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Opiate-based regimens have been used as a foundation of postoperative analgesia in orthopedic surgery for decades, and the vast majority of orthopedic patients in the United States receive postoperative opioid prescriptions. Both the safety and efficacy of opioid use in orthopedic patients have been questioned because of mounting evidence that postoperative opioid use can be detrimental to outcomes and patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to compare a new, opioid-free pain management pathway with a traditional opioid-containing, multimodal pathway in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty.This is a single-center randomized clinical trial in which 67 patients who underwent shoulder arthroplasty were allocated into 2 treatment arms: either a completely opioid-free, multimodal perioperative pain management pathway (OF), or a traditional opioid-containing perioperative pain management pathway (OC). Pain was measured on a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10 at 6-, 12-, 24-hour, 2-week, and 6-week time points. Deviations from the OF pathway, morphine milligram equivalents, readmissions, and opioid-related side effects were analyzed.Pain levels were significantly lower in the OF group at 12 hours, 24 hours, and 2 weeks. At 12 hours, the median pain rating was 0 compared with a median pain rating of 3 in the OC group (P = .003). At 24 hours, the OF group reported a median pain rating of 1 and the OC group reported a median pain rating of 4 (P .001). The median pain rating at the 2-week time point in the OF group was 2 compared with 4 in the OC group (P = .006). Median pain ratings were similar between the OF group and the OC group at the 6-week time point. The median pain rating in the OF group at 6 weeks was 1, compared with 1.5 in the OC group. Of the 35 patients in the OF pathway, 1 required a rescue opioid medication for left cervical radiculopathy that ultimately necessitated cervical spine fusion after recovery from right shoulder arthroplasty, and 1 was noted to have taken an opioid medication, diverted from a prior prescription, at the 2-week visit. The morphine milliequivalents received in the OF group was 20 compared with 4936.25 in the OC group. There were no readmissions in the OF pathway, and no differences between the groups with regard to constipation, falls, or delirium.A multimodal, opioid-free perioperative pain management pathway is safe and effective in patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty and offers superior pain relief to that of a traditional opioid-containing pain management pathway at 12 hours, 24 hours, and 2 weeks postoperatively.

Background Multiple studies describe the outcomes of patients undergoing single-level and multilevel posterolateral lumbar fusion (PLF). However, a comparison of outcomes between single-level and two-level PLF is lacking. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to compare outcomes between single-level and two-level instrumented PLF. Methods A total of 42 patients were enrolled at nine US centers between October 2015 and June 2017. Data included radiologic outcomes, visual analog scale (VAS) Back and Leg Pain, disability per the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and health-related quality of life (QoL) per 36-Item Short Form Survey version 2.0 (SF-36v2) at six weeks and three, six, 12, and 24 months. Results Twelve-month and 24-month follow-ups were completed by 38 (90.5%) and 32 (76.2%) subjects, respectively. The average age was 67 years, and 54.8% were female. Twenty-six received single-level PLF, and 16 received two-level PLF. In the single-level group, there was one reoperation, two postoperative infections, and one dural tear. In the two-level group, there was one postoperative infection. The surgeon computed tomography (CT)-based evaluation of fusion rate was 67.6% (25/37) at 12-month follow-up and 94.1% (32/34) at 24-month follow-up. The third-party evaluation of fusion rate was 52.8% (19/36) at six months, 81.1% (30/37) at 12 months, and 86.5% (32/37) at 24 months. There was a tendency toward a higher fusion rate in single-level compared with two-level PLF. The ODI, SF-36v2 Mental Component Score (MCS), and VAS Back Pain and Leg Pain outcomes improved by the first follow-up visit in both the single-level and two-level groups. Improvement in the ODI was 5.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03-11.69) points greater in the single-level group compared with the two-level group. Conclusions Compared with the two-level PLF subjects, single-level PLF subjects had better functional outcomes and reported higher satisfaction with the outcome of surgery but showed similar fusion, pain, and generic health-related quality of life outcomes. Both single-level and two-level PLF subjects demonstrated high fusion rates in association with improvements in pain, functional, and quality of life outcomes, as well as high satisfaction levels.

Background: Laminoplasty is a safe and effective procedure for multilevel degenerative cervical stenosis causing myelopathy, that allows for motion preservation. The purpose of this study was to determine the reoperation rate and associated risk factors after cervical laminoplasty. Methods: We present a retrospective consecutive series of patients who underwent a laminoplasty procedure between January 1, 2005, and October 31, 2012, and had a minimum 2-year follow-up. Demographic data were collected and operative records were reviewed to determine the cervical levels involved in the laminoplasty procedure, any concomitant procedures, and estimated blood loss. Clinical records were reviewed and telephone interviews were conducted on those patients with less than 2-year in-person follow-up. Patients requiring reoperations and the reason for the reoperations were determined, as well as the incidence of postoperative C5 palsy. Results: A total of 222 of 266 patients (83%) with a minimum 2-year follow-up had an average follow-up of 4.97 years. Overall, 26 patients underwent 30 reoperations (13.5%). A total of 15 patients underwent 16 reoperations (7.2%) in the acute postoperative period for infection requiring at least 1 irrigation and debridement, hardware-related issues, or posterior cervical wound issues. A total of 13 patients had 14 reoperations (6.3%) outside of the acute postoperative period for the development of a new radiculopathy, recurrent myelopathy, neurologic symptoms with a kyphotic deformity, or a posttraumatic focal kyphotic deformity. Patients who had a concomitant laminectomy demonstrated a significantly (P = .03) higher reoperation rate than those who did not. There were no other statistically significant associations. The C5 palsy rate was 8.1% (18 of 222). Conclusions: Although the preserved motion following laminoplasty may allow for the development of new neurologic symptoms, the reoperation rate continues to compare favorably with laminectomy and fusion and remains a reasonable option for the surgical management of multilevel cervical stenosis causing myelopathy. Level of Evidence: 4.

Case series.This study compared the locations of arm pain, sensory symptoms, and subjective complaints of arm weakness in patients with cervical radiculopathy from MRI confirmed C6 and C7 nerve root compression.Cervical radiculopathy is defined as arm pain, sensory and motor symptoms caused by irritation of a cervical nerve root. The C6 and C7 roots are most commonly involved, and differentiating symptoms associated with each root has proven difficult. Cervical MRI allows accurate identification of nerve root compression and therefore makes it possible to explore symptom patterns that may differentiate C6 from C7 radiculopathy.A total of 122 patients with symptoms suggestive of cervical radiculopathy were recruited. Of these, 30 patients had MRI confirmed C6 and 39 patients C7 nerve root compression. By completing a study questionnaire, patients reported specific arm weakness, and marked the location of arm pain and tingling/numbness on graphic representations of the arm. Marked areas were interpreted by superimposing a grid that divided the arm into 54 distinct areas. The frequencies of reported symptoms with C6 and C7 were totaled and then compared with likelihood rations. Power analysis calculated that 27 patients would be needed in each group based on the assumption that a 30 percentage point difference in frequency of specific symptom would be clinically useful for differentiating C6 from C7 radiculopathy.Arm pain and sensory symptoms were diffuse, and were not distinctly different for C6 or C7 radiculopathy. Some weakness was reported by 41 percent of patients, with specific descriptions of weakness having limited value for differentiating between radiculopathies.The location of pain and sensory symptoms, and specific weakness complaints associated with symptomatic C6 and C7 nerve root compression overlap to the extent that caution should be exercised when predicting root involvement based on symptoms.3.

BACKGROUND Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is a clinical diagnosis defined as a combination of neck, shoulder, and arm pain, often accompanied by sensory and motor symptoms. CR is often caused by degenerative spine pathology associated with impingement of a cervical nerve root, and this pathology can be visualized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT). [Correction added September 4, 2019, after online publication: 'computer tomography' corrected to 'computed tomography'] Factors that are associated with the onset of CR have not been explored. OBJECTIVE To investigate the types and frequencies of patient-reported inciting events associated with CR in patients with imaged-confirmed pathologies that correlate with symptoms. DESIGN Prospective observational case series. SETTING Two spine physiatry and three orthopedic spine surgery practices. PATIENTS One hundred twenty-two patients with symptoms suggestive of CR were recruited. Of these, 107 patients had MRI or CT evidence of cervical disk herniation or foraminal stenosis that correlated with symptoms and matched our inclusion criteria. METHODS We categorized patient-reported inciting events associated with onset of CR into six categories reflecting increasing severity of inciting event, and recorded the clinical characteristics, physical examination findings, pain intensity, and disability. We analyzed the characteristics of patients based on subgroups of inciting events. RESULTS Two-thirds of patients reported that they either awoke with symptoms or symptoms began without a memorable event, and one-third of patients reported inciting physical activity or trauma associated with the onset of CR. Clinical characteristics of CR were not influenced by categories of inciting events. CONCLUSION Most CR with correlating spine pathology was found to have onset without a specific inciting events. Furthermore, physical inciting events did not influence the severity of clinical manifestation of CR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV.

Many investigators have reported the financial conflicts of interest (COI), which could result in potential bias in the reporting of outcomes for patients undergoing total disc replacement (TDR) rather than anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). This bias may be subconsciously introduced by the investigator in a non-blinded radiographic review. The purpose of this study was to determine if bias was present when a group of spine specialists rated adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) following cervical TDR or ACDF.Potential bias in the assessment of ASD was evaluated through the reviews of cervical radiographs (pre- and 6 years post-operative) from patients participating in the ProDisc-C FDA trial (ProDisc-C IDE #G030059). The index level was blinded on all radiographs during the first review, but unblinded in the second. Five reviewers (a radiologist, two non-TDR surgeons, and two TDR surgeons), two of whom had a COI with the ProDisc-C trial sponsor, assessed ASD on a three point scale: yes, no, or unable to assess. Intra- and inter-rater reliabilities between all raters were assessed by the Kappa statistic.The intra-rater reliability between reviews was substantial, indicating little to no bias in assessing ASD development/progression. The Kappa statistics were 0.580 and 0.644 for the TDR surgeons (p 0.0001), 0.718 and 0.572 for the non-TDR surgeons (p 0.0001), and 0.642 for the radiologist (p 0.0001). Inter-rater reliability for the blinded review ranged from 0.316 to 0.607 (p 0.0001) and from 0.221 to 0.644 (p 0.0001) for the unblinded review.The knowledge of the surgical procedure performed did not bias the assessment of ASD.

Abstact Background Context Cervical radiculopathy is a common disorder caused by compression of the cervical nerve roots and is characterized by arm pain and altered sensory-motor function. Incongruity in the locations of C6 and C7 dermatomes in competing versions of historical dermatome maps has plagued interpretation of impaired sensation associated with C6 and C7 radiculopathies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows accurate identification of the C6 or C7 nerve root compression and therefore makes it possible to explore sensory findings that are associated with compression of specific nerve root. Purpose This study compared the locations of impaired sensation in subjects with cervical radiculopathy from MRI-confirmed C6 and C7 nerve root compression. Study Design Case series was used for this study. Patient Sample A total of 122 subjects with symptoms suggestive of cervical radiculopathy were recruited by 11 spine specialist from 5 practice locations. Of these, 30 subjects had MRI-confirmed C6 and 40 subjects C7 radiculopathy. Outcome Measures Standardized pinprick sensory examination of the forearm and hand of every subject was performed, and the locations of sensory impairments were recorded. Methods Sensory examination was performed before reviewing MRI results or performing motor or reflex examination. Areas of impaired sensation were recorded on drawings of the palmar and dorsal forearm and hand, and translated using a grid into 36 specific areas for analysis. Chi-square was used to compare frequencies of findings for each grid area for C6 and C7 radiculopathies. Power analysis suggested that a minimum of 27 subjects in each group were needed to detect a 30 percentage point difference in frequency of sensory impairments. Significance was set at ≤.05. Results Approximately 80% of subjects had impaired sensation in at least 1 grid area, most often in the distal forearm and hand, and many had findings in multiple areas. There was nearly complete overlap for locations of impaired sensation for C6 and C7 radiculopathy, and the frequencies of impaired sensation differed only in the dorsal aspect of the distal radial forearm where it was twice as common in C6 radiculopathy (p=.02). Conclusions The location of sensory impairments associated with symptomatic C6 and C7 nerve root compression overlap to the extent that caution should be exercised when predicting compression of either the C6 or C7 nerve roots based on locations of impaired sensation. Impaired sensation in the radial aspect of the distal forearm is more common in C6 radiculopathies.

Background: Chin-on-chest deformity is a disabling manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis. Surgical treatment consists of extension osteotomy at the cervicothoracic junction. The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical presentation of this deformity and to determine the long-term functional and radiographic outcomes of treatment. Methods: The medical records and radiographs of all twenty-six patients treated with cervicothoracic extension osteotomy by one of us between 1976 and 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. Three patients died during the two-year-minimum follow-up period. The remaining twenty-three patients were followed for an average of 4.5 years (range, two years to twenty-one years and ten months). Results: The mean sagittal correction was 38°. Delayed union in two patients and additional cervical trauma in two others resulted in partial loss of the initial correction. Quadriplegia developed in one patient, who died as a result of subluxation at the osteotomy site. Five patients had irritation of the eighth cervical nerve root postoperatively. Conclusions: Extension osteotomy can reliably improve sagittal alignment and horizontal gaze as well as decrease neck pain, eating difficulties, and neurologic abnormalities. Internal fixation is recommended to prevent subluxation, delayed union, nonunion, loss of correction, or neurologic injury. There is a risk of death or catastrophic neurologic injury from the procedure. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Traumatic spondylopelvic dissociation is an extremely rare injury resulting in mechanical dissociation of the pelvis from the spine1. Similar mechanical dysfunction can occur in association with lumbosacral fracture-dislocation or bilateral sacroiliac joint dislocation2-9. However, traumatic spondylopelvic dissociation is a distinct injury pattern, characterized by a transverse sacral fracture in conjunction with bilateral sacroiliac fracture-dislocation, that requires a unique approach to overall patient management and surgical stabilization1,10-12. Options for the surgical treatment of spondylopelvic dissociation are limited as the sacrum may not provide structural support or stability for internal fixation. Our patients were informed that data concerning the cases would be submitted for publication. Case 1. A nineteen-year-old woman who was wearing a helmet while riding as a passenger on a motorcycle was ejected at high speed, struck a tree, and subsequently was run over by an eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer. She initially presented to an outside hospital with a Glasgow Coma Score of 15 but was unable to move either lower extremity. She was intubated because of respiratory distress, and a chest tube was inserted bilaterally for the treatment of pneumothorax. A diagnostic peritoneal lavage was positive, and the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. She had multiple musculoskeletal injuries, including spondylopelvic dissociation with highly comminuted sacral fractures that had both vertical and transverse components (Fig. 1-A), a closed fracture of the proximal part of the right femoral shaft, a comminuted fracture of the left acetabulum, open midshaft fractures of the left tibia and fibula, left metacarpal fractures, and degloving injuries of both feet. The open fractures of the left tibia and fibula were irrigated and debrided in the operating room and then were stabilized with external fixation. A traction pin was placed in the distal part of each femur. The …

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers promise as a noninvasive method to determine the potential of an osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion to heal without surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to compare the value of MRI, plain radiographs, and clinical findings in predicting the success of nonoperative treatment of juvenile OCD lesions. Twenty-seven lesions in 24 patients (mean age 12.2 y) with OCD of the distal femur diagnosed based on MRI were identified. A radiologist or orthopaedist, blinded to the clinical status of the patients, correlated the MRIs with patient outcome. MRIs were assessed for lesion size, location, and four criteria evaluating signal intensity changes and articular surface defects to determine lesion stability. Older, more skeletally mature patients with at least one sign of instability on MRI were most likely to have nonoperative treatment fail. Nonoperative treatment failed most often in patients with large lesions in weightbearing areas, as seen on lateral radiographs. However, location based on anteroposterior radiographs was not statistically significant for predicting treatment outcome. Although no single factor was uniformly predictive of successful nonoperative treatment, younger, skeletally immature patients with no MRI criteria of instability were most amenable to nonoperative treatment.

Symptomatic lumbar degenerative disk disease, or discogenic back pain, is difficult to treat. Patients often report transverse low back pain that radiates into the sacroiliac joints. Radicular or claudicatory symptoms are generally absent unless there is concomitant nerve compression. Physical examination findings are often unremarkable. Radiographic examination may reveal disk space narrowing, end-plate sclerosis, or vacuum phenomenon in the disk; magnetic resonance imaging is useful for revealing hydration of the disk, annular bulging, or lumbar spine end-plate (Modic) changes in the adjacent vertebral bodies. The use of diskography as a confirmatory study remains controversial. Recent prospective, randomized trials and meta-analyses of the literature have helped expand what is known about degenerative disk disease. In most patients with low back pain, symptoms resolve without surgical intervention; physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the cornerstones of nonsurgical treatment. Intradiskal electrothermal treatment has not been shown to be effective, and arthrodesis remains controversial for the treatment of discogenic back pain. Nucleus replacement and motion-sparing technology are too new to have demonstrated long-term data regarding their efficacy.

Anterior cervical fusion (ACF) has been shown to alter the biomechanics of adjacent segments of the cervical spine. The goal of total disc replacement is to address pathology at a given disc with minimal disruption of the operated or adjacent segments. This study compares the pressure within discs adjacent to either a two-level simulated ACDF or a two-level total disc replacement with the ProDisc-C. A special automated motion testing apparatus was constructed. Four fresh cadaveric cervical spine specimens were affixed to the test stand and tested in flexion and extension under specific loads. Intradiscal, miniature strain-gauge-based transducers were placed in the discs above and below the "treated" levels. The specimens were then tested in flexion and extension. Pressure and overall angular displacement were measured. In the most extreme and highest quality specimen the difference at C3/C4 registered 800 kPa and the difference at C6/C7 registered 50 kPa. This same quality specimen treated with the ProDisc reached a flexion angle at much lower moments, 24.3 degrees at 5 N-m, when compared to the the SACF 12.2 degrees at 8.6 N-m. Therefore, the moment needed to achieve 15 degrees of flexion with the SACF treatment was 5.5 N-m and the ProDisc treatment was only 2.9 N-m. This initial data would indicate that adjacent level discs experience substantially lower pressure after two-level disc replacement when compared to two-level SACF. Additional testing to further support these observations is ongoing.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers promise as a noninvasive method to determine the potential of an osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion to heal without surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to compare the value of MRI, plain radiographs, and clinical findings in predicting the success of nonoperative treatment of juvenile OCD lesions. Twenty-seven lesions in 24 patients (mean age 12.2 y) with OCD of the distal femur diagnosed based on MRI were identified. A radiologist or orthopaedist, blinded to the clinical status of the patients, correlated the MRIs with patient outcome. MRIs were assessed for lesion size, location, and four criteria evaluating signal intensity changes and articular surface defects to determine lesion stability. Older, more skeletally mature patients with at least one sign of instability on MRI were most likely to have nonoperative treatment fail. Nonoperative treatment failed most often in patients with large lesions in weightbearing areas, as seen on lateral radiographs. However, location based on anteroposterior radiographs was not statistically significant for predicting treatment outcome. Although no single factor was uniformly predictive of successful nonoperative treatment, younger, skeletally immature patients with no MRI criteria of instability were most amenable to nonoperative treatment.