SEVERE CERVICAL MYELOPATHY: APPROACHES AND POSTOPERATIVE EVALUATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 240-244
Author(s):  
Gabriel Faria Cerqueira ◽  
Álynson Larocca Kulcheski ◽  
André Luís Sebben ◽  
Pedro Grein Del Santoro ◽  
Marcel Luiz Benato ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate and compare the clinical evolution of surgical approaches used in patients with severe cervical myelopathy. Methods: Retrospective observational study in which 19 patients with myelopathy who underwent surgery were evaluated. Neurological assessments using the Frankel scale were conducted both preoperatively and one year following surgery, and the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA), Nurick, and Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS) questionnaires were applied 1 year after the surgical procedure. Results: 89% of the participants were male and the average age was 63.9 years. No patient had postoperative neurological worsening, 12 patients (63.16%) had mild pain, and seven (36.84%) had moderate pain. The group with degenerative disease showed neurological improvement after surgery and the exclusively anterior approach was used in 84% of the cases, the exclusively posterior approach in 10% of the cases, and the dual approach in 6% of the cases. Conclusion: Surgical treatment has good results for inhibiting the unfavorable natural evolution of myelopathy within 1 year following surgery and promotes neurological improvement in degenerative cases, making it possible to use the anterior access route in most cases. Level of evidence III; Retrospective Study.

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 886-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDREI F. JOAQUIM ◽  
ENRICO GHIZONI ◽  
HELDER TEDESCHI ◽  
WELLINGTON K. HSU ◽  
ALPESH A. PATEL

SUMMARY Introduction Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in adult patients. Patients generally present with a slow, progressive neurological decline or a stepwise deterioration pattern. In this paper, we discuss the most important factors involved in the management of DCM, including a discussion about the surgical approaches. Method The authors performed an extensive review of the peer-reviewed literature addressing the aforementioned objectives. Results Although the diagnosis is clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the study of choice to confirm stenosis and also to exclude the differential diagnosis. The severity the clinical symptoms of DCM are evaluated by different scales, but the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) and the Nürick scale are probably the most commonly used. Spontaneous clinical improvement is rare and surgery is the main treatment form in an attempt to prevent further neurological deterioration and, potentially, to provide some improvement in symptoms and function. Anterior, posterior or combined cervical approaches are used to decompress the spinal cord, with adjunctive fusion being commonly performed. The choice of one approach over the other depends on patient characteristics (such as number of involved levels, site of compression, cervical alignment, previous surgeries, bone quality, presence of instability, among others) as well as surgeon preference and experience. Conclusion Spine surgeons must understand the advantages and disadvantages of all surgical techniques to choose the best procedure for their patients. Further comparative studies are necessary to establish the superiority of one approach over the other when multiple options are available.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. 3653
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Yang ◽  
Aref-Ali Gharooni ◽  
Rana S. Dhillon ◽  
Edward Goacher ◽  
Edward W. Dyson ◽  
...  

Objectives: To assess the reporting of study design and characteristics in multi-level degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) treated by posterior surgical approaches, and perform a comparison of clinical and radiographic outcomes between different approaches. Methods: A literature search was performed in Embase and MEDLINE between 1995–2019 using a sensitive search string combination. Studies were selected by predefined selection criteria: Full text articles in English, with >10 patients (prospective) or >50 patients (retrospective), reporting outcomes of multi-level DCM treated by posterior surgical approach. Results: A total of 75 studies involving 19,510 patients, conducted worldwide, were identified. Laminoplasty was described in 56 studies (75%), followed by laminectomy with (36%) and without fusion (16%). The majority of studies were conducted in Asia (84%), in the period of 2016–2019 (51%), of which laminoplasty was studied predominantly. Twelve (16%) prospective studies and 63 (84%) retrospective studies were identified. The vast majority of studies were conducted in a single centre (95%) with clear inclusion/exclusion criteria and explicit cause of DCM. Eleven studies (15%) included patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament exclusively with cohorts of 57 to 252. The clinical and radiographic outcomes were reported with heterogeneity when comparing laminoplasty, laminectomy with and without fusion. Conclusions: Heterogeneity in the reporting of study and sample characteristics exists, as well as in clinical and radiographic outcomes, with a paucity of studies with a higher level of evidence. Future studies are needed to elucidate the clinical effectiveness of posterior surgical treatments.


Author(s):  
Quinten G. H. Rikken ◽  
Sarah Mikdad ◽  
Mathijs T. Carvalho Mota ◽  
Marcel A. De Leeuw ◽  
Patrick Schober ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The SARS-CoV-2 virus has disrupted global and local medical supply chains. To combat the spread of the virus and prevent an uncontrolled outbreak with limited resources, national lockdown protocols have taken effect in the Netherlands since March 13th, 2020. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence, type and characteristics of HEMS and HEMS-ambulance ‘Lifeliner 1’ dispatches during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period one year prior. Methods A retrospective review of all HEMS and HEMS-ambulance ‘Lifeliner 1’ dispatches was performed from the start of Dutch nationwide lockdown orders from March 13th until May 13th, 2020 and the corresponding period one year prior. Dispatch-, operational-, patient-, injury-, and on-site treatment characteristics were extracted for analysis. In addition, the rate of COVID-19 positively tested HEMS personnel and the time physicians were unable to take call was described. Results During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HEMS and HEMS-ambulance was requested in 528 cases. One year prior, a total of 620 requests were received. The HEMS (helicopter and ambulance) was cancelled after deployment in 56.4% of the COVID-19 cohort and 50.7% of the historical cohort (P = 0.05). Incident location type did not differ between the two cohorts, specifically, there was no significant difference in the number of injuries that occurred at home in pandemic versus non-pandemic circumstances. Besides a decrease in the number of falls, the distribution of mechanisms of injury remained similar during the COVID-19 study period. There was no difference in self-inflicted injuries observed. Prehospital interventions remained similar during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to one year prior. Specifically, prehospital intubation did not differ between the two cohorts. The rate of COVID-19 positively tested HEMS personnel was 23.1%. Physicians who tested positive were unable to take call for a mean of 25 days (range 8–53). Conclusion A decrease in the number of deployments and increase in the number of cancelled missions was observed during the COVID-19 study period. No major differences in operational- and injury characteristics were found for HEMS and HEMS-ambulance dispatches between the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands and the same period one year prior. These findings highlight the importance of continued operability of the HEMS, even during pandemic circumstances. Level of evidence III, retrospective comparative study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. NP21-NP31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo P Sizenando ◽  
Marco Túlio C Diniz ◽  
Paulo Roberto da Costa ◽  
Luiz Gustavo S Manhães

Abstract Background In 1971, Ribeiro isolated a segment in the inferior pole of the ptotic breast, nourished by muscular perforating vessels, and moved it cranially to the posterior region of the remaining detached breast tissue, where it was fixed to the pectoral fascia. This maneuver created a flap with autologous implant function, independent from the rest of the breast’s support, that maintained long-term mammary projection. Objectives The objectives of this study were to measure the vertical movement of this flap 1 year after mammaplasty and to evaluate the factors involved. Methods The sample included 13 patients who had previously undergone bariatric surgery. The position of a titanium marker attached to the Ribeiro flap was compared on chest radiographs taken 1 day and 1 year after the mammaplasty. The significance level was set at 5%. Results All of the titanium markers moved 0.6 cm to 4.1 cm caudally during the study period (average, 2.4 cm ± 1.02 cm). The greater the weight loss after the plastic surgery, the further the marker’s descent. Weight loss between bariatric surgery and plastic surgery, the vertical dimension of the ptotic breast tissue immediately before plastic surgery, the vertical extent of the nipple-areola complex elevation during mammaplasty, the Ribeiro flap thickness and volume, and the breast volume after mammaplasty were not associated with the vertical movement of the flap. Conclusions The Ribeiro flap employed in mammaplasty of patients who previously underwent bariatric surgery undergoes ptosis that is exacerbated by weight loss after mammaplasty. Level of Evidence: 4


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronghua Gui ◽  
Federico Canavese ◽  
Shuang Liu ◽  
Lianyong Li ◽  
Lijun Zhang ◽  
...  

Purpose Early diagnosis and prevention of lateral growth disturbance of the capital femoral epiphysis is challenging after treatment for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). The aim of the study was to evaluate the radiographic changes of the Alsberg angle (AA) in normal children and those with DDH, and to assess the role of AA as a potential predictor of lateral growth disturbance of the capital femoral epiphysis. Methods AA was measured on the anterior-posterior pelvic radiographs of 1000 normal children ranging in age from one to ten years and in 66 children (92 hips) with DDH treated by closed reduction (CR). A comparative analysis was performed. Results In the normal children, mean AA decreased linearly with age, from 76° at age one year to 65° at age ten years, irrespective of gender and laterality. In children with DDH, the average AA was 81.5°(sd 3.9°; 74° to 87°) prior to CR; it was 75.9° (sd 4.5°; 68° to 83°) in normal children of the same age (p < 0.001). Among the 42 children (64 hips) with successfully and uneventfully treated DDH, AA reached normal values between the ages of five and six years. In contrast, children with lateral growth disturbance of the proximal femur physis (24 children, 28 hips) showed significantly higher AA values in comparison with the age-matched controls. Conclusion In DDH patients with successful CR, AA could be expected to match normal values in children between the ages of five and six years. On the other hand, AA can be used as an early predictor for lateral growth disturbance of the capital femoral epiphysis. Level of Evidence Level III


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masao Omori ◽  
Satoshi Shibuya ◽  
Tsuyoshi Nakajima ◽  
Takashi Endoh ◽  
Shinya Suzuki ◽  
...  

Cervical myelopathy (CM) caused by spinal cord compression can lead to reduced hand dexterity. However, except for the 10 sec grip-and-release test, there is no objective assessment system for hand dexterity in patients with CM. Therefore, we evaluated the hand dexterity impairment of patients with CM objectively by asking them to perform a natural prehension movement. Twenty-three patients with CM and 30 age-matched controls were asked to reach for and grasp a small object with their right thumb and index finger and to subsequently lift and hold it. To examine the effects of tactile afferents from the fingers, objects with surface materials of differing textures (silk, suede, and sandpaper) were used. All patients also underwent the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) test. Preoperative patients showed significantly greater grip aperture during reach-to-grasp movements and weaker grip force than controls only while attempting to lift the most slippery object (silk). Patients, immediately after surgery, (n=15) tended to show improvements in the JOA score and in reaction time and movement time with respect to reaching movements. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that some parameters of the prehension task could successfully predict subjective evaluations of dexterous hand movements based on JOA scores. These results suggest that quantitative assessments using prehension movements could be useful to objectively evaluate hand dexterity impairment in patients with CM.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 132-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexa Ovidiu ◽  
Gheorghevici Teodor Stefan ◽  
Popescu Dragos ◽  
Veliceasa Bogdan ◽  
Alexa Ioana Dana

ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study was to assess survival and factors that may influence survival in nonagenarians with hip fracture. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 134 nonagenarian patients admitted for hip fractures over a period of 9 years, and reviewed medical records and survival data from the National Population Register. The analysis included demographic data, ASA score, surgical delay, type of treatment, and mortality. Results: Mean patient age was 92.53 years (range 90-103 years). Of the total, 35.8% of the fractures involved the femoral neck and 64.2% were in the trochanteric region. Overall mortality was 18.7% at 30 days, and 9% at one year. Mean survival for the entire sample was 683±78.1 days, with a median of 339 days; survival in men and women was 595±136.8 days and 734±94.6 days, respectively. We found that type of fracture (p=0.026) and ASA score (p=0.004) were the main factors influencing survival. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients with extracapsular fractures treated by internal fixation had a better survival rate (p=0.047). There was no significant differences between sexes (p = 0.102) or diagnosis (p = 0.537) Conclusion: Although nonagenarian patients have numerous comorbidities, surgical treatment using internal fixation seems superior to a conservative approach. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Comparative Study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 280-286
Author(s):  
MÁRCIA UCHÔA DE REZENDE ◽  
HENRIQUE MELO CAMPOS GURGEL ◽  
GUILHERME PEREIRA OCAMPOS ◽  
GUSTAVO CONSTANTINO DE CAMPOS ◽  
RENATO FRUCCHI ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify whether the use of Hylan G-F20 improves saline lavage and triamcinolone injection results in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis (HOA). Methods: 82 patients with HOA categorized as grades II and III severity, according to Kellgren and Lawrence criteria, were randomized into the groups: lavage and triamcinolone (G0); lavage, triamcinolone, and 2 mL of hylan G-F20 (G1); lavage, triamcinolone, and 4mL of hylan G-F20 (G2); lavage, triamcinolone, and 6mL of hylan G-F20 (G3). The VAS, range of motion (ROM), WOMAC, and Lequesne questionnaires were administered at baseline, one, three, six, and twelve months post-injection. Results: All groups showed clinically relevant improvements (> 20%) between baseline and first month post-injection, maintaining subjective results throughout the study period (p < 0.001). We found no differences between groups in any subjective evaluations (p > 0.05, for all). G2 and G3 obtained improved flexion results up to a year (p = 0.028). Hylan groups presented an improved external rotation since the first postoperative month and maintained the results up to a year (G1, p = 0.041; G2, p = 0.007), whereas G0 showed no improvement (p = 0.336). Conclusion: Hip lavage and triamcinolone injection, with or without the use of hylan, improves pain, function, and quality of life up to a year in HOA. Hylan may improve ROM up to one year. Level of Evidence IB, Randomized clinical trial.


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. E9
Author(s):  
Vaidya Govindarajan ◽  
Jean-Paul Bryant ◽  
Roberto J. Perez-Roman ◽  
Michael Y. Wang

OBJECTIVE Cervical fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis can have devastating neurological consequences. Currently, several surgical approaches are commonly used to treat these fractures: anterior, posterior, and anterior-posterior. The relative rarity of these fractures has limited the ability of surgeons to objectively determine the merits of each. The authors present an updated systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the utility of anterior surgical approaches relative to posterior and anterior-posterior approaches. METHODS After a comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases, 7 clinical studies were included in the final qualitative and 6 in the final quantitative analyses. Of these studies, 6 compared anterior approaches with anterior-posterior and posterior approaches, while 1 investigated only an anterior approach. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated where appropriate. RESULTS A meta-analysis of postoperative neurological improvement revealed no statistically significant differences in gross rates of neurological improvement between anterior and posterior approaches (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.10–1.59; p = 0.19). However, when analyzing the mean change in neurological function, patients who underwent anterior approaches had a significantly lower mean change in postoperative neurological function relative to patients who underwent posterior approaches (mean difference [MD] −0.60, 95% CI −0.76 to −0.45; p < 0.00001). An identical trend was seen between anterior and anterior-posterior approaches; there were no statistically significant differences in gross rates of neurological improvement (OR 3.05, 95% CI 0.84–11.15; p = 0.09). However, patients who underwent anterior approaches experienced a lower mean change in neurological function relative to anterior-posterior approaches (MD −0.46, 95% CI −0.60 to −0.32; p < 0.00001). There were no significant differences in complication rates between anterior approaches, posterior approaches, or anterior-posterior approaches, although complication rates trended lower in patients who underwent anterior approaches. CONCLUSIONS The results of this review and meta-analysis demonstrated the varying benefits of anterior approaches relative to posterior and anterior-posterior approaches in treatment of cervical fractures associated with ankylosing spondylitis. While reports demonstrated lower degrees of neurological improvement in anterior approaches, they may benefit patients with less-severe injuries if lower complication rates are desired.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 943-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hesham Aly Helal ◽  
Mohamed Abdel Mohsen Ghanem ◽  
Ahmed Mohamed Al-Badawy ◽  
Mohamed Mammdouh Abdel Haleem ◽  
Manal Hassan Mousa

Abstract Background Rhinoplasty in the elderly requires different surgical approaches due to the morphological and structural changes affecting the nose over time. Objectives In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate the age-related cellular and architectural changes of nasal cartilages and soft tissue attachments. Methods This prospective study included 80 patients who underwent rhinoplasty. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to age. Group I included 40 patients ranging in age from 19 to 39 years. Group II included 40 patients aged at least 40 years. Samples from nasal cartilages (upper lateral, lower lateral, and septum) and nasal attachments (interdomal, inter-cartilaginous, and septo-crural) were taken. All specimens were evaluated histologically to detect age-related changes. A modified version of the Mankin grading scale was used to score each nasal cartilage sample. All attachment samples were examined by image analysis for quantitative assessment. The results were correlated to preoperative anthropometric measurements of nasolabial angle and nasal projection. Results Histologically, in group II, the cartilage matrix showed fibrinoid degeneration with a significant decrease in the number of chondrocytes and increased perichondrial fibrosis compared with group I. Attachments in group II showed a lower number of blood vessels and decreased percentage of collagen bundles. Modified Mankin scores were significantly higher in group II, indicating weak cartilages compared with group I. There was negative correlation and significance between projection, nasolabial angle, cartilages, and attachments in study groups. The linear regression model revealed that the lower lateral cartilage is the cartilage that is most affected by the aging process. Conclusions These findings not only enhance our current understanding of the natural changes that occur in the nose during aging but may also affect surgical decision-making when grafting or suturing are considered during rhinoplasty. Level of Evidence: 2


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