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Background: Underlying intracranial stenosis is the most common cause of failed mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion. Adjunct emergent stenting is sometimes performed to improve or maintain reperfusion, despite limited data regarding its safety or efficacy., Methods: We conducted a prospective multicenter observational international cohort study. Patients were enrolled between January 2022 and December 2023 at 25 thrombectomy-capable centers in North America, Europe, and Asia. Consecutive patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy were included if they were identified as having underlying intracranial stenosis, defined as 50% to 99% residual stenosis of the target vessel or intraprocedural reocclusion. The primary outcome was functional independence, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 at 90 days. After applying inverse probability of treatment weighting based on propensity scores, we compared outcomes among patients who underwent adjunct emergent intracranial stenting (stenting) versus those who received mechanical thrombectomy alone., Results: A total of 417 patients were included: 218 patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy alone (168 anterior circulation) and 199 with mechanical thrombectomy plus stenting (144 anterior circulation). Patients in the stenting group were less likely to be non-Hispanic White (51.8% versus 62.4%, P =0.03) and less likely to have diabetes (33.2% versus 43.1%, P =0.037) or hyperlipidemia (43.2% versus 56%, P =0.009). In addition, there was a lower rate of IV thrombolysis use in the stenting group (18.6% versus 27.5%, P =0.03). There was a higher rate of successful reperfusion (modified Treatment in Cerebral Infarction score ≥2B) in the stenting versus mechanical thrombectomy-alone group (90.9% versus 77.9%, P <0.001) and a higher rate of a 24-hour infarct volume of <30 mL (n=260, 67.9% versus 50.3%, P =0.005). The overall complication rate was higher in the stenting group (12.6% versus 5%, P =0.006), but there was not a significant difference in the rate of symptomatic hemorrhage (9% versus 5.5%, P =0.162). Functional independence at 90 days was significantly higher in the stenting group (42.2% versus 28.4%, adjusted odds ratio, 2.67 [95% CI, 1.66-4.32])., Conclusions: In patients with underlying stenosis who achieved reperfusion with mechanical thrombectomy, adjunct emergent stenting was associated with better functional outcome without a significantly increased risk of symptomatic hemorrhage., Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT05403593., Competing Interests: Dr Al Kasab has received grant funding from Stryker Neurovascular. Dr Inoa reports compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; employment by Semmes Murphey Clinic; compensation from Cerenovus for consultant services; compensation from Imperative Care, Inc for consultant services; compensation from Medtronic for consultant services; grants from Medtronic; compensation from Siemens for consultant services; compensation from viz.ai for consultant services; compensation from Penumbra, Inc for consultant services; and compensation from Stryker for consultant services. Dr Starke reports grants from Medtronic USA, Inc; compensation from Penumbra, Inc for consultant services; grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center; and compensation from Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation for consultant services. Dr Bender reports compensation from Stryker Corporation for consultant services. Dr Maier reports compensation from Bristol Myers Squibb Company for other services and compensation from PFIZER PHARMA GMBH for other services. Dr Grossberg reports grants from Emory Neurosurgery Catalyst; grants from Georgia Research Alliance; compensation from Imperative Care, Inc for consultant services; grants from Uniformed Services University-Surgical Critical Care Initiative; grants from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; compensation from Cognition for consultant services; grants from Emory Medical Care Foundation; and compensation from NTI for consultant services. Dr Jabbour reports compensation from Medtronic USA, Inc for consultant services. Dr Psychogios reports travel support from Medtronic; travel support from Siemens Healthineers AG; grants from Phenox, Inc; grants from Rapid Medical Ltd; grants from Penumbra, Inc; grants from Siemens Healthineers AG; travel support from Stryker Neurovascular, Inc; grants from Stryker Neurovascular, Inc; compensation from Siemens Healthineers AG for consultant services; grants from Medtronic; grants from Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung; grants from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF); travel support from Penumbra, Inc; and travel support from Phenox, Inc. Dr Samaniego reports compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; compensation from Johnson and Johnson for consultant services; compensation from Medtronic for consultant services; compensation from Rapid Medical for consultant services; and employment by University of Iowa. Dr Burkhardt reports compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; compensation from Longeviti Neuro Solutions LLC for consultant services; compensation from Q`Apel Medical for consultant services; compensation from Stryker for consultant services; and compensation from Cerenovous for consultant services. A.E. Hassan reports compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; compensation from Stryker Corporation for consultant services; compensation from GE Healthcare for consultant services; compensation from Penumbra, Inc for consultant services; compensation from Medtronic for consultant services; employment by Valley Baptist Medical Center; compensation from viz.ai for consultant services; and compensation from Cerenovus for consultant services. Dr Altschul reports compensation from Stryker Corporation for consultant services; compensation from Medtronic USA, Inc for consultant services; securities holdings in Von Vascular, Inc; stock options in Glia Medical; compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; compensation from Synchron for consultant services; compensation from Q’apel for consultant services; and compensation from Johnson and Johnson International for consultant services. Dr Mascitelli reports compensation from Imperative Care, Inc for consultant services and compensation from Stryker for consultant services. Dr Regenhardt reports compensation from Genomadix for consultant services; compensation from S2N Health for consultant services; compensation from Rapid Medical Ltd for data and safety monitoring services; and compensation from Penumbra, Inc for other services. Dr Wolfe reports employment by Wake Forest Baptist Health School of Medicine. Dr Ezzeldin reports compensation from viz.ai for consultant services; compensation from Imperative Care, Inc for consultant services; and an ownership stake in Galaxy Therapeutics. Dr Limaye reports compensation from Medtronic USA, Inc for consultant services and grants from Scientia Vascular. Dr Grandhi reports compensation from Cerenovus for consultant services; grants from Scientia Neurovascular; compensation from Stryker for consultant services; compensation from Integra LifeSciences Corporation for consultant services; compensation from Medtronic for consultant services; compensation from Balt USA, LLC for consultant services; and compensation from Rapid Medical Ltd for consultant services. Dr Tjoumakaris reports compensation from Medtronic for consultant services; compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; and employment by Thomas Jefferson University. Dr Raz reports compensation from Q Apel for consultant services; compensation from MicroVention, Inc for consultant services; compensation from Johnson and Johnson International for consultant services; compensation from imperative care for consultant services; stock holdings in Siemens; compensation from Medtronic for consultant services; compensation from Phenox for consultant services; compensation from Scientia for consultant services; compensation from Balt USA, LLC for consultant services; and employment by NYU Langone Medical Center. Syed F Zaidi: Dr Zaidi reports grants from Genentech USA, Inc. Dr Spiotta reports compensation from RapidAI for consultant services; compensation from Penumbra, Inc for consultant services; and compensation from Terumo for consultant services. Dr Kicielinski reports employment by Elsevier and compensation from Penumbra, Inc for other services. Dr Zaidat reports a patent issued for Ischemic stroke device. Dr Derdeyn reports compensation from NoNO for data and safety monitoring services; stock options in Euphrates Vascular; compensation from Silk Road Medical, Inc for data and safety monitoring services; and compensation from Penumbra, Inc for data and safety monitoring services. Dr Derdeyn reports data safety monitoring boards (Penumbra–MIND [A Prospective, Multicenter Study of Artemis a Minimally Invasive Neuro Evacuation Device, in the Removal of Intracerebral Hemorrhage], THUNDER [Acute Ischemic Stroke Study With the Penumbra System Including Thunderbolt Aspiration Tubing]; Silk Road–NITE [Neuroprotection in Transcarotid Embolectomy]; NoNO–ESCAPE NEXT [Efficacy and Safety of Nerinetide in Participants With Acute Ischemic Stroke Undergoing Endovascular Thrombectomy Excluding Thrombolysis], FRONTIER); stock options–Euphrates Vascular. Dr Nguyen reports compensation from Aruna for consultant services; compensation from American Stroke Association for other services; compensation from Kaneka for other services; compensation from Genentech for other services; and compensation from Brainomix for consultant services. Dr de Havenon reports NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke funding (K23NS105924, UG3NS130228, R01NS130189) and has received consultant fees from Integra and Novo Nordisk, royalty fees from UpToDate, and has equity in TitinKM and Certus. The other authors report no conflicts.

Background: Large and giant intracranial aneurysms pose treatment challenges. The benefit-risk balance of flow diverters (FDs) alone versus FDs with coiling remains unclear. This study aimed to compare these two strategies., Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science was performed up to October 2024. Studies comparing FDs with or without adjunctive coiling in large/giant intracranial aneurysms were included. The primary outcome was complete aneurysm occlusion, defined by the Raymond-Roy Occlusion Classification. Additional outcomes included procedural and postprocedural complications. Data were analyzed using a random effects model., Results: 15 studies with 1130 patients were analyzed, with 557 in the FD alone group and 573 in the FD+coiling group. The meta-analysis revealed that FD+coiling significantly improved complete aneurysm occlusion rates (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.40, P=0.03). While overall ischemic complications were significantly lower in the FD alone group, a sensitivity analysis showed no significant difference (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.20 to 1.23, P=0.13). Subgroup analysis of fusiform aneurysms showed no significant difference in complete aneurysm occlusion rates (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.50 to 2.40, P=0.82). Procedural and hemorrhagic complications did not differ significantly, and no publication bias was detected in the results., Conclusions: Combining FDs with coiling improved complete aneurysm occlusion rates in large and giant saccular intracranial aneurysms, although the impact on complications remains controversial. Further investigation into the benefit-risk ratio of this combined approach is warranted., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Recent advancements in endovascular treatment (EVT) and different views on optimal management for posterior communicating artery (PComA) aneurysms with oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) highlight a need to compare recovery timelines between microsurgery and EVT; heterogeneous outcomes and influencing factors may also affect results. A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The extracted data encompassed patient demographics, details on treatment modalities and timing, and characteristics of PComA aneurysms ONP caused by either unruptured or ruptured aneurysms. The primary outcome was ONP favorable recovery, defined as the resolution of admission symptoms, except for subtle ptosis and mild pupillary asymmetry. We used random effect models to calculate odds ratios (OR) and pool prevalence with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 40 studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, microsurgical clipping of PComA aneurysms demonstrated a significantly higher likelihood of ONP recovery compared to EVT at 1,3,6, and 12 months follow-up. However, recovery rates were comparable in long-term follow-up [18 months: (0.87 vs. 0.64, P-value = 0.36); ≥24 months: (0.86 vs. 0.72 P-Value = 0.26)]. The recovery outcomes for early treatment were similar when assessed during the 6-month follow-up (0.75 vs. 0.56, P-value = 0.07). Our findings suggest microsurgery leads to prompt ONP recovery from PComA aneurysms, while EVT shows potential for delayed favorable recovery; both treatments yield short-term recovery when administered early. A case-by-case approach is recommended, emphasizing a comprehensive understanding of patient factors in relation to the immediate and sustained effects of each treatment., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Importance: Efficient screening tools that effectively identify substance use disorders (SUDs) among youths are needed., Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of 3 brief substance use screening tools (Screening to Brief Intervention [S2BI]; Brief Screener for Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs [BSTAD]; and Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substances [TAPS]) with adolescents aged 12 to 17 years., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional validation study was conducted from July 1, 2020, to February 28, 2022. Participants aged 12 to 17 years were recruited virtually and in person from 3 health care settings in Massachusetts: (1) an outpatient adolescent SUD treatment program at a pediatric hospital, (2) an adolescent medicine program at a community pediatric practice affiliated with an academic institution, and (3) 1 of 28 participating pediatric primary care practices. Participants were randomly assigned to complete 1 of the 3 electronic screening tools via self-administration, followed by a brief electronic assessment battery and a research assistant-administered diagnostic interview as the criterion standard measure for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnoses of SUDs. Data were analyzed from May 31 to September 13, 2022., Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was a DSM-5 diagnosis of tobacco/nicotine, alcohol, or cannabis use disorder as determined by the criterion standard World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview Substance Abuse Module. Classification accuracy of the 3 substance use screening tools was assessed by examining the agreement between the criterion, using sensitivity and specificity, based on cut points for each tool for use disorder, chosen a priori from previous studies., Results: This study included 798 adolescents, with a mean (SD) age of 14.6 (1.6) years. The majority of participants identified as female (415 [52.0%]) and were White (524 [65.7%]). High agreement between screening results and the criterion standard measure was observed, with area under the curve values ranging from 0.89 to 1 for nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis use disorders for each of the 3 screening tools., Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that screening tools that use questions on past-year frequency of use are effective for identifying adolescents with SUDs. Future work could examine whether these tools have differing properties when used with different groups of adolescents in different settings.

Importance: There is substantial controversy with regards to the adequacy and use of noncontrast head computed tomography (NCCT) for late-window acute ischemic stroke in selecting candidates for mechanical thrombectomy., Objective: To assess clinical outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting in the late window who underwent mechanical thrombectomy stratified by NCCT admission in comparison with selection by CT perfusion (CTP) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)., Design, Setting, and Participants: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, prospectively maintained Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm (STAR) database was used by selecting patients within the late window of acute ischemic stroke and emergent large vessel occlusion from 2013 to 2021. Patients were selected by NCCT, CTP, and DWI. Admission Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) as well as confounding variables were adjusted. Follow-up duration was 90 days. Data were analyzed from November 2021 to March 2022., Exposures: Selection by NCCT, CTP, or DWI., Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcome was functional independence (modified Rankin scale 0-2) at 90 days., Results: Among 3356 patients, 733 underwent late-window mechanical thrombectomy. The median (IQR) age was 69 (58-80) years, 392 (53.5%) were female, and 449 (65.1%) were White. A total of 419 were selected with NCCT, 280 with CTP, and 34 with DWI. Mean (IQR) admission ASPECTS were comparable among groups (NCCT, 8 [7-9]; CTP, 8 [7-9]; DWI 8, [7-9]; P = .37). There was no difference in the 90-day rate of functional independence (aOR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.59-1.71; P = .99) after adjusting for confounders. Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (NCCT, 34 [8.6%]; CTP, 37 [13.5%]; DWI, 3 [9.1%]; P = .12) and mortality (NCCT, 78 [27.4%]; CTP, 38 [21.1%]; DWI, 7 [29.2%]; P = .29) were similar among groups., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, comparable outcomes were observed in patients in the late window irrespective of neuroimaging selection criteria. Admission NCCT scan may triage emergent large vessel occlusion in the late window.

Phanor Leonidas Perot Jr., MD, PhD (1928-2011), was a gifted educator and pioneer of academic neurosurgery in South Carolina. As neurosurgical resident and then as a junior faculty member at the Montreal Neurological Institute, he advanced understandings of both epilepsy and spinal cord injury under Wilder Penfield, William Cone, and Theodore Rasmussen. In 1968, he moved to Charleston to lead neurosurgery. From his time spent with master physicians such as Isidor Ravdin and Wilder Penfield, Perot himself became "the ultimate teacher." His research spanned the fields of epilepsy to torticollis to spinal trauma, focusing the most on the basic pathophysiology of spinal cord damage elucidated through somatosensory evoked potentials. His research was distinguished by generous grant funding. By the time he stepped down as chairman in 1997, the division of neurosurgery had become a department and he had served as president of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery and the Society of Neurological Surgeons. Perot taught prolifically at the bedside, and considered the residency program at the Medical University of South Carolina his greatest achievement. Although Dr. Perot never fully retired, he also enjoyed active hobbies of fly-fishing, traveling, and hunting, until his death on February 2, 2011. He influenced many and earned his role in history as the father of academic neurosurgery in South Carolina.

Importance: Limited data are available about the outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for real-world patients with stroke presenting with a large core infarct., Objective: To investigate the safety and effectiveness of MT for patients with large vessel occlusion and an Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) of 2 to 5., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR), which combines the prospectively maintained databases of 28 thrombectomy-capable stroke centers in the US, Europe, and Asia. The study included 2345 patients presenting with an occlusion in the internal carotid artery or M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020. Patients were followed up for 90 days after intervention. The ASPECTS is a 10-point scoring system based on the extent of early ischemic changes on the baseline noncontrasted computed tomography scan, with a score of 10 indicating normal and a score of 0 indicating ischemic changes in all of the regions included in the score., Exposure: All patients underwent MT in one of the included centers., Main Outcomes and Measures: A multivariable regression model was used to assess factors associated with a favorable 90-day outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2), including interaction terms between an ASPECTS of 2 to 5 and receiving MT in the extended window (6-24 hours from symptom onset)., Results: A total of 2345 patients who underwent MT were included (1175 women [50.1%]; median age, 72 years [IQR, 60-80 years]; 2132 patients [90.9%] had an ASPECTS of ≥6, and 213 patients [9.1%] had an ASPECTS of 2-5). At 90 days, 47 of the 213 patients (22.1%) with an ASPECTS of 2 to 5 had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 (25.6% [45 of 176] of patients who underwent successful recanalization [modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia score ≥2B] vs 5.4% [2 of 37] of patients who underwent unsuccessful recanalization; P = .007). Having a low ASPECTS (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38-0.85; P = .002) and presenting in the extended window (odds ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55-0.88; P = .001) were associated with worse 90-day outcome after controlling for potential confounders, without significant interaction between these 2 factors (P = .64)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, more than 1 in 5 patients presenting with an ASPECTS of 2 to 5 achieved 90-day functional independence after MT. A favorable outcome was nearly 5 times more likely for patients with low ASPECTS who had successful recanalization. The association of a low ASPECTS with 90-day outcomes did not differ for patients presenting in the early vs extended MT window.

Background and Aims: Physician and pharmacist collaboration may help address the shortage of buprenorphine-waivered physicians and improve care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). This study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a new collaborative care model involving buprenorphine-waivered physicians and community pharmacists., Design: Nonrandomized, single-arm, open-label feasibility trial., Setting: Three office-based buprenorphine treatment (OBBT) clinics and three community pharmacies in the United States., Participants: Six physicians, six pharmacists, and 71 patients aged ≥18 years with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) OUD on buprenorphine maintenance., Intervention: After screening, eligible patients' buprenorphine care was transferred from their OBBT physician to a community pharmacist for 6 months., Measurements: Primary outcomes included recruitment, treatment retention and adherence, and opioid use. Secondary outcomes were intervention fidelity, pharmacists' use of prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), participant safety, and satisfaction with treatment delivery., Findings: A high proportion (93.4%, 71/76) of eligible participants enrolled into the study. There were high rates of treatment retention (88.7%) and adherence (95.3%) at the end of the study. The proportion of opioid-positive urine drug screens (UDSs) among complete cases (i.e. those with all six UDSs collected during 6 months) at month 6 was (4.9%, 3/61). Intervention fidelity was excellent. Pharmacists used PDMP at 96.8% of visits. There were no opioid-related safety events. Over 90% of patients endorsed that they were "very satisfied with their experience and the quality of treatment offered," that "treatment transfer from physician's office to the pharmacy was not difficult at all," and that "holding buprenorphine visits at the same place the medication is dispensed was very or extremely useful/convenient." Similarly, positive ratings of satisfaction were found among physicians/pharmacists., Conclusions: A collaborative care model for people with opioid use disorder that involves buprenorphine-waivered physicians and community pharmacists appears to be feasible to operate in the United States and have high acceptability to patients., (© 2021 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Background: Although extremely rare, acute bilateral large vessel occlusion (LVO) is a morbid condition that requires prompt intervention., Objective: To report the technique used to achieve recanalization of bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) terminus occlusions., Methods: This is a case of bilateral ICA terminus occlusions managed with simultaneous bilateral thrombectomies with poor collateral circulation., Results: Recanalization of bilateral ICA with thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade 0 to left TICI 2b flow with distal left A1 occlusion and right TICI 3 flow was achieved in 32 min with the use of simultaneous catheterization and aspiration thrombectomies., Conclusion: The described technique offers an efficient and feasible means to reduce time to recanalization and radiation in cases of bilateral LVO., (Copyright © 2019 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.)

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a well-known risk factor for infection after trigger finger (TF) injection and/or release. However, the effect of preoperative hypoglycemia before TF injection or release is currently unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of preoperative hypoglycemia on infection incidence after TF injection or release., Methodology: A retrospective cohort review between 2007 and 2015 was conducted using a national private payer database within the PearlDiver Supercomputer. Preoperative, fasting, glucose levels were collected for each patient, and these ranged from 20 to 219 mg/dL. Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes., Results: The query of the PearlDiver database returned 153,479 TF injections, of which 3479 (2.27%) and 6276 (4.09%) had infections within 90 days and 1 year after procedure, respectively. There were 70,290 TF releases identified, with 1887 (2.68%) SSIs captured within 3 months after surgery and 3144 (4.47%) within 1 year after surgery. There was a statistically significant increase in SSI rates in patients with hypoglycemia within 90-day (P = 0.006) and 1-year (P < 0.001) time intervals post-TF injection. Likewise, a statistically significant increase in SSI rate in patients with hypoglycemia undergoing TF release within 1 year after release was seen (P = 0.003)., Conclusions: Hypoglycemia before TF injection or release increases the risk for SSI. Tight glycemic control may be warranted to mitigate this risk. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of hypoglycemia as an independent risk factor for SSI.

Background: High failure rates and unacceptable patient outcomes have kept total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) from becoming a favorable treatment option. Modern prosthetic designs and techniques have improved outcomes and decreased revision rates. Current literature has not adequately investigated the recent trends in TAA utilization and revision rate. The purpose of this study was to determine the trends in TAA utilization and the rate of revision TAA by analyzing a comprehensive Medicare database for procedures performed between 2005 and 2012., Methods: A retrospective review of a comprehensive Medicare database within the PearlDiver Supercomputer application (Warsaw, IN) of the index procedures TAA and revision TAA was conducted. Patients who underwent TAA and revision TAA were identified by Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)-27702, 27703, and International Classification of Disease ninth revision (ICD) codes 81.56, 81.59 respectively. The primary outcomes of this study were annual revision incidence and TAA annual utilization. Demographic data such as age, gender, and geographical location of patients were also examined., Results: Within our study period of 2005-2012 there was a reported total of 7,181 TAAs and 1,431 revision TAAs which is a revision incidence of 19.928% amongst the Medicare population. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was 16.37% for TAA, 7.74% for revision TAA, and a mean 7.41% annual revision incidence. Amongst females there were 3,568 TAA and 731 revision TAA compared with 3,336 TAA and 613 revision TAA amongst males. The greatest amount of TAA and revision TAA were found in the 65-69 age group followed by the 70-74 age group. Regionally, the highest number of TAA and revision TAA were found in the South and the lowest in the Northeast., Conclusions: Our analysis of the Medicare database shows that there is a high rate of annual growth in TAA utilization (16.37%) and revision TAA (7.74%) indicating that there is an increased demand for TAA in the Unites States. However, failed TAA can have serious consequence and revision TAA remains to have suboptimal results. This study highlights the recent trends in ankle arthroplasty and serves to increase awareness of this increasingly popular procedure., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

As an increasing number of states begin to legalize marijuana for either medical or recreational use, it is important to determine its effects on joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of cannabis use on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) revision incidence, revision causes, and time to revision by analyzing the Medicare database between 2005 and 2014. A retrospective review of the Medicare database for TKA, revision TKA, and causes was performed utilizing Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and International Classification of Disease ninth revision codes (ICD-9). Patients who underwent TKA were cross-referenced for a history of cannabis use by querying ICD-9 codes 304.30-32 and 305.20-22. The resulting group was then longitudinally tracked postoperatively for revision TKA. Cause for revision, time to revision, and gender were also investigated. Our analysis returned 2,718,023 TKAs and 247,112 (9.1%) revisions between 2005 and 2014. Cannabis use was prevalent in 18,875 (0.7%) of TKA patients with 2,419 (12.8%) revisions within the cannabis cohort. Revision incidence was significantly greater in patients who use cannabis (p < 0.001). Time to revision was also significantly decreased in patients who used cannabis, with increased 30- and 90-day revision incidence compared to the noncannabis group (P < 0.001). Infection was the most common cause of revision in both groups (33.5% nonusers versus 36.6% cannabis users).Cannabis use may result in decreasing implant survivorship and increasing the risk for revision within the 90-day global period compared to noncannabis users following primary TKA.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to: 1) determine the incidence of revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA); 2) correlate the percent of glycated hemoglobin with incidence of revision; and 3) determine the cause of revision in diabetic patients stratified by a glycated hemoglobin level., Materials and Methods: We analyzed 424,107 patients from a national private payer database from 2007 to 2015 to determine who had diabetes and underwent TKA. We determined the incidence of revision TKA in the overall cohort and stratified it by glycated hemoglobin levels. Correlation analysis between the levels of glycated hemoglobin and the incidence of revision TKA was performed. We performed descriptive statistics of the underlying cause of revision TKA in both the overall and stratified cohorts., Results: There was a 3.2% incidence of revision in the overall cohort. When stratified by glycated hemoglobin levels, the cohort in the 6.6 to 7.0% category had the lowest incidence of revision (2.9%). The cohorts in the 8.6 to 9% glycated hemoglobin category had the highest revision rate (4.7%). There was a significantly positive correlation between rate of revision and ascending glycated hemoglobin levels, and a significantly negative correlation between descending glycated hemoglobin levels and revision incidence. The most common cause of revision was infection in the overall and stratified groups., Conclusion: Sub-optimal glycated hemoglobin levels in diabetic patients correlated with increased revision rates in those who underwent TKA. Management of diabetics should be optimized before undergoing TKA to minimize revision surgery risk.

OBJECT A systematic review of the available evidence on the prophylactic and therapeutic use of flaps for the coverage of complex spinal soft-tissue defects was performed to determine if the use of flaps reduces postoperative complications and improves patient outcomes. METHODS A PubMed database search was performed to identify English-language articles published between 1990 and 2014 that contained the following phrases to describe postoperative wounds ("wound," "complex back wound," "postoperative wound," "spine surgery") and intervention ("flap closure," "flap coverage," "soft tissue reconstruction," "muscle flap"). RESULTS In total, 532 articles were reviewed with 17 articles meeting the inclusion criteria of this study. The risk factors from the pooled analysis of 262 patients for the development of postoperative complex back wounds that necessitated muscle flap coverage included the involvement of instrumentation (77.6%), a previous history of radiotherapy (33.2%), smoking (20.6%), and diabetes mellitus (17.2%). In patients with instrumentation, prophylactic coverage of the wound with a well-vascularized flap was shown to result in a lower incidence of wound complications. One study showed a statistically significant decrease in complications compared with patients where prophylactic coverage was not performed (20% vs 45%). The indications for flap coverage after onset of wound complications included hardware exposure, wound infection, dehiscence, seroma, and hematoma. Flap coverage was shown to decrease the number of surgical debridements needed and also salvage hardware, with the rate of hardware removal after flap coverage ranging from 0% to 41.9% in 4 studies. CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic coverage with flaps in high-risk patients undergoing spine surgery reduces complications, while therapeutic coverage following wound complications allows the salvage of hardware in the majority of patients.