Simultaneous Robotic Single Position Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion With Bilateral Sacropelvic Fixation in Lateral Decubitus

Martin H. Pham,Luis Daniel Diaz-Aguilar,Vrajesh Shah,Michael Brandel,Joshua Loya,Ronald A. Lehman 대한척추신경외과학회 2021 Neurospine Vol.18 No.2

Single position lateral fusion reduces the need for a secondary surgery and robotic guidance allows for potentially higher accuracy of screw placement. We expand the role of robotics with a simultaneous workflow where 2 surgeons can work in single position surgery and discuss the technical feasibility of placement of S2-alar-iliac (S2AI) screws in the lateral position. A 70-year-old male presented with chronic back pain and bilateral leg pain with the left side worse than the right. He subsequently underwent an L3–S1 oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) with a minimally invasive L3-ilium robotic posterior spinal fixation simultaneously in single lateral position with S2AI screws. The software planning requisite of robotics allowed for a preoperative plan where lumbar cortical screws were used to line up with bilateral S2AI screws. Intraoperatively, the OLIF was performed anterior to the patient which allowed for a second surgeon to perform the posterior stage of screw placement simultaneously in overlapping fashion during OLIF exposure. Once all screws were placed, the OLIF discectomy and cage placement were completed. As the OLIF incision is closed, rodding proceeds posteriorly with subsequent closure simultaneously as well. Operative time from skin incision to skin closure was 3 hours and 47 minutes. We present here a novel technical report on the recommended workflow of simultaneous robotic single position surgery OLIF and demonstrate the feasibility of placement of sacroiliac fixation in the lateral decubitus position. We believe this technique to be minimally invasive, effective, with the benefit of shortening valuable operating room case time.

Neurologic Deficit During HaloGravity Traction in the Treatment of Severe Thoracic Kyphoscoliotic Spinal Deformity

Martin H. Pham,Meghan Cerpa,Melvin C. Makhni,John Alexander Sielatycki,Lawrence G. Lenke 대한척추신경외과학회 2020 Neurospine Vol.17 No.2

Correction of severe spinal deformity is a significant challenge for spinal surgeons. Although halo-gravity traction (HGT) has been shown to be well-tolerated and safe, we report here a case of neurologic decline during treatment. A 24-year-old male presents with severe thoracic kyphoscoliosis with > 180° of 3-dimensional deformity. Magnetic resonance imaging showed his thoracic spinal cord draped across his T7–9 apex. His neurologic exam showed lower extremity myelopathy. During week 7 at a goal traction weight of 18.1 kg, his distal lower extremity exam declined from 4+/5 to 2/5. His traction weight was lowered to 11.3 kg. He subsequently sustained a ground-level fall and became paraparetic with a motor exam of 1–2/5. He subsequently underwent a T1–L4 posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion with a T7–9 vertebral column resection. Postoperatively, he was noted to have a complete return to his baseline neurologic exam. At his 4-month postoperative visit, he was now full strength in his lower extremities with complete resolution of his myelopathy. We present here a case of neurologic decline in a patient with severe kyphoscoliosis who underwent HGT and discuss the management decisions associated with this challenging scenario.

Single-Position Robotic-Assisted Prone Lateral Fusion: Technical Description and Feasibility

Yeo Quan You,Pham Martin H.,Oh Jacob Yoong-Leong 대한척추외과학회 2024 Asian Spine Journal Vol.18 No.1

Single-position lateral interbody fusion surgery has gained traction over the years because of reduced surgical time and improved operating theater workflow. With the introduction of robotics in spine surgery, surgeons can place pedicle screws with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency; moreover, the robot allows us to localize the disk space and perform endplate preparation accurately with minimal radiation. In this study, we discuss the potential synergistic benefits of integrating robotic-assisted spine surgery and singleposition prone lateral surgery. We share our technique and provide the operative nuances of using the Mazor X Stealth Edition system (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). We highlighted the potential synergistic benefits of integrating both the prone lateral and robotic-assisted surgical techniques, including the challenges encountered. This approach is not meant to replace other techniques or be used in all patients. Instead, it adds to our arsenal for managing spine fusion.

Bisphosphonate’s and Intermittent Parathyroid Hormone’s Effect on Human Spinal Fusion: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Michael A. Stone,Andre M. Jakoi,Justin A. Iorio,Martin H. Pham,Neil N. Patel,Patrick C. Hsieh,John C. Liu,Frank L. Acosta,Raymond Hah,Jeffrey C. Wang 대한척추외과학회 2017 Asian Spine Journal Vol.11 No.3

There has been a conscious effort to address osteoporosis in the aging population. As bisphosphonate and intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy become more widely prescribed to treat osteoporosis, it is important to understand their effects on other physiologic processes, particularly the impact on spinal fusion. Despite early animal model studies and more recent clinical studies, the impact of these medications on spinal fusion is not fully understood. Previous animal studies suggest that bisphosphonate therapy resulted in inhibition of fusion mass with impeded maturity and an unknown effect on biomechanical strength. Prior animal studies demonstrate an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. The purpose of this study was to determine if bisphosphonates and intermittent PTH treatment have impact on human spinal fusion. A systematic review of the literature published between 1980 and 2015 was conducted using major electronic databases. Studies reporting outcomes of human subjects undergoing 1, 2, or 3-level spinal fusion while receiving bisphosphonates and/or intermittent PTH treatment were included. The results of relevant human studies were analyzed for consensus on the effects of these medications in regards to spinal fusion. There were nine human studies evaluating the impact of these medications on spinal fusion. Improved fusion rates were noted in patients receiving bisphosphonates compared to control groups, and greater fusion rates in patients receiving PTH compared to control groups. Prior studies involving animal models found an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. No significant complications were demonstrated in any study included in the analysis. Bisphosphonate use in humans may not be a deterrent to spinal fusion. Intermittent parathyroid use has shown early promise to increase fusion mass in both animal and human studies but further studies are needed to support routine use.

Decompression Surgery versus Interspinous Devices for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Tram Jennifer,Srinivas Shanmukha,Wali Arvin R.,Lewis Courtney S.,Pham Martin H. 대한척추외과학회 2020 Asian Spine Journal Vol.14 No.4

In this retrospective review study, the authors systematically reviewed the literature to elucidate the efficacy and complications associated with decompression and interspinous devices (ISDs) used in surgeries for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). LSS is a debilitating condition that affects the lumbar spinal cord and spinal nerve roots. However, a comprehensive report on the relative efficacy and complication rate of ISDs as they compare to traditional decompression procedures is currently lacking. The PubMed database was queried to identify clinical studies that exclusively investigated decompression, those that exclusively investigated ISDs, and those that compared decompression with ISDs. Only prospective cohort studies, case series, and randomized controlled trials that evaluated outcomes using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index, or Japanese Orthopedic Association scores were included. A random-effects model was established to assess the difference between preoperative and the 1–2-year postoperative VAS scores between ISD surgery and lumbar decompression. This study included 40 papers that matched our criteria. Twenty-five decompression-exclusive clinical trials with 3,386 patients and a mean age of 68.7 years (range, 31–88 years) reported a 2.2% incidence rate of dural tears and a 2.6% incidence rate of postoperative infections. Eight ISD-exclusive clinical trials with 1,496 patients and a mean age of 65.1 (range, 19–89 years) reported a 5.3% incidence rate of postoperative leg pain and a 3.7% incidence rate of spinous process fractures. Seven studies that compared ISDs and decompression in 624 patients found a reoperation rate of 8.3% in ISD patients vs. 3.9% in decompression patients; they also reported dural tears in 0.32% of ISD patients vs. 5.2% in decompression patients. A meta-analysis of the randomized controlled trials found that the differences in preoperative and postoperative VAS scores between the two groups were not significant. Both decompression and ISD interventions are unique surgical interventions with different therapeutic efficacies and complications. The collected studies do not consistently demonstrate superiority of either procedure over the other but understanding the differences between the two techniques can help tailor treatment regimens for patients with LSS.

The Clinical Correlations between Diabetes, Cigarette Smoking and Obesity on Intervertebral Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine

Ande M. Jakoi,Gurpal Pannu,Anthony D’Oro,Zorica Buser,Martin H. Pham,Neil N. Patel,Patrick C. Hsieh,John C. Liu,Frank L. Acosta,Raymond Hah,Jeffrey C. Wang 대한척추외과학회 2017 Asian Spine Journal Vol.11 No.3

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of a nationwide private insurance database. Chi-square analysis and linear regression models were utilized for outcome measures. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate any relationship between lumbar degenerative disc disease, diabetes, obesity and smoking tobacco. Overview of Literature: Diabetes, obesity, and smoking tobacco are comorbid conditions known to individually have effect on degenerative disc disease. Most studies have only been on a small populous scale. No study has yet to investigate the combination of these conditions within a large patient cohort nor have they reviewed the combination of these conditions on degenerative disc disease. Methods: A retrospective analysis of insurance billing codes within the nationwide Humana insurance database was performed, using PearlDiver software (PearlDiver, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN, USA), to identify trends among patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease with and without the associated comorbidities of obesity, diabetes, and/or smoking tobacco. Patients billed for a comorbidity diagnosis on the same patient record as the lumbar disc degenerative disease diagnosis were compared over time to patients billed for lumbar disc degenerative disease without a comorbidity. There were no sources of funding for this manuscript and no conflicts of interest. Results: The total number and prevalence of patients (per 10,000) within the database diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease increased by 241.4% and 130.3%, respectively. The subsets of patients within this population who were concurrently diagnosed with either obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, or a combination thereof, was significantly higher than patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease alone (p <0.05 for all). The number of patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease and smoking rose significantly more than patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease and either diabetes or obesity (p <0.05). The number of patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease, smoking and obesity rose significantly more than the number of patients diagnosed with lumbar disc degenerative disease and any other comorbidity alone or combination of comorbidities (p <0.05). Conclusions: Diabetes, obesity and cigarette smoking each are significantly associated with an increased diagnosis of lumbar degenerative disc disease. The combination of smoking and obesity had a synergistic effect on increased rates of lumbar degenerative disc disease. Patient education and preventative care is a vital goal in prevention of degenerative disc disease within the general population.

Cervical Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Cervical Angina: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Omar M. Al Jammal,Luis Daniel Daz-Aguilar,Shanmukha Srinivas,Jillian Plonsker,Ronald Sahyouni,Martin H. Pham 대한척추신경외과학회 2020 Neurospine Vol.17 No.4

Cervical angina is an often-overlooked etiology of noncardiac chest pain that may mimic true angina pectoris but is due to cervical spine disease. Diagnosis can be difficult, and treatment ranges from conservative therapy to surgical management. However, of patient’s refractory to conservative therapy, approximately ninety percent experience postoperative relief of angina symptoms. Here, we present a case report on cervical angina and performed a systematic review of the literature. A 34-year-old male with prior surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome presented with persistent anterior neck and chest pain as well as posterior left scapular and upper lateral arm pain. The pain was refractory to 12 months of conservative therapy. Cardiac workup was negative and cervical spine imaging revealed a C6–7 herniation with neuroforaminal stenosis. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases from database inception to April 2020. Studies reporting cervical level, average symptom duration, location of pain, and postoperative pain improvement were included. The patient's atypical symptoms were completely resolved after C6–7 anterior cervical discectomy and arthroplasty. To our knowledge, this is the first study which reports on the use of arthroplasty in the treatment of cervical angina. The systematic review included 11 articles from 1989–2020 consisting of 1,186 total patients and 109 patients (age range, 36–84 years; 60.7% male) meeting inclusion criteria. Symptom duration range was 2 days to 90 months, with the most common location of pain being localized to the anterior chest wall (66.7% of patients). All patients (100%) had postoperative resolution of their pain symptoms. The most common herniation level was C6–7 (87.3% of patients). We conclude that a broad and multidisciplinary approach is necessary for the diagnosis and management of noncardiac chest pain. When cervical disease is identified as the underlying cause for the angina-like pain, conservative therapy should be sought. Refractory cases should be treated surgically depending on the cervical pathology.

Endoscopic Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Brown Nolan J.,Pennington Zach,Kuo Cathleen C.,Lopez Alexander M.,Picton Bryce,Solomon Sean,Nguyen Oanh T.,Yang Chenyi,Tantry Evelyne K.,Shahin Hania,Gendreau Julian,Albano Stephen,Pham Martin H.,Oh M 대한척추외과학회 2023 Asian Spine Journal Vol.17 No.6

Laparoscopic anterior lumbar interbody fusion (L-ALIF), which employs laparoscopic cameras to facilitate a less invasive approach, originally gained traction during the 1990s but has subsequently fallen out of favor. As the envelope for endoscopic approaches continues to be pushed, a recurrence of interest in laparoscopic and/or endoscopic anterior approaches seems possible. Therefore, evaluating the current evidence base in regard to this approach is of much clinical relevance. To this end, a systematic literature search was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using the following keywords: “(laparoscopic OR endoscopic) AND (anterior AND lumbar).” Out of the 441 articles retrieved, 22 were selected for quantitative analysis. The primary outcome of interest was the radiographic fusion rate. The secondary outcome was the incidence of perioperative complications. Meta-analysis was performed using RStudio’s “metafor” package. Of the 1,079 included patients (mean age, 41.8±2.9 years), 481 were males (44.6%). The most common indication for L-ALIF surgery was degenerative disk disease (reported by 18 studies, 81.8%). The mean follow-up duration was 18.8±11.2 months (range, 6–43 months). The pooled fusion rate was 78.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.9–90.4). Complications occurred in 19.2% (95% CI, 13.4–27.4) of L-ALIF cases. Additionally, 7.2% (95% CI, 4.6–11.4) of patients required conversion from L-ALIF to open surgery. Although L-ALIF does not appear to be supported by studies available in the literature, it is important to consider the context from which these results have been obtained. Even if these results are taken at face value, the failure of endoscopy to have a role in the ALIF approach does not mean that it should not be incorporated in posterior approaches.