Evaluating the Efficacy of a Novel Titanium Cage System in ALIF and LLIF: A Retrospective Clinical and Radiographic Analysis.

: The success of lumbar interbody fusion depends on the implant design and the surgical approach used. This study evaluated the clinical and radiographic outcomes of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) using a 3D-printed porous titanium interbody cage system. : A retrospective, single-center review of 48 patients treated for degenerative lumbar spine disease was conducted.

Smartphone-based activity research: methodology and key insights.

Background And Objectives: Objectively studying patient outcomes following surgery has been an important aspect of evidence-based medicine. The current gold-standard-patient reported outcomes measures-provides valuable information but have subjective biases. Smartphones, which passively collect data on physical activity such as daily steps, may provide objective and valuable insight into patient recovery and functional status.

Comparison of Outcomes Between Staged and Same-Day Circumferential Spinal Fusion for Adult Spinal Deformity: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a prevalent condition often treated with circumferential spinal fusion (CF), which can be performed as staged or same-day procedures. However, evidence guiding the choice between these approaches is lacking.

Objective: This study aims to compare patient outcomes following staged and same-day CF for ASD.

Smartphone accelerometers as tools to study the effect of socioeconomic disparities in neurosurgical outcomes: a multi-institutional retrospective analysis.

Objective: Smartphones and wearable devices can be effective tools to objectively assess patient mobility and well-being before and after spine surgery. In this retrospective observational study, the authors investigated the relationship between these longitudinal perioperative patient activity data and socioeconomic and demographic correlates, assessing whether smartphone-captured metrics may allow neurosurgeons to distinguish intergroup patterns.

Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective study of patients who underwent spinal decompression with and without fusion between 2017 and 2021 was conducted.

Technical Feasibility and Safety of Transpedicular Thoracic Partial Corpectomy Using Biportal Endoscopic Technique: A Novel Approach for Separation Surgery in Spinal Metastatic Disease.

Bony metastases frequently involve the spinal column, most commonly the thoracic spine. Surgical interventions in spinal metastatic disease are palliative and effective in providing diagnoses, reducing pain, and maintaining ambulatory function through neural element decompression and improving axial pain and posture through spinal column stabilization. Surgeons must weigh the benefits of surgery against fragility and limited life expectancy in patients with cancer.

Machine Learning Models Leveraging Smartphone-Based Patient Mobility Data Can Accurately Predict Functional Outcomes After Spine Surgery.

The development of adjacent segment disease or the progression of spondylosis following the surgical treatment of spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis is well documented and can lead to subsequent functional decline after a successful index surgery. The early detection of negative inflection points during patients' functional recovery can improve timely intervention. In this study, we developed machine learning (ML) models to predict the occurrence of post-operative decline in patient mobility.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Is Associated with Recurrent CSF Leak and Reoperation for Spontaneous Temporal Encephalocele.

 Spontaneous temporal encephaloceles (STEs) are increasingly recognized as sequelae of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), which in turn may further complicate their management. We endeavored to review the University of Pennsylvania institutional experience on operative management of STEs, with a focus on factors which may influence surgical outcomes, particularly IIH.  Retrospective chart review over 9 years from 2013 to 2022.

Association between social determinants of health and select neurosurgical procedures in the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry.

Objective: Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a lifelong condition requiring complex multidisciplinary management. Using the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR), the authors tested the association between sociodemographic variables and odds of undergoing neurosurgical procedures.

Methods: The authors extracted sociodemographic, clinical, and neurosurgical procedure data on participants with MMC aged ≥ 1 year who visited an NSBPR clinic between 2009 and 2020.

A multi-institutional machine learning algorithm for prognosticating facial nerve injury following microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannoma.

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are the most common tumor of the skull base with available treatment options that carry a risk of iatrogenic injury to the facial nerve, which can significantly impact patients' quality of life. As facial nerve outcomes remain challenging to prognosticate, we endeavored to utilize machine learning to decipher predictive factors relevant to facial nerve outcomes following microsurgical resection of VS. A database of patient-, tumor- and surgery-specific features was constructed via retrospective chart review of 242 consecutive patients who underwent microsurgical resection of VS over a 7-year study period.

Tracking the Global Burden of Neural Tube Defects and Assessing Disparities Across World Health Organization Regions: A Scoping Literature Review.

Background And Objectives: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are an important cause of global morbidity worldwide. Well-planned global neurosurgery and public health efforts can aid vulnerable communities, but there is a need to elucidate the global burden of NTDs and identify regions without available data to better target interventions.

Methods: A scoping review to quantify worldwide NTD prevalence using the PubMed/Medline and birth defects surveillance registries was conducted.

Racial disparities in short-term spinal fusion outcomes across 4263 consecutive patients.

Objective: Race plays a salient role in access to surgical care. However, few investigations have assessed the impact of race within surgical populations after care has been delivered. The objective of this study was to employ an exact matching protocol to a homogenous population of spine surgery patients in order to isolate the relationships between race and short-term postoperative outcomes.

Association Between Race and Short-Term Outcomes Across 3988 Consecutive Single-Level Spinal Fusions.

Background And Objectives: Race has implications for access to medical care. However, the impact of race, after access to care has been attained, remains poorly understood. The objective of this study was to isolate the relationship between race and short-term outcomes across patients undergoing a single, common neurosurgical procedure.

Determining Differences in Perioperative Functional Mobility Patterns in Lumbar Decompression Versus Fusion Patients Using Smartphone Activity Data.

Background And Objectives: Smartphone activity data recorded through high-fidelity accelerometry can provide accurate postoperative assessments of patient mobility. The "big data" available through smartphones allows for advanced analyses, yielding insight into patient well-being. This study compared rate of change in functional activity data between lumbar fusion (LF) and lumbar decompression (LD) patients to determine preoperative and postoperative course differences.

Effects of Augmented Reality on Thoracolumbar Pedicle Screw Instrumentation Across Different Levels of Surgical Experience.

Objective: Augmented reality (AR) is an emerging technology that may accelerate skill acquisition and improve accuracy of thoracolumbar pedicle screw placements. We aimed to quantify the relative assistance of AR compared with freehand (FH) pedicle screw accuracy across different surgical experience levels.

Methods: A spine fellowship-trained and board-certified attending neurosurgeon, postgraduate year 4 neurosurgery resident, and second-year medical student placed 32 FH and 32 AR-assisted thoracolumbar pedicle screws in 3 cadavers.

Defining the minimal clinically important difference in smartphone-based mobility after spine surgery: correlation of survey questionnaire to mobility data.

Objective: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are the gold standard for assessing postoperative outcomes in spine surgery. However, PROMs are also limited by the inherent subjectivity of self-reported qualitative data. Recent literature has highlighted the utility of patient mobility data streamed from smartphone accelerometers as an objective measure of functional outcomes and complement to traditional PROMs.

A Prospective Cohort Study of Radiation Exposure to a Spine Surgeon's Exposed Body Parts During Utilization of Intraoperative Radiation-based Imaging.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Summary Of Background Data: C-arm fluoroscopy and O-arm navigation are vital tools in modern spine surgeries, but their repeated usage can endanger spine surgeons. Although a surgeon's chest and abdomen are protected by lead aprons, the eyes and extremities generally receive less protection.