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Background: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive chronic spinal cord injury estimated to affect 1 in 50 adults. Without standardised guidance, clinical research studies have selected outcomes at their discretion, often underrepresenting the disease and limiting comparability between studies. Utilising a standard minimum data set formed via multi-stakeholder consensus can address these issues. This combines processes to define a core outcome set (COS)-a list of key outcomes-and core data elements (CDEs), a list of key sampling characteristics required to interpret the outcomes. Further "how" these outcomes should be measured and/or reported is then defined in a core measurement set (CMS). This can include a recommendation of a standardised time point at which outcome data should be reported. This study defines a COS, CDE, and CMS for DCM research., Methods and Findings: A minimum data set was developed using a series of modified Delphi processes. Phase 1 involved the setup of an international DCM stakeholder group. Phase 2 involved the development of a longlist of outcomes, data elements, and formation into domains. Phase 3 prioritised the outcomes and CDEs using a two-stage Delphi process. Phase 4 determined the final DCM minimal data set using a consensus meeting. Using the COS, Phase 5 finalised definitions of the measurement construct for each outcome. In Phase 6, a systematic review of the literature was performed, to scope and define the psychometric properties of measurement tools. Phase 7 used a modified Delphi process to inform the short-listing of candidate measurement tools. The final measurement set was then formed through a consensus meeting (Phase 8). To support implementation, the data set was then integrated into template clinical research forms (CRFs) for use in future clinical trials (Phase 9). In total, 28 outcomes and 6 domains (Pain, Neurological Function, Life Impact, Radiology, Economic Impact, and Adverse Events) were entered into the final COS. Thirty two outcomes and 4 domains (Individual, Disease, Investigation, and Intervention) were entered into the final CDE. Finally, 4 outcome instruments (mJOA, NDI, SF-36v2, and SAVES2) were identified for the CMS, with a recommendation for trials evaluating outcomes after surgery, to include baseline measurement and at 6 months from surgery., Conclusions: The AO Spine RECODE-DCM has produced a minimum data set for use in DCM clinical trials today. These are available at https://myelopathy.org/minimum-dataset/. While it is anticipated the CDE and COS have strong and durable relevance, it is acknowledged that new measurement tools, alongside an increasing transition to study patients not undergoing surgery, may necessitate updates and adaptation, particularly with respect to the CMS., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Davies et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Conflicting evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), particularly in mild DCM., Objective: To prospectively evaluate the impact of surgery on patient-reported outcomes in patients with mild (modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association [mJOA] ≥ 15), moderate (mJOA 12-14), and severe (mJOA < 12) DCM., Methods: Prospective, multicenter cohort study of patients with DCM who underwent surgery between 2015 and 2019 and completed 1-yr follow-up. Outcome measures (mJOA, Neck Disability Index [NDI], EuroQol-5D [EQ-5D], Short Form [SF-12] Physical Component Score [PCS]/Mental Component Score [MCS], numeric rating scale [NRS] neck, and arm pain) were assessed at 3 and 12 mo postoperatively and compared to baseline, stratified by DCM severity. Changes in outcome measures that were statistically significant (P < .05) and met their respective minimum clinically important differences (MCIDs) were deemed clinically meaningful. Responder analysis was performed to compare the proportion of patients between DCM severity groups who met the MCID for each outcome measure., Results: The cohort comprised 391 patients: 110 mild, 163 moderate, and 118 severe. At 12 mo after surgery, severe DCM patients experienced significant improvements in all outcome measures; moderate DCM patients improved in mJOA, NDI, EQ-5D, and PCS; mild DCM patients improved in EQ-5D and PCS. There was no significant difference between severity groups in the proportion of patients reaching MCID at 12 mo after surgery for any outcome measure, except NDI., Conclusion: At 12 mo after surgery, patients with mild, moderate, and severe DCM all demonstrated improved outcomes. Severe DCM patients experienced the greatest breadth of improvement, but the proportion of patients in each severity group achieving clinically meaningful changes did not differ significantly across most outcome measures., (© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2021.)

Early decompression of the traumatically injured and persistently compressed spinal cord is intuitively beneficial for neurological outcome. Despite considerable pre-clinical evidence of a neurological benefit to early decompression, the effect of early surgical decompression in clinical spinal cord injury (SCI) remains less clear. The discrepancy between pre-clinical and clinical results may be due to differences between the biomechanical variables used in pre-clinical animal models and the biomechanical conditions occurring in clinical injuries. These pre-clinical variables include region of spinal cord, velocity of impact, and injury mechanism. In this study, the effect of velocity and duration of residual compression on injury severity were evaluated using a novel, rodent model of cervical dislocation SCI. Fifty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were included in five groups: two timings of decompression (24 min, 240 min), two velocities (10 mm/sec, 500 mm/sec), and a sham group. All injuries involved a 1.45-mm dorsal dislocation of the C6 vertebra relative to C5 with subsequent residual compression of 0.8 mm. Animals were evaluated for motor function using the Martinez open field, grip strength, and grooming tests for 6 weeks post-injury. Immunohistochemistry and histology following sacrifice were conducted with counts for NeuN- and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons, and length of cavitation. Behavioral testing and histological analysis revealed that injuries induced by the high velocity were consistently more severe than those induced by the low velocity, with behavioral correlations ranging between 0.46 and 0.58 ( p  < 0.05). Longer duration of residual compression did not produce significantly more severe injuries as measured by functional tests and histology. These findings demonstrate that the velocity of the initial traumatic impact may be a more important factor than duration of residual compression in determining SCI severity in a dislocation model of SCI.

Facet injuries are common in the cervical spine. Many classification systems over the years have characterized the heterogeneity of these injuries. For unilateral facet fractures with minimal displacement and no neurological deficit, there is mounting evidence that better radiographic and clinical outcomes may be achieved with surgical treatment. Anterior and posterior approaches can both be utilized successfully for the surgical management of facet injuries. The anterior approach is well tolerated, allows one to address a disc herniation, and provides a high union rate with good sagittal alignment. The posterior approach allows for easier open reduction and biomechanically superior fixation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Object: Unilateral facet injuries can be treated with either anterior or posterior fixation techniques with reportedly good outcomes. The two approaches have not been directly compared, however, and consensus is lacking as to which is the optimal method. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether acute postoperative morbidity differed between anteriorly and posteriorly treated patients with unilateral facet injuries., Methods: Forty-two patients were prospectively randomized to undergo either anterior cervical discectomy and fusion or posterior fixation. The primary outcome measure was the postoperative time required to achieve a predefined set of discharge criteria. Secondary outcome measures included postoperative pain, wound infections, radiographically demonstrated fusion and alignment, and patient-reported outcome measures., Results: The median time to achieve the discharge criteria was 2.75 and 3.5 days for anterior and posterior groups, respectively, a difference that did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.096). Compared with those treated using posterior fixation, anteriorly treated patients exhibited somewhat less postoperative pain, a lower rate of wound infection, a higher rate of radiographically demonstrated union, and better radiographically proven alignment. Nonetheless, the anterior approach was accompanied by a risk of swallowing difficulty in the early postoperative period. Patient-reported outcome measures did not reveal a difference between anterior and posterior fixation procedures., Conclusions: This prospective randomized controlled trial provided level 1 evidence that both the anterior and posterior fixation approaches appear to be valid treatment options. Although statistical significance was not reached in the primary outcome measure, some secondary outcome measures favored anterior fixation and others favored posterior treatment for unilateral facet injuries.

In the surgical management of cervical spondylosis, the application of rigid internal fixation can enhance the immediate stability of the cervical spine. The sophistication of such internal fixation systems and the indications for their use are continuously evolving. A sound understanding of regional anatomy, biomechanics, and kinematics within the cervical spine is essential for the safe and effective application of internal fixation. Numerous options currently exist for anterior cervical plating systems; some lock the screws to the plate rigidly (constrained), whereas others allow for some rotational or translational motion between the screw and plate (semiconstrained). The role of anterior fixation in single and multilevel fusions is still the subject of some controversy. Long anterior cervical reconstructions may require additional posterior fixation to reliably promote fusion. Rigid fixation in the posterior cervical spine can be achieved with lateral mass screws or pedicle screws. Although lateral mass screws provide excellent fixation within the subaxial cervical spine, the regional anatomy of C2 and C7 often make it difficult to place such screws, and pedicle screws at these levels are advocated. Pedicle screws achieve fixation into both the anterior and posterior column and are arguably the most stable form of rigid internal fixation within the cervical spine. Familiarity with these internal fixation techniques can be an extremely valuable tool for the spine surgeon managing these degenerative disorders of the cervical spine.

Study Design: An aneurysmal bone cyst in the neural arch of the fourth cervical vertebra of a 10-year-old girl is reported, along with a brief review of the literature on the topic., Objective: To report the presentation and diagnosis of this disorder along with a discussion of the major pitfalls of treatment., Summary of Background Data: An aneurysmal bone cyst occurs commonly in the second decade, with a predilection for the lumbar spine. With occurrence in the neural arch of a cervical vertebra, the potential for instability following surgical excision is high., Methods: A 10-year-old white female presented with neck pain of 3 months' duration. Diagnostic imaging revealed an expansile lytic lesion in the spinous process and lamina of the fourth cervical vertebra. Surgical treatment consisted of excisional biopsy and a segmental instrumented posterior fusion from C3-C5. The histopathology was consistent with an aneurysmal bone cyst., Results: Surgical excision consisting of laminectomy and instrumented segmental fusion provided a good clinical result, and minimized the risk and degree of the 2 most common complications: recurrence of the tumor; and postlaminectomy kyphosis, a frequent occurrence in the pediatric population., Conclusions: In pediatric patients who develop a bone tumor of the posterior elements of the cervical spine, careful clinical and radiologic evaluation is necessary to narrow the differential diagnosis. In most cases, a complete excision should be performed if possible. The risk of postlaminectomy kyphosis is high in the pediatric age population. As such, a fusion should be considered whenever a laminectomy is performed in the immature cervical spine. Risk factors for kyphosis include a high cervical level, multiple laminectomy levels, and postoperative irradiation.

Subaxial cervical spine injuries are common, ranging in severity from minor ligamentous strain or spinous process fracture to complete fracture-dislocation with bone and ligament failure, resulting in severe spinal cord injury. Understanding the epidemiology, anatomy, biomechanics, and classification of subaxial cervical spine injuries is important. Emergent management of such injuries is based on obtaining an accurate clinical history, careful physical examination, and organized radiographic evaluation. Attaining a unified approach to the wide spectrum of subaxial cervical injuries is difficult. In addition, controversy exists regarding the safety of closed reduction in certain injury patterns and the administration of methylprednisolone for acute spinal cord injury. Definitive management (surgical or nonsurgical) is based on the assessment of the mechanical instability of the injury, the presence or absence of neurologic impairment, and various patient factors that may influence outcome. Several complications, including the deterioration of neurologic status, may occur with either surgical or nonsurgical management, but the most frequent mistake made is missing the injury on initial evaluation.

The computed tomography (CT) studies of the cervical spine from 50 males and 50 females were reviewed to provide morphometric data on a variety of anatomic parameters relevant to anterior cervical reconstruction and fixation. Measurements were made of the vertebral body width and midsagittal anteroposterior (AP) diameter and the distance between the medial borders of the longus coli muscles. Distances between adjacent endplates were also measured, both at their midpoint and at the anterior margin. Widths of the vertebral bodies measure 24.6 +/- 2.4 and 23.0 +/- 2.4 mm in males and females, respectively, with the narrowest measuring 17 and 14, respectively. The average midsagittal AP diameter of each vertebral body in males was approximately 17-18 mm, with the smallest AP diameter measured to be 13 mm. The average midsagittal AP diameter of each vertebral body in females was approximately 15-16 mm, with the smallest being 10 mm. CT scanning provides excellent osseous detail for the measurement of such parameters, and with its widespread use in the evaluation of cervical disorders, large numbers of patients can be reviewed.

Acute traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in severe, lifelong neurological deficits. After SCI, Rho activation contributes to collapse of axonal growth cones, failure of axonal regeneration, and neuronal loss. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b/3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Rho inhibitor VX-210 (9 mg) in patients after acute traumatic cervical SCI. The study enrolled patients 14-75 years of age with acute traumatic cervical SCIs, C4-C7 (motor level) on each side, and American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) Grade A or B who had spinal decompression/stabilization surgery commencing within 72 h after injury. Patients were randomized 1:1 with stratification by age (

Purpose: In acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, we sought to characterize how objective MRI measures of injury change during the first 3 week post-injury.Methods: Six MRI scans each were planned in 19 cervical SCI patients within the first 3 week post-injury. Length of cord edema, maximum spinal cord compression, maximum canal compromise, and presence and length of hematoma were measured.Results: Length of spinal cord edema increased in the first 48 h after SCI, followed by a gradual decrease in the 3 weeks after injury. This was predominantly seen in the more severe grades of SCI. Hematoma in the spinal cord was seen in all AIS-A and B patients.Conclusion: This study demonstrates the dynamic nature of imaging changes on MRI in the first weeks after injury and highlights the importance of taking into account the timing of imaging when interpreting objective measures of damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Context: There are three phases in prophylaxis of surgical site infections (SSI): preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative. There is lack of consensus and paucity of evidence with SSI prophylaxis in the postoperative period.Purpose: To systematically evaluate the literature, and provide evidence-based summaries on postoperative measures for SSI prophylaxis in spine surgery.Study Design: Systematic review, meta-analysis, evidence synthesis.Methods: A systematic review conforming to PRIMSA guidelines was performed utilizing PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database from inception to January 2019. The GRADE approach was used for quality appraisal and synthesis of evidence. Six postoperative care domains with associated key questions were identified. Included studies were extracted into evidence tables, data synthesized quantitatively and qualitatively, and evidence appraised per GRADE approach.Results: Forty-one studies (nine RCT, 32 cohort studies) were included. In the setting of preincisional antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) administration, use of postoperative AMP for SSI reduction has not been found to reduce rate of SSI in lumbosacral spine surgery. Prolonged administration of AMP for more than 48 hours postoperatively does not seem to reduce the rate of SSI in decompression-only or lumbar spine fusion surgery. Utilization of wound drainage systems in lumbosacral spine and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis corrective surgery does not seem to alter the overall rate of SSI in spine surgery. Concomitant administration of AMP in the presence of a wound drain does not seem to reduce the overall rate of SSI, deep SSI, or superficial SSI in thoracolumbar fusion performed for degenerative and deformity spine pathologies, and in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis corrective surgery. Enhanced-recovery after surgery clinical pathways and infection-specific protocols do not seem to reduce rate of SSI in spine surgery. Insufficient evidence exists for other types of spine surgery not mentioned above, and also for non-AMP pharmacological measures, dressing type and duration, suture and staple management, and postoperative nutrition for SSI prophylaxis in spine surgery.Conclusions: Despite the postoperative period being key in SSI prophylaxis, the literature is sparse and without consensus on optimum postoperative care for SSI prevention in spine surgery. The current best evidence is presented with its limitations. High quality studies addressing high risk cohorts such as the elderly, obese, and diabetic populations, and for traumatic and oncological indications are urgently required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background context: The classification scheme of odontoid fractures described by Anderson and D''Alonzo is the one most commonly used. However, uncertainty exists in the distinction between Type II and “shallow” Type III fractures. Moreover, fractures at the base of the odontoid (Anderson and D''Alonzo Type II) include a spectrum of injury patterns. Purpose: To modify the Anderson and D''Alonzo classification of odontoid fractures based on current clinical treatment options. Study design: Proposal of a modified classification system for odontoid fractures. Methods: A more precise distinction between Type II and III fractures based on the presence/absence of C1–C2 facet involvement is proposed. A modified classification of Type II fractures based on fracture line obliquity, displacement and comminution is then proposed, because these are factors deemed to influence management. To evaluate the reproducibility of this classification, 52 odontoid fractures were reviewed and classified by four attending spine surgeons and three spine fellows. Results: There was substantial agreement (at least five of seven respondents) in 70% of cases. The overall kappa value for the modified classification system was 0.48, indicating moderate agreement, and there were no differences in kappa values between attending spine surgeons and fellows. Conclusions: The reproducibility of this system was demonstrated by the moderate agreement observed when applied to odontoid fractures at our institution. The proposed utility of this system is its ability to guide clinical decision making in the treatment of odontoid fractures. Prospective application of this modified classification system and suggested treatment options is now required. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We developed an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) spine assessment to improve access and quality of care for patients with cervical (CER) and lumbar (LUM) spine pathologies. To date, other Canadian assessment models have been limited to lumbar pathologies only. We present the results of our 1-year pilot examining its efficacy and exploring any differences between cervical and lumbar presentations. This prospective cohort was done at a rapid access phystiotherapy triage clinic at a single quaternary referral spine center. A total of 1,576 patients Two APPs underwent 3 months training from spine surgeons, based on the ISAEC program. Adaptations of CORE Cervical and Lumbar Tools were utilized for assessment. All consecutive referrals to our quaternary spine program were assessed. Wait times for all referrals (WT1), for Emergency Dept referrals (WTEmerg) and for final surgical consult (WTSurgCon) were compared to the prior 12-month historical. We prospectively recorded referral patterns and agreement between APP and surgeon, for both diagnosis and urgency. Patient satisfaction was also examined. Data is presented as mean, for the first (6M1) and second (6M2) 6 months of the pilot. A total of 1,576 patients were seen in the 12-month pilot. 34% were CER cases. WT1 decreased from 687 to 14 days. WTEmerg decreased from 55 to 7 days. WTSurgCon decreased from 687 to 62 days. Percentage of patients referred monthly to a surgeon remained unchanged for LUM (mean 36%), but decreased for CER 30% to 11% (6M1 to 6M2). Percentage agreement for diagnosis improved for LUM from 82% to 94% (6M1 to 6M2), and for CER from 77% to 98% (6M1 to 6M2). Percentage agreement for urgency improved for LUM from 81% to 93% (6M1 to 6M2), and for CER from 74% to 96% (6M1 to 6M2). Patient satisfaction was 95% for 6M1 and 97% for 6M2. APP assessment provides timely and appropriate triage of patients with both cervical and lumbar spine pathologies. Significant reductions are achieved for all wait times. Lumbar complaints predominate while there appears to be a learning curve to improved screening of cervical pathology. APP/surgeon agreement increases with APP experience. Patient satisfaction with the process is very high. This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]