality of life before surgery and outcome at 2 years after surgery using the EQ-5D questionnaire. RESULTS: Mean observation period was 46.3 months. Mean JOA score significantly improved from 9.1 +/- 4.5 points before surgery to 12.4 +/- 2.8 at the 2 years after surgery (p=.0001). All the EQ-5D data were improved at the 2 years after surgery, compared with the data before surgery; especially, pain (p=.005), usual activity (p=.005), mobility (p=.008), and anxiety/depression (p=.02) were significantly improved. Utility weight was 0.37 +/- 0.27 before surgery and 0.56 +/- 0.26 at the 2 years after surgery, showing significant improvement at the 2 years after surgery compared to before surgery (p=.002). CONCLUSIONS: The surgical reconstruction of rheumatoid cervical spine has been demonstrated to improve patients' health-related quality of life., Article, SPINE JOURNAL. 13(4):391-396 (2013)