Diagnostic accuracy of dual-layer spectral CT for osteolytic vertebral metastases.

Objectives: To evaluate whether dual-layer spectral computed tomography, compared with conventional CT, improves diagnostic accuracy for osteolytic vertebral metastases. Furthermore, to investigate the influence of dual-layer CT on the subjective visibility of metastases.

Materials And Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, consecutive patients with an untreated primary tumor who underwent dual-layer CT and either MRI or PET-CT as reference standard within 14 days were included.

The Carotid Siphon as a Pulsatility Modulator for Brain Protection: Role of Arterial Calcification Formation.

A healthy vasculature with well-regulated perfusion and pulsatility is essential for the brain. One vascular structure that has received little attention is the carotid siphon. The proximal portion of the siphon is stiff due to the narrow location in the skull base, whilst the distal portion is highly flexible.

Thoracic aortic calcifications on chest radiographs and incident major adverse limb events in cardiovascular disease patients.

Thoracic aortic calcifications (TAC) are a common finding in medical imaging. We assessed the association between TAC on chest radiographs and major adverse limb events (MALE), other cardiovascular outcomes, and mortality in cardiovascular disease patients. A total of 4680 patients were included from the prospective Utrecht Cardiovascular Cohort-Second Manifestation of ARTerial disease cohort.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis as a marker for incident diabetes mellitus in cardiovascular disease patients.

Objectives: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a common incidental finding in medical imaging characterized by continuous vertebral ossification, which is associated with prevalent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We hypothesized that incidental screen-detected DISH may be an actionable marker for incident diabetes screening and aimed to assess the absolute incidence rate (ratio) for T2DM in cardiovascular patients with and without DISH.

Methods: Cardiovascular disease patients without diabetes (n = 3395) were included via the prospective Second Manifestation of ARTerial disease cohort.

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

Importance: Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) represents the third most common stroke type with unique etiologies, risk factors, diagnostics, and treatments. Nevertheless, epidemiological studies often cluster SAH with other stroke types leaving its distinct burden estimates obscure.

Objective: To estimate the worldwide burden of SAH.

Aortic, musculoskeletal and organ characteristics on computed tomography in knee osteoarthritis - an explorative study in the IMI-APPROACH cohort.

The systemic associations with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are incompletely understood. This study explores aortic disease, musculoskeletal and organ findings in patients with KOA in relation to their symptoms or radiographic abnormalities. Full body computed tomography (CT) scans of 255 IMI-APPROACH participants were investigated using an automated analysis of multislice CT (Voronoi Health Analytics) that extracts aortic size and calcifications, and volumes and densities of bones, muscles, fat compartments and thoracic and abdominal organs.

Radiographic Assessment of Bone Union in Proximal Tibia and Distal Femur Osteotomies: A Systematic Review.

Background: Osteotomies around the knee are a well-established treatment option for early and moderate unicompartmental osteoarthritis combined with a lower extremity malalignment. Moreover, osteotomies are often combined with cartilage treatment. Current image-based bone union assessments lack an accepted definition despite widespread use in research and clinical settings.

Diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities for detection of spinal metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Detecting spinal metastases is highly relevant in patients with oncological disorders as it can affect the staging and treatment of their disease. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), FDG positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, bone scintigraphy (BS), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for spinal metastases detection.

Methods: Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science were systematically searched until March 2024 for diagnostic accuracy studies on spinal metastases detection (PROSPERO-registration: CRD42024540139).

Evaluating industry payments to editorial board members of otolaryngology journals.

Objective: To evaluate the extent of payments from medical device and pharmaceutical companies to editorial board members of leading otolaryngology journals.

Methods: Editorial board members of the top 10 otolaryngology journals from Google Scholar rankings were identified in this cross-sectional study. Payments between 2017 and 2022 were identified via the Open Payments Database from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Prevalence and progression of arterial calcifications on computed tomography in humans with knee osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Ectopic bone deposition plays an important role in OA and in arterial wall disease. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and progression of arterial calcifications on whole-body CT in persons with knee OA.

Methods: We included 118 (36 male) participants who satisfied the clinical ACR classification criteria for knee OA.

Health Care Industry Payments to Editorial Board Members of Major Neurosurgery Journals Between 2017 and 2022.

Background And Objectives: Financial conflicts of interest between editorial board members and industry could lead to biases and impartial editorial decisions. We aimed to evaluate the frequency, amount, and characteristics of payments to editorial board members of neurosurgery journals over a 6-year period.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, editorial board members were derived from the top 10 neurosurgery journals based on Google Scholar metrics.

The prevalence of vertebral fractures in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Subjects with ankylosing spinal disorders, including diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are more prone to vertebral fractures and frequently present with neurological deficit compared to the patients without an ankylosed spine. Moreover, prevalent vertebral fractures are an important predictor for subsequent fracture risk. However, the pooled fracture prevalence for DISH is unknown and less recent for AS.

Alleged Malpractice in Orthopedic Surgery in The Netherlands: Lessons Learned from Medical Disciplinary Jurisprudence.

Background: Orthopedic surgery is a specialty at risk for medical malpractice claims. We aimed to assess the frequency of alleged malpractice cases related to orthopedic surgery in the Netherlands from the last 15 years.

Methods: We systematically searched the database of the Dutch Medical Disciplinary Court for verdicts related to orthopedic surgery between January 2009 and July 2023 and extracted case data and data on allegations and outcomes.

Patient characteristics, surgical treatment, and outcomes in spinal gout: a systematic review of 315 cases.

Purpose: To systematically investigate all published literature on spinal gout regarding location demographics, patient characteristics, treatment, and outcomes.

Methods: We performed a systematic literature search of Medline and EMBASE from inception until April 15, 2023. Two investigators performed data extraction and quality assessment of location demographics and patient characteristics and outcomes of all article types describing spinal gout.

Time from submission to publication in urology journals: A look at publication times before and during Covid-19.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic impacted scientific publishing, though it's effect on publication times in urology literature is unknown. The objective of our study were to determine and compare acceptance and publication times in general and specific urology journals, and to quantify these times before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Methods: We identified all original articles published in seven urology journals in 2019 and 2021, and extracted data on submission, acceptance, online, and in-print publication times.

Patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis have an increased burden of thoracic aortic calcifications.

Objectives: DISH has been associated with increased coronary artery calcifications and incident ischaemic stroke. The formation of bone along the spine may share pathways with calcium deposition in the aorta. We hypothesized that patients with DISH have increased vascular calcifications.

The Association between Muscle Quantity and Overall Survival Depends on Muscle Radiodensity: A Cohort Study in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

The prognostic value of CT-derived muscle quantity for overall survival (OS) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is uncertain due to conflicting evidence. We hypothesize that increased muscle quantity is associated with better OS in patients with normal muscle radiodensity but not in patients with fatty degeneration of muscle tissue and low muscle radiodensity. We performed an observational cohort study in NSCLC patients treated with radiotherapy.

Individual treatment effect estimation in the presence of unobserved confounding using proxies: a cohort study in stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) are the gold standard for estimating treatment effects but some important situations in cancer care require treatment effect estimates from observational data. We developed "Proxy based individual treatment effect modeling in cancer" (PROTECT) to estimate treatment effects from observational data when there are unobserved confounders, but proxy measurements of these confounders exist. We identified an unobserved confounder in observational cancer research: overall fitness.