Rigid-Plating and Cortico-Cancellous Allograft Are Effective for 3-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes

Philip K. Louie,Andrew C. Sexton,Danel D. Bohl,Ehsan Tabaraee,Steven M. Presciutti,Benjamin C. Mayo,Justin C. Paul,Comron Saifi,Howard S. An 대한척추신경외과학회 2020 Neurospine Vol.17 No.1

Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with radiographic changes and clinical outcomes following 3-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using rigidplate constructs and cortico-cancellous allograft. ACDF has demonstrated efficacy for treatment of multilevel degenerative cervical conditions, but current data exists in small heterogeneous forms. Methods: A retrospective review included 98 patients with primary 3-level ACDF surgery at one institution from 2008 to 2013 with minimum 1-year follow-up. Cervical sagittal vertical axis (SVA), segmental height, fusion, and lordosis radiographs were measured preoperatively and at 2 postoperative periods. Results: Rates of asymptomatic pseudarthroses and total reoperations were 18% and 4%, respectively. Results demonstrated immediate improvements in cervical lordosis (5.5°, p<0.01) and segmental height (5.0-mm increase, p<0.01) with little changes in the cervical SVA (3.2-mm increase, p<0.01). The segmental height decreased from immediate postoperative period to final follow-up (1.7-mm decrease, p<0.01). Older age was protective against radiolucent lines (p<0.05). Patient-reported outcomes significantly improved following surgery (p<0.01). Current smoking status and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus had no impact on radiographic or clinical outcomes. Risk factors were not identified for the 5 reoperations (4%). Conclusion: Three-level ACDF with rigid-plating and cortico-cancellous allograft is an effective procedure for degenerative diseases of the cervical spine without the application of additional adjuncts or combined anteriorposterior cervical surgeries. Significant improvements in cervical lordosis, segmental height, and segmental alignment can be achieved with little change in cervical SVA and a low rate of reoperations over short-term follow-up. Similarly, patient-reported outcomes show significant improvements.

Personal Health of Spine Surgeons Can Impact Perceptions, Decision-Making and Healthcare Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Worldwide Study

Arash J. Sayari,Garrett K. Harada,Philip K. Louie,Michael H. McCarthy,Michael T. Nolte,Gary M. Mallow,Zakariah Siyaji,Niccole Germscheid,Jason P.Y. Cheung,Marko H. Neva,Mohammad El-Sharkawi,Marcelo Va 대한척추신경외과학회 2020 Neurospine Vol.17 No.2

Objective: To determine if personal health of spine surgeons worldwide influences perceptions, healthcare delivery, and decision-making during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by distributing a multidimensional survey to spine surgeons worldwide. Questions addressed demographics, impacts and perceptions of COVID-19, and the presence of surgeon comorbidities, which included cancer, cardiac disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, respiratory illness, renal disease, and current tobacco use. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify specific comorbidities that influenced various impact measures. Results: Across 7 global regions, 36.8% out of 902 respondents reported a comorbidity, of which hypertension (21.9%) and obesity (15.6%) were the most common. Multivariate analysis noted tobacco users were more likely to continue performing elective surgery during the pandemic (odds ratio [OR], 2.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46–4.72; p = 0.001) and were less likely to utilize telecommunication (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.31–0.86; p = 0.011), whereas those with hypertension were less likely to warn their patients should the surgeon become infected with COVID-19 (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.37–0.91; p = 0.017). Clinicians with multiple comorbidities were more likely to cite personal health as a current stressor (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.07–1.63; p = 0.009) and perceived their hospital’s management unfavorably (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.60–0.91; p = 0.005). Conclusion: This is the first study to have mapped global variations of personal health of spine surgeons, key in the development for future wellness and patient management initiatives. This study underscored that spine surgeons worldwide are not immune to comorbidities, and their personal health influences various perceptions, healthcare delivery, and decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defining Cervical Sagittal Plane Deformity – When Are Sagittal Realignment Procedures Necessary in Patients Presenting Primarily With Radiculopathy or Myelopathy?

Venu M. Nemani,Philip K. Louie,Caroline E. Drolet,John M. Rhee 대한척추신경외과학회 2022 Neurospine Vol.19 No.4

Objective: It remains unclear whether cervical sagittal deformity (CSD) should be defined by radiographic parameters alone versus both clinical and radiographic factors, and whether radiographic malalignment by itself warrants a CSD corrective surgery in patients who present primarily with neurologic symptoms. Methods: We administered a survey to a group of expert surgeons to evaluate whether radiographic parameters alone were sufficient to diagnose CSD, and in which scenarios surgeons recommend a CSD realignment procedure versus addressing the neurologic symptoms alone. Results: No single radiographic criteria reached a 50% threshold as being sufficient to establish the diagnosis of CSD. When asymptomatic radiographic malalignment was present, a sagittal deformity correction was more likely to be recommended in patients with myelopathy versus those with radiculopathy alone. The majority of surgeons recommended deformity correction when symptoms of cervical deformity were present in addition to radiographic malalignment (85% with deformity symptoms and radiculopathy, 93% with deformity symptoms and myelopathy). Conclusion: There is no consensus on which radiographic and/or clinical criteria are necessary to define the presence of CSD. We recommend that symptoms of cervical deformity, in addition to radiographic parameters, be considered when deciding whether to perform deformity correction in patients who present primarily with myelopathy or radiculopathy.

The Impact of Modic Changes on Preoperative Symptoms and Clinical Outcomes in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Patients

James D. Baker,Garrett K. Harada,Youping Tao,Philip K. Louie,Bryce A. Basques,Fabio Galbusera,Frank Niemeyer,Hans-Joachim Wilke,Howard S. An,Dino Samartzis 대한척추신경외과학회 2020 Neurospine Vol.17 No.1

Objective: To assess the impact of Modic changes (MC) on preoperative symptoms, and postoperative outcomes in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of prospectively collected data of ACDF patients at a single institution. Preoperative magnetic resonance imagings were used to assess the presence of MC. MC were stratified by type and location, and compared to patients without MC. Associations with symptoms, patient-reported measures, and surgical outcomes were assessed. Results: A total of 861 patients were included, with 356 patients with MC (41.3%). MC more frequently occurred at C5–6 (15.1%), and type II was the most common type (61.2%). MC were associated with advanced age (p<0.001), more levels fused (p<0.001), a longer duration of symptoms, but not with specific symptoms. MC at C7–T1 resulted in higher postoperative disability (p<0.001), but did not increase risk of adjacent segment degeneration or reoperation. Conclusion: This study is the first to systematically examine the impact of cervical MC, stratified by type and location, on outcomes in ACDF patients. Patients with MC were generally older, required larger fusions, and had longer duration of preoperative symptoms. While MC may not affect specific outcomes following ACDF, they may indicate a more debilitating preoperative state for patients.

Postoperative Fever Evaluation Following Lumbar Fusion Procedures

Benjamin C. Mayo,Brittany E. Haws,Daniel D. Bohl,Philip K. Louie,Fady Y. Hijji,Ankur S. Narain,Dustin H. Massel,Benjamin Khechen,Kern Singh 대한척추신경외과학회 2018 Neurospine Vol.15 No.2

Objective: This study aimed to determine the incidence of postoperative fever, the workup conducted for postoperative fever, the rate of subsequent fever-related diagnoses or complications, and the risk factors associated with fever following lumbar fusion. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing lumbar fusion was performed. For patients in whom fever (≥38.6°C) was documented, charts were reviewed for any fever workup or diagnosis. Multivariate regression was used to identify independent risk factors for the development of postoperative fever. Results: A total of 868 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 105 exhibited at least 1 episode of fever during hospitalization. The first documentation of fever occurred during the first 24 hours in 43.8% of cases, during postoperative hours 24–48 in 53.3%, and later than 48 hours postoperatively in 2.9%. At least 1 component of a fever workup was conducted in 47 of the 105 patients who had fever, resulting in fever-associated diagnoses in 4 patients prior to discharge. Three patients who had fever during the inpatient stay developed complications after discharge. On multivariate analysis, operations longer than 150 minutes (relative risk [RR], 1.66; p=0.015) and narcotic consumption greater than 85 oral morphine equivalents on postoperative day 0 (RR, 1.53; p=0.038) were independently associated with an increased risk of developing postoperative fever. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that inpatient fever occurred in roughly 1 in 8 patients following lumbar fusion surgery. In most cases where a fever workup was performed, no cause of fever was detected. Longer operative time and increased early postoperative narcotic use may increase the risk of developing postoperative fever.