Browsing by Author "Arnold, Paul M"
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Item Open Access A Multicenter Review of Superior Laryngeal Nerve Injury Following Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery.(Global spine journal, 2017-04) Tempel, Zachary J; Smith, Justin S; Shaffrey, Christopher; Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Mroz, Thomas E; Riew, K Daniel; Kanter, Adam SA retrospective multicenter case-series study; case report and review of the literature.The anatomy and function of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) are well described; however, the consequences of SLN injury remain variable and poorly defined. The prevalence of SLN injury as a consequence of cervical spine surgery is difficult to discern as its clinical manifestations are often inconstant and frequently of a subclinical degree. A multicenter study was performed to better delineate the risk factors, prevalence, and outcomes of SLN injury.A retrospective multicenter case-series study involving 21 high-volume surgical centers from the AO Spine North America Clinical Research Network. Medical records for 17 625 patients who received subaxial cervical spine surgery from 2005 to 2011 were reviewed to identify occurrence of 21 predefined treatment complications. Descriptive statistics were provided for baseline patient characteristics. A retrospective review of the neurosurgical literature on SLN injury was also performed.A total of 8887 patients who underwent anterior cervical spine surgery at the participating institutions were screened, and 1 case of SLN palsy was identified. The prevalence ranged from 0% to 1.25% across all centers. The patient identified underwent a C4 corpectomy. The SLN injury was identified after the patient demonstrated difficulty swallowing postoperatively. He underwent placement of a percutaneous gastrostomy tube and his SLN palsy resolved by 6 weeks.This multicenter study demonstrates that identification of SLN injury occurs very infrequently. Symptomatic SLN injury is an exceedingly rare complication of anterior cervical spine surgery. The SLN is particularly vulnerable when exposing the more rostral levels of the cervical spine. Careful dissection and retraction of the longus coli may decrease the risk of SLN injury during anterior cervical surgery.Item Open Access A Multicenter Study of the Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Cervical Dural Tears.(Global spine journal, 2017-04) O'Neill, Kevin R; Fehlings, Michael G; Mroz, Thomas E; Smith, Zachary A; Hsu, Wellington K; Kanter, Adam S; Steinmetz, Michael P; Arnold, Paul M; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Chou, Dean; Nassr, Ahmad; Qureshi, Sheeraz A; Cho, Samuel K; Baird, Evan O; Smith, Justin S; Shaffrey, Christopher; Tannoury, Chadi A; Tannoury, Tony; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Gum, Jeffrey L; Hart, Robert A; Isaacs, Robert E; Sasso, Rick C; Bumpass, David B; Bydon, Mohamad; Corriveau, Mark; De Giacomo, Anthony F; Derakhshan, Adeeb; Jobse, Bruce C; Lubelski, Daniel; Lee, Sungho; Massicotte, Eric M; Pace, Jonathan R; Smith, Gabriel A; Than, Khoi D; Riew, K DanielStudy design
Retrospective multicenter case series study.Objective
Because cervical dural tears are rare, most surgeons have limited experience with this complication. A multicenter study was performed to better understand the presentation, treatment, and outcomes following cervical dural tears.Methods
Multiple surgeons from 23 institutions retrospectively identified 21 rare complications that occurred between 2005 and 2011, including unintentional cervical dural tears. Demographic data and surgical history were obtained. Clinical outcomes following surgery were assessed, and any reoperations were recorded. Neck Disability Index (NDI), modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA), Nurick classification (NuC), and Short-Form 36 (SF36) scores were recorded at baseline and final follow-up at certain centers. All data were collected, collated, and analyzed by a private research organization.Results
There were 109 cases of cervical dural tears among 18 463 surgeries performed. In 101 cases (93%) there was no clinical sequelae following successful dural tear repair. There were statistical improvements (P < .05) in mJOA and NuC scores, but not NDI or SF36 scores. No specific baseline or operative factors were found to be associated with the occurrence of dural tears. In most cases, no further postoperative treatments of the dural tear were required, while there were 13 patients (12%) that required subsequent treatment of cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Analysis of those requiring further treatments did not identify an optimum treatment strategy for cervical dural tears.Conclusions
In this multicenter study, we report our findings on the largest reported series (n = 109) of cervical dural tears. In a vast majority of cases, no subsequent interventions were required and no clinical sequelae were observed.Item Open Access Association of myelopathy scores with cervical sagittal balance and normalized spinal cord volume: analysis of 56 preoperative cases from the AOSpine North America Myelopathy study.(Spine, 2013-10) Smith, Justin S; Lafage, Virginie; Ryan, Devon J; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Schwab, Frank J; Patel, Alpesh A; Brodke, Darrel S; Arnold, Paul M; Riew, K Daniel; Traynelis, Vincent C; Radcliff, Kris; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Fehlings, Michael G; Ames, Christopher PStudy design
Post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data.Objective
Development of methods to determine in vivo spinal cord dimensions and application to correlate preoperative alignment, myelopathy, and health-related quality-of-life scores in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).Summary of background data
CSM is the leading cause of spinal cord dysfunction. The association between cervical alignment, sagittal balance, and myelopathy has not been well characterized.Methods
This was a post hoc analysis of the prospective, multicenter AOSpine North America CSM study. Inclusion criteria for this study required preoperative cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neutral sagittal cervical radiography. Techniques for MRI assessment of spinal cord dimensions were developed. Correlations between imaging and health-related quality-of-life scores were assessed.Results
Fifty-six patients met inclusion criteria (mean age = 55.4 yr). The modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) scores correlated with C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA) (r = -0.282, P = 0.035). Spinal cord volume correlated with cord length (r = 0.472, P < 0.001) and cord average cross-sectional area (r = 0.957, P < 0.001). For all patients, no correlations were found between MRI measurements of spinal cord length, volume, mean cross-sectional area or surface area, and outcomes. For patients with cervical lordosis, mJOA scores correlated positively with cord volume (r = 0.366, P = 0.022), external cord area (r = 0.399, P = 0.012), and mean cross-sectional cord area (r = 0.345, P = 0.031). In contrast, for patients with cervical kyphosis, mJOA scores correlated negatively with cord volume (r = -0.496, P = 0.043) and mean cross-sectional cord area (r = -0.535, P = 0.027).Conclusion
This study is the first to correlate cervical sagittal balance (C2-C7 SVA) to myelopathy severity. We found a moderate negative correlation in kyphotic patients of cord volume and cross-sectional area to mJOA scores. The opposite (positive correlation) was found for lordotic patients, suggesting a relationship of cord volume to myelopathy that differs on the basis of sagittal alignment. It is interesting to note that sagittal balance but not kyphosis is tied to myelopathy score. Future work will correlate alignment changes to cord morphology changes and myelopathy outcomes. SUMMARY STATEMENTS: This is the first study to correlate sagittal balance (C2-C7 SVA) to myelopathy severity. We found a moderate negative correlation in kyphotic patients of cord volume and cross-sectional area to mJOA scores. The opposite (positive correlation) was found for lordotic patients, suggesting a relationship of cord volume to myelopathy that differs on the basis of sagittal alignment.Item Open Access Canadian Spine Society: 23rd Annual Scientific Conference, Wednesday, March 1 - Saturday, March 4, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec, Que., Canada.(Can J Surg, 2023) Birk, Manjot; Sidhu, Kara; Filezio, Marina Rosa; Singh, Vishwajeet; Ferri-de-Barros, Fabio; Chan, Vivien; Shumilak, Geoffrey; Nataraj, Andrew; Langston, Holly; Yee, Nicholas J; Iorio, Carlo; Shkumat, Nicholas; Rocos, Brett; Ertl-Wagner, Birgit; Lebel, David; Camp, Mark W; Dimentberg, Evan; Saran, Neil; Laflamme, Melissa; Ouellet, Jean A; Wenghofer, Jessica; Livock, Holly; Beaton, Luke; Tice, Andrew; Smit, Kevin; Graham, Ryan; Duarte, Matias Pereira; Roy-Beaudry, Marjolaine; Turgeon, Isabelle; Joncas, Julie; Mac-Thiong, Jean-Marc; Labelle, Hubert; Barchi, Soraya; Parent, Stefan; Gholamian, Tara; Livock, Holly; Tice, Andrew; Smit, Kevin; Yoon, Samuel; Zulfiqar, Amna; Rocos, Brett; Murphy, Anne; Bath, Natasha; Moll, Stanley; Sorbara, Julia; Lebel, David; Camp, Mark W; Nallet, Jérémie Arthur; Rocos, Brett; Lebel, David Eduard; Zeller, Reinhard; Dermott, Jennifer A; Kim, Dorothy J; Anthony, Alison; Zeller, Reinhard; Lebel, David E; Wang, Zhi; Shen, Jesse; Kamel, Youssef; Liu, Jia; Shedid, Daniel; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Boubez, Ghassan; Rizkallah, Maroun; Rizkallah, Maroun; Shen, Jesse; Boubez, Ghassan; Kamel, Youssef; Liu, Jia; Shedid, Daniel; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Lavoie, Frederic; Yug, Sung-Joo; Wang, Zhi; Alavi, Fatemeh; Nielsen, Christopher; Rampersaud, Raja; Lewis, Stephen; Cheung, Angela M; Cadieux, Chloe; Fernandes, Renan; Brzozowski, Pawel; Zdero, Radovan; Bailey, Chris; Rasoulinejad, Parham; Cherry, Ahmed; Manoharan, Ragavan; Xu, Mark; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Iorio, Carlo; Raj, Aditya; Nielsen, Christopher; Rampersaud, Raja; Lewis, Stephen; Beange, Kristen; Graham, Ryan; Livock, Holly; Smit, Kevin; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Raj, Aditya; Xu, Mark; Iorio, Carlo; Nielsen, Christopher J; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Lewis, Stephen J; Nasrabadi, Ali Asghar Mohammadi; Moammer, Gemah; Phee, John Mc; Walker, Taryn; Urquhart, Jennifer C; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Bailey, Chris S; Herrington, Brandon J; Fernandes, Renan R; Urquhart, Jennifer C; Rasoulinejad, Parham; Siddiqi, Fawaz; Bailey, Christopher S; Urquhart, Jennifer; Fernandes, Renan R; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Bailey, Chris S; Yang, Michael MH; Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Cunningham, Jonathan; Casha, Steven; Cadieux, Chloe N; Urquhart, Jennifer; Fernandes, Renan; Glennie, Andrew; Fisher, Charles; Rampersaud, Raja; Xu, Mark; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Raj, Aditya; Srikandarajah, Nish; Iorio, Carlo; Nielsen, Christopher; Lewis, Stephen; Rampersaud, Raja; Cherry, Ahmed; Raj, Aditya; McIntosh, Greg; Manoharan, Ragavan; Murray, Jean-Christophe; Nielsen, Christopher; Xu, Mark; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Iorio, Carlo; Perruccio, Anthony; Canizares, Mayilee; Rampersaud, Raja; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Richardson, Eden; Manson, Neil; Abraham, Edward; Attabib, Najmedden; Small, Chris; Kolyvas, George; LeRoux, Andre; Outcomes, Canadian Spine; Investigators, Research Network; Hebert, Jeff; Baisamy, Victor; Rizkallah, Maroun; Shen, Jesse; Cresson, Thierry; Vazquez, Carlos; Wang, Zhi; Boubez, Ghassan; Lung, Tiffany; Canizares, Mayilee; Perruccio, Anthony; Rampersaud, Raja; Crawford, Eric J; Ravinsky, Robert A; Perruccio, Anthony V; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Coyte, Peter C; Bond, Michael; Street, John; Fisher, Charles; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Sutherland, Jason M; Bartolozzi, Arthur R; Barzilai, Ori; Chou, Dean; Laufer, Ilya; Verlaan, Jorrit-Jan; Sahgal, Arjun; Rhines, Laurence D; Scuibba, Daniel M; Lazary, Aron; Weber, Michael H; Schuster, James M; Boriani, Stefano; Bettegowda, Chetan; Arnold, Paul M; Clarke, Michelle J; Fehlings, Michael G; Reynolds, Jeremy J; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Fisher, Charles G; Dea, Nicolas; Versteeg, Anne L; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Laufer, Ilya; Teixeira, William; Barzilai, Ori; Gasbarrini, Alessandro; Fehlings, Michael G; Chou, Dean; Johnson, Michael G; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Dea, Nicolas; Verlaan, Jorrit-Jan; Goldschlager, Tony; Shin, John H; O'Toole, John E; Sciubba, Daniel M; Bettegowda, Chetan; Clarke, Michelle J; Weber, Michael H; Mesfin, Addisu; Kawahara, Norio; Goodwin, Rory; Disch, Alexander; Lazary, Aron; Boriani, Stefano; Sahgal, Arjun; Rhines, Laurence; Fisher, Charles G; Versteeg, Anne L; Gal, Roxanne; Reich, Leilani; Tsang, Angela; Aludino, Allan; Sahgal, Arjun; Verlaan, Jorrit-Jan; Fisher, Charles G; Verkooijen, Lenny; Rizkallah, Maroun; Wang, Zhi; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Shedid, Daniel; Shen, Jesse; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Belguendouz, Céline; AlKafi, Rayan; Boubez, Ghassan; MacLean, Mark A; Georgiopoulos, Miltiadis; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Germscheid, Niccole; Goodwin, C Rory; Weber, Michael; International, Ao Spine; Rizkallah, Maroun; Boubez, Ghassan; Zhang, Hao; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Brindamour, Pamela; Boule, Danielle; Shen, Jesse; Shedid, Daniel; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Wang, Zhi; Correale, Marcia Rebecca; Soever, Leslie Jayne; Rampersaud, Raja; Malic, Claudia Cristina; Dubreuil, Melanie; Duke, Kate; Kingwell, Stephen P; Lin, Zihan; MacLean, Mark A; Julien, Lisa C; Patriquin, Glenn; LeBlanc, Jason; Green, Ryan; Alant, Jacob; Barry, Sean; Glennie, R Andrew; Oxney, William; Christie, Sean D; Sarraj, Mohamed; Alqahtani, Abdullah; Thornley, Patrick; Koziarz, Frank; Bailey, Christopher S; Freire-Archer, Millaray; Bhanot, Kunal; Kachur, Edward; Bhandari, Mohit; Oitment, Colby; Malhotra, Armaan K; Balas, Michael; Jaja, Blessing NR; Harrington, Erin M; Hofereiter, Johann; Jaffe, Rachael H; He, Yingshi; Byrne, James P; Wilson, Jefferson R; Witiw, Christopher D; Brittain, Kennedy CM; Christie, Sean; Pillai, Saranyan; Dvorak, Marcel F; Evaniew, Nathan; Chen, Melody; Waheed, Zeina; Rotem-Kohavi, Naama; Fallah, Nader; Noonan, Vanessa K; Fisher, Charles G; Charest-Morin, Raphaële; Dea, Nicolas; Ailon, Tamir; Street, John; Kwon, Brian K; Sandarage, Ryan V; Galuta, Ahmad; Ghinda, Diana; Kwan, Jason CS; TsaI, Eve C; Hachem, Laureen D; Hong, James; Velumian, Alexander; Mothe, Andrea J; Tator, Charles H; Fehlings, Michael G; Shakil, Husain; Jaja, Blessing NR; Zhang, Peng; Jaffe, Rachael; Malhotra, Armaan K; Wilson, Jefferson R; Witiw, Christopher D; Rotem-Kohavi, Naama; Dvorak, Marcel F; Dea, Nicolas; Evaniew, Nathan; Chen, Melody; Waheed, Zeina; Xu, Jijie; Fallah, Nader; Noonan, Vanessa; Kwon, Brian; Dandurand, Charlotte; Muijs, Sander; Dvorak, Marcel; Schnake, Klaus; Cumhur; Ouml Ner; Greene, Ryan; Furlong, Bradley; Smith-Forrester, Jenna; Swab, Michelle; Christie, Sean D; Hall, Amanda; Leck, Erika; Marshall, Emily; Christie, Sean; Dvorak, Marcel F; Cumhur, F; Ouml Ner; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Benneker, Lorin M; Rajasekaran, Shanmuganathan; El-Sharkawi, Mohammad; Popescu, Eugen Cezar; Tee, Jin Wee; Paquet, Jerome; France, John C; Allen, Richard; Lavelle, William F; Hirschfeld, Miguel; Pneumaticos, Spyros; Dandurand, Charlotte; Cumhur; Ouml Ner; Muijs, Sander; Schnake, Klaus; Dvorak, Marcel; Fernandes, Renan Rodrigues; Thornley, Patrick; Urquhart, Jennifer; Kelly, Sean; Alenezi, Nasser; Alahmari, Abdulmajeed; Siddiqi, Fawaz; Singh, Supriya; Rasoulinejad, Parham; Bailey, Christopher; Evaniew, Nathan; Burger, Lukas D; Dea, Nicolas; Cadotte, David W; McIntosh, Greg; Jacobs, Bradley; St-Laurent-Lebeux, Loïc; Bourassa-Moreau, Étienne; Sarraj, Mohamed; Majeed, Meerab; Guha, Daipayan; Pahuta, Markian; Laflamme, Mathieu; McIntosh, Greg; Dea, Nicolas; Bak, Alex B; Alvi, Mohammed A; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Silva, Yan Gabriel Morais David; Goulet, Julien; McIntosh, Greg; Bedard, Sonia; Pimenta, Newton; Blanchard, Jocelyn; Couture, Jerome; LaRue, Bernard; Investigators, Csorn; Adams, Tyler; Cunningham, Erin; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Vandewint, Amanda; Manson, Niel; Abraham, Edward; Small, Chris; Attabib, Najmedden; Richardson, Eden; Hebert, Jeffery; Bond, Michael; Street, John; Fisher, Charles; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Sutherland, Jason M; Hillier, Troy; Bailey, Chris S; Fisher, Charles; Rampersaud, Raja; Koto, Prosper; Glennie, R Andrew; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Lewkonia, Peter; Bouchard, Jacques; Jacobs, Brad; Ben-Israel, David; Crawford, Eric J; Fisher, Charles; Dea, Nicolas; Spackman, Eldon; Rampersaud, Raja; Thomas, Kenneth C; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Murray, Jean-Christophe; Nielsen, Christopher; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Raj, Aditiya; Xu, Mark; Iorio, Carlo; Bailey, Chris; Dea, Nicolas; Fisher, Charles; Hall, Hamilton; Manson, Neil; Thomas, Kenneth; Canizares, Mayilee; Rampersaud, Yoga Raja; Urquhart, Jennifer; Fernandes, Renan R; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Bailey, Chris; Yang, Michael MH; Far, Rena; Sajobi, Tolulope; Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Casha, Steven; Bond, Michael; Street, John; Fisher, Charles; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Sutherland, Jason M; Silva, Yan; Pimenta, Newton Godoy; LaRue, Bernard; Bedard, Sonia; Oviedo, Sonia Cheng; Goulet, Julien; Couture, Jerome; Blanchard, Jocelyn; McDonald, James; Al-Jahdali, Fares; Urquhart, Jennifer; Alahmari, Abdulmajeed; Rampersaud, Raja; Fisher, Charles; Bailey, Chris; Glennie, Andrew; Evaniew, Nathan; Coyle, Matthew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Bailey, Christopher S; Jacobs, W Bradley; Cadotte, David W; Thomas, Kenneth C; Attabib, Najmedden; Paquet, Jérôme; Nataraj, Andrew; Christie, Sean D; Weber, Michael H; Phan, Philippe; Charest-Morin, Raphaële; Fisher, Charles G; Hall, Hamilton; McIntosh, Greg; Dea, Nicolas; Malhotra, Armaan K; Davis, Aileen M; He, Yingshi; Harrington, Erin M; Jaja, Blessing NR; Zhu, Mary P; Shakil, Husain; Dea, Nicolas; Jacobs, W Bradley; Cadotte, David W; Paquet, Jérôme; Weber, Michael H; Phan, Philippe; Christie, Sean D; Nataraj, Andrew; Bailey, Christopher S; Johnson, Michael G; Fisher, Charles G; Manson, Neil; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Thomas, Kenneth C; Hall, Hamilton; Fehlings, Michael G; Ahn, Henry; Ginsberg, Howard J; Witiw, Christopher D; Wilson, Jefferson R; Althagafi, Alwalaa; McIntosh, Greg; Charest-Morin, Raphaële; Rizzuto, Michael A; Ailon, Tamir; Dea, Nicolas; Evaniew, Nathan; Jacobs, Bradley W; Paquet, Jerome; Rampersaud, Raja; Hall, Hamilton; Bailey, Christopher S; Weber, Michael; Johnson, Michael G; Nataraj, Andrew; Attabib, Najmedden; Cadotte, David W; Manson, Neil; Stratton, Alexandra; Christie, Sean D; Thomas, Kenneth C; Wilson, Jefferson R; Fisher, Charles G; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Bak, Alex B; Alvi, Mohammed A; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Bak, Alex B; Alvi, Mohammed A; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Salo, Paul; Bouchard, Jacques; Jacobs, Brad; Dandurand, Charlotte; Laghaei, Pedram Farimani; Ailon, Tamir; Charest-Morin, Raphaele; Dea, Nicolas; Dvorak, Marcel; Fisher, Charles; Kwon, Brian K; Paquette, Scott; Street, John; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Bouchard, Jacques; Salo, Paul; Jacobs, Brad; Varshney, Vishal P; Sahjpaul, Ramesh; Paquette, Scott; Osborn, Jill; Bak, Alex B; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Fehlings, Michael G; Leck, Erika; Marshall, Emily; Christie, Sean; Elkaim, Lior M; Lasry, Oliver J; Raj, Aditya; Murray, Jean-Christophe; Cherry, Ahmed; McIntosh, Greg; Nielsen, Christopher; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Manoharan, Ragavan; Iorio, Carlo; Xu, Mark; Perruccio, Anthony; Canizares, Mayilee; Rampersaud, Yoga Raja; Stratton, Alexandra; Tierney, Sarah; Wai, Eugene K; Phan, Philippe; Kingwell, Stephen; Magnan, Marie-Claude; Soroceanu, Alex; Nicholls, Fred; Thomas, Ken; Evaniew, Nathan; Salo, Paul; Bouchard, Jacques; Jacobs, Brad; Spanninga, Barend; Hoelen, Thomáy-Claire A; Johnson, Scott; Arts, Jacobus JC; Bailey, Chris S; Urquhart, Jennifer C; Glennie, R Andrew; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Fisher, Charles G; Levett, Jordan J; Elkaim, Lior M; Alotaibi, Naif M; Weber, Michael H; Dea, Nicolas; Abd-El-Barr, Muhammad M; Cherry, Ahmed; Yee, Albert; Jaber, Nadia; Fehlings, Michael; Cunningham, Erin; Adams, Tyler; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Vandewint, Amanda; Manson, Neil; Abraham, Edward; Small, Chris; Attabib, Najmedden; Richardson, Eden; Hebert, Jeffery; Werier, Joel; Smit, Kevin; Villeneuve, James; Sachs, Adam; Abdelbary, Hesham; Al-Mosuli, Yusra Kassim; Rakhra, Kawan; Phan, Philippe; Nagata, Kosei; Gum, Jeffrey L; Brown, Morgan E; Daniels, Christy L; Carreon, Leah Y; Bonello, John-Peter; Koucheki, Robert; Abbas, Aazad; Lex, Johnathan; Nucci, Nicholas; Whyne, Cari; Larouche, Jeremie; Ahn, Henry; Finkelstein, Joel; Lewis, Stephen; Toor, Jay; Lee, Nathan J; Orosz, Lindsay D; Gum, Jeffrey L; Poulter, Gregory T; Jazini, Ehsan; Haines, Colin M; Good, Christopher R; Lehman, Ronald A; Crawford, Eric J; Ravinsky, Robert A; Perruccio, Anthony V; Coyte, Peter C; Rampersaud, Y Raja; Freire-Archer, Millaray; Sarraj, Mohamed; AlShaalan, Fawaz; Koziarz, Alex; Thornley, Patrick; Alnemari, Haitham; Oitment, Colby; Bharadwaj, Lalita; El-Mughayyar, Dana; Bigney, Erin; Manson, Neil; Abraham, Edward; Small, Chris; Attabib, Najmedden; Richardson, Eden; Kearney, Jill; Kundap, Uday; Investigators, Csorn; Hebert, Jeffrey; Elkaim, Lior M; Levett, Jordan J; Niazi, Farbod; Bokhari, Rakan; Alotaibi, Naif M; Lasry, Oliver J; Bissonnette, Vincent; Yen, David; Muddaluru, Varun S; Gandhi, Pranjan; Mastrolonardo, Alexander; Guha, Daipayan; Pahuta, Markian A; Christie, Sean D; Vandertuin, Trevor; Ritcey, Gillian; Rainham, Daniel; Alhawsawi, Mamdoh; Mumtaz, Rohail; Abdelnour, Mark; Qumquji, Feras; Soroceanu, Alex; Swamy, Ganesh; Thomas, Kenneth; Wai, Eugene; Phan, Philippe; Bhatt, Fenil R; Orosz, Lindsay D; Yamout, Tarek; Good, Christopher R; Schuler, Thomas C; Nguyen, Tiffany; Jazini, Ehsan; Haines, Colin M; Oppermann, Marcelo; Gupta, Shaurya; Ramjist, Joel; Oppermann, Priscila Santos; Yang, Victor XD; Levett, Jordan J; Elkaim, Lior M; Niazi, Farbod; Weber, Michael H; Ioro-Morin, Christian; Bonizzato, Marco; Weil, Alexander G; Oppermann, Marcelo; Ramjist, Joel; Gupta, Shaurya; Oppermann, Priscila S; Yang, Victor XD; Jung, Youngkyung; Muddalaru, Varun; Gandhi, Pranjan; Guha, Daipayan; Koucheki, Robert; Bonello, John-Peter; Abbas, Aazad; Lex, Johnathan R; Nucci, Nicholas; Whyne, Cari; Yee, Albert; Ahn, Henry; Finkelstein, Joel; Larouche, Jeremie; Lewis, Stephen; Toor, Jay; Dhawan, Alaina; Dhawan, Jillian; Sharma, Ajay N; Azzam, Daniel B; Cherry, Ahmed; Fehlings, Michael G; Orosz, Lindsay D; Lee, Nathan J; Yamout, Tarek; Gum, Jeffrey L; Lehman, Ronald A; Poulter, Gregory T; Haines, Colin M; Jazini, Ehsan; Good, Christopher R; Ridha, Barzany B; Persad, Amit; Fourney, Daryl; Byers, Elizabeth; Gallagher, Michelle; Sugar, James; Brown, Justin L; Wang, Zhi; Shen, Jesse; Boubez, Ghassan; Al-Shakfa, Fidaa; Yuh, Sung-Joo; Shedid, Daniel; Rizkallah, Maroun; Singh, Manmohan; Singh, Pankaj Kumar; Lawrence, Peyton Lloyd; Dell, Shevaughn; Goodluck-Tyndall, Ronette; Wade, Kevin; Morgan, Mark; Bruce, Carl; Silva, Yan Gabriel Morais David; Pimenta, Newton; LaRue, Bernard; Aldakhil, Salman; Blanchard, Jocelyn; Couture, Jerome; Goulet, Julien; Bednar, Drew A; Raj, Ruheksh; Urquhart, Jennifer; Bailey, Chris; Christie, Sean D; Greene, Ryan; Chaves, Jennyfer Paulla Galdino; Zarrabian, Mohammed; Sigurdson, Leif; Manoharan, Ragavan; Cherry, Ahmed; Iorio, Carlo; Srikandarajah, Nisaharan; Xu, Mark; Raj, Aditya; Nielsen, Christopher J; Rampersaud, Yoga Raja; Lewis, Stephen JItem Open Access Efficacy and safety of surgical decompression in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy: results of the AOSpine North America prospective multi-center study.(The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume, 2013-09) Fehlings, Michael G; Wilson, Jefferson R; Kopjar, Branko; Yoon, Sangwook Tim; Arnold, Paul M; Massicotte, Eric M; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Brodke, Darrel S; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Smith, Justin S; Woodard, Eric J; Banco, Robert J; Chapman, Jens R; Janssen, Michael E; Bono, Christopher M; Sasso, Rick C; Dekutoski, Mark B; Gokaslan, Ziya LBackground
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is the leading cause of spinal cord dysfunction worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of surgical decompression on functional, quality-of-life, and disability outcomes at one year after surgery in a large cohort of patients with this condition.Methods
Adult patients with symptomatic cervical spondylotic myelopathy and magnetic resonance imaging evidence of spinal cord compression were enrolled at twelve North American centers from 2005 to 2007. At enrollment, the myelopathy was categorized as mild (modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association [mJOA] score ≥ 15), moderate (mJOA = 12 to 14), or severe (mJOA < 12). Patients were followed prospectively for one year, at which point the outcomes of interest included the mJOA score, Nurick grade, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2). All outcomes at one year were compared with the preoperative values with use of univariate paired statistics. Outcomes were also compared among the severity classes with use of one-way analysis of variance. Finally, a multivariate analysis that adjusted for baseline differences among the severity groups was performed. Treatment-related complication data were collected and the overall complication rate was calculated.Results
Eighty-five (30.6%) of the 278 enrolled patients had mild cervical spondylotic myelopathy, 110 (39.6%) had moderate disease, and 83 (29.9%) had severe disease preoperatively. One-year follow-up data were available for 222 (85.4%) of 260 patients. There was a significant improvement from baseline to one year postoperatively (p < 0.05) in the mJOA score, Nurick grade, NDI score, and all SF-36v2 health dimensions (including the mental and physical health composite scores) except general health. With the exception of the change in the mJOA, the degree of improvement did not depend on the severity of the preoperative symptoms. These results remained unchanged after adjusting for relevant confounders in the multivariate analysis. Fifty-two patients experienced complications (prevalence, 18.7%), with no significant differences among the severity groups.Conclusions
Surgical decompression for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was associated with improvement in functional, disability-related, and quality-of-life outcomes at one year of follow-up for all disease severity categories. Furthermore, complication rates observed in the study were commensurate with those in previously reported cervical spondylotic myelopathy series.Item Open Access Esophageal Perforation Following Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery: Case Report and Review of the Literature.(Global spine journal, 2017-04) Hershman, Stuart H; Kunkle, William A; Kelly, Michael P; Buchowski, Jacob M; Ray, Wilson Z; Bumpass, David B; Gum, Jeffrey L; Peters, Colleen M; Singhatanadgige, Weerasak; Kim, Jin Young; Smith, Zachary A; Hsu, Wellington K; Nassr, Ahmad; Currier, Bradford L; Rahman, Ra'Kerry K; Isaacs, Robert E; Smith, Justin S; Shaffrey, Christopher; Thompson, Sara E; Wang, Jeffrey C; Lord, Elizabeth L; Buser, Zorica; Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Mroz, Thomas E; Riew, K DanielMulticenter retrospective case series and review of the literature.To determine the rate of esophageal perforations following anterior cervical spine surgery.As part of an AOSpine series on rare complications, a retrospective cohort study was conducted among 21 high-volume surgical centers to identify esophageal perforations following anterior cervical spine surgery. Staff at each center abstracted data from patients' charts and created case report forms for each event identified. Case report forms were then sent to the AOSpine North America Clinical Research Network Methodological Core for data processing and analysis.The records of 9591 patients who underwent anterior cervical spine surgery were reviewed. Two (0.02%) were found to have esophageal perforations following anterior cervical spine surgery. Both cases were detected and treated in the acute postoperative period. One patient was successfully treated with primary repair and debridement. One patient underwent multiple debridement attempts and expired.Esophageal perforation following anterior cervical spine surgery is a relatively rare occurrence. Prompt recognition and treatment of these injuries is critical to minimizing morbidity and mortality.Item Open Access Frequency, timing, and predictors of neurological dysfunction in the nonmyelopathic patient with cervical spinal cord compression, canal stenosis, and/or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.(Spine, 2013-10) Wilson, Jefferson R; Barry, Sean; Fischer, Dena J; Skelly, Andrea C; Arnold, Paul M; Riew, K Daniel; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Traynelis, Vincent C; Fehlings, Michael GStudy design
Systematic review and survey.Objective
To perform an evidence synthesis of the literature and obtain information from the global spine care community assessing the frequency, timing, and predictors of symptom development in patients with radiographical evidence of cervical spinal cord compression, spinal canal narrowing, and/or ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) but no symptoms of myelopathy.Summary of background data
Evidence for a marker to predict symptom development remains sparse, and there is controversy surrounding the management of asymptomatic patients.Methods
We conducted a systematic review of the English language literature and an international survey of spine surgeons to answer the following key questions in patients with radiographical evidence of cervical spinal cord compression, spinal canal narrowing, and/or OPLL but no symptoms of myelopathy: (1) What are the frequency and timing of symptom development? (2) What are the clinical, radiographical, and electrophysiological predictors of symptom development? (3) What clinical and/or radiographical features influence treatment decisions based on an international survey of spine care professionals?Results
The initial literature search yielded 388 citations. Applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria narrowed this to 5 articles. Two of these dealt with the same population. For patients with spinal cord compression secondary to spondylosis, one study reported the frequency of myelopathy development to be 22.6%. The presence of symptomatic radiculopathy, cervical cord hyperintensity on magnetic resonance imaging, and prolonged somatosensory- and motor-evoked potentials were reported in one study as significant independent predictors of myelopathy development. In contrast, the lack of magnetic resonance imaging hyperintensity was found to be a positive predictor of early myelopathy development (≤ 12-mo follow-up). For subjects with OPLL, frequency of myelopathy development was reported in 3 articles and ranged from 0.0% to 61.5% of subjects. One of these studies reported canal stenosis of 60% or more, lateral deviated OPLL, and increased cervical range of motion as significant predictors of myelopathy development. In a survey of 774 spine surgeons, the majority deemed the presence of clinically symptomatic radiculopathy to predict progression to myelopathy in nonmyelopathic patients with cervical stenosis. Survey responses pertaining to 3 patient case vignettes are also presented and discussed in the context of the current literature.Conclusion
On the basis of these results, we provide a series of evidence-based recommendations related to the frequency, timing, and predictors of myelopathy development in asymptomatic patients with cervical stenosis secondary to spondylosis or OPLL. Future prospective studies are required to refine our understanding of this topic. EVIDENCE-BASED CLINICAL RECOMMENDATIONS:Recommendation
Patients with cervical canal stenosis and cord compression secondary to spondylosis, without clinical evidence of myelopathy, and who present with clinical or electrophysiological evidence of cervical radicular dysfunction or central conduction deficits seem to be at higher risk for developing myelopathy and should be counseled to consider surgical treatment.Overall strength of evidence
Moderate.Strength of recommendation
Strong. SUMMARY STATEMENTS: STATEMENT 1: On the basis of the current literature, for patients with cervical canal stenosis and cord compression secondary to spondylosis, without clinical evidence of myelopathy, approximately 8% at 1-year follow-up and 23% at a median of 44-months follow-up develop clinical evidence of myelopathy. STATEMENT 2: For patients with cervical canal stenosis and cord compression secondary to spondylosis, without clinical evidence of myelopathy, the absence of magnetic resonance imaging intramedullary T2 hyperintensity has been shown to predict early myelopathy development (<12-mo follow-up) and the presence of such signal has been shown to predict late myelopathy development (mean 44-mo follow-up). In light of this discrepancy, no definite recommendation can be made surrounding the utility of this finding in predicting myelopathy development. STATEMENT 3: For patients with OPLL but without myelopathy, no recommendation can be made regarding the incidence or predictors of progression to myelopathy.Item Open Access Impact of dynamic alignment, motion, and center of rotation on myelopathy grade and regional disability in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.(Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2015-12) Liu, Shian; Lafage, Renaud; Smith, Justin S; Protopsaltis, Themistocles S; Lafage, Virginie C; Challier, Vincent; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Radcliff, Kris; Arnold, Paul M; Chapman, Jens R; Schwab, Frank J; Massicotte, Eric M; Yoon, S Tim; Fehlings, Michael G; Ames, Christopher PObject
Cervical stenosis is a defining feature of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Matsunaga et al. proposed that elements of stenosis are both static and dynamic, where the dynamic elements magnify the canal deformation of the static state. For the current study, the authors hypothesized that dynamic changes may be associated with myelopathy severity and neck disability. This goal of this study was to present novel methods of dynamic motion analysis in CSM.Methods
A post hoc analysis was performed of a prospective, multicenter database of patients with CSM from the AOSpine North American study. One hundred ten patients (34%) met inclusion criteria, which were symptomatic CSM, age over 18 years, baseline flexion/extension radiographs, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires (modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association [mJOA] score, Neck Disability Index [NDI], the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Score [SF-36 PCS], and Nurick grade). The mean age was 56.9 ± 12 years, and 42% of patients were women (n = 46). Correlations with HRQOL measures were analyzed for regional (cervical lordosis and cervical sagittal vertical axis) and focal parameters (kyphosis and spondylolisthesis between adjacent vertebrae) in flexion and extension. Baseline dynamic parameters (flexion/extension cone relative to a fixed C-7, center of rotation [COR], and range of motion arc relative to the COR) were also analyzed for correlations with HRQOL measures.Results
At baseline, the mean HRQOL measures demonstrated disability and the mean radiographic parameters demonstrated sagittal malalignment. Among regional parameters, there was a significant correlation between decreased neck flexion (increased C2-7 angle in flexion) and worse Nurick grade (R = 0.189, p = 0.048), with no significant correlations in extension. Focal parameters, including increased C-7 sagittal translation overT-1 (slip), were significantly correlated with greater myelopathy severity (mJOA score, Flexion R = -0.377, p = 0.003; mJOA score, Extension R = -0.261, p = 0.027). Sagittal slip at C-2 and C-4 also correlated with worse HRQOL measures. Reduced flexion/extension motion cones, a more posterior COR, and smaller range of motion correlated with worse general health SF-36 PCS and Nurick grade.Conclusions
Dynamic motion analysis may play an important role in understanding CSM. Focal parameters demonstrated a significant correlation with worse HRQOL measures, especially increased C-7 sagittal slip in flexion and extension. Novel methods of motion analysis demonstrating reduced motion cones correlated with worse myelopathy grades. More posterior COR and smaller range of motion were both correlated with worse general health scores (SF-36 PCS and Nurick grade). To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate correlation of dynamic motion and listhesis with disability and myelopathy in CSM.Item Unknown Intrawound Vancomycin Decreases the Risk of Surgical Site Infection After Posterior Spine Surgery: A Multicenter Analysis.(Spine, 2018-01) Devin, Clinton J; Chotai, Silky; McGirt, Matthew J; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Youssef, Jim A; Orndorff, Douglas G; Arnold, Paul M; Frempong-Boadu, Anthony K; Lieberman, Isador H; Branch, Charles; Hedayat, Hirad S; Liu, Ann; Wang, Jeffrey C; Isaacs, Robert E; Radcliff, Kris E; Patt, Joshua C; Archer, Kristin RStudy design
Secondary analysis of data from a prospective multicenter observational study.Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients with and without intrawound vancomycin application controlling for confounding factors associated with higher SSI after elective spine surgery.Summary of background data
SSI is a morbid and expensive complication associated with spine surgery. The application of intrawound vancomycin is rapidly emerging as a solution to reduce SSI following spine surgery. The impact of intrawound vancomycin has not been systematically studied in a well-designed multicenter study.Methods
Patients undergoing elective spine surgery over a period of 4 years at seven spine surgery centers across the United States were included in the study. Patients were dichotomized on the basis of whether intrawound vancomycin was applied. Outcomes were occurrence of SSI within postoperative 30 days and SSI that required return to the operating room (OR). Multivariable random-effect log-binomial regression analyses were conducted to determine the relative risk of having an SSI and an SSI with return to OR.Results
.: A total of 2056 patients were included in the analysis. Intrawound vancomycin was utilized in 47% (n = 966) of patients. The prevalence of SSI was higher in patients with no vancomycin use (5.1%) than those with use of intrawound vancomycin (2.2%). The risk of SSI was higher in patients in whom intrawound vancomycin was not used (relative risk (RR) -2.5, P < 0.001), increased number of levels exposed (RR -1.1, P = 0.01), and those admitted postoperatively to intensive care unit (ICU) (RR -2.1, P = 0.005). Patients in whom intrawound vancomycin was not used (RR -5.9, P < 0.001), increased number of levels were exposed (RR-1.1, P = 0.001), and postoperative ICU admission (RR -3.3, P < 0.001) were significant risk factors for SSI requiring a return to the OR.Conclusion
The intrawound application of vancomycin after posterior approach spine surgery was associated with a reduced risk of SSI and return to OR associated with SSI.Level of evidence
2.Item Unknown Mild diabetes is not a contraindication for surgical decompression in cervical spondylotic myelopathy: results of the AOSpine North America multicenter prospective study (CSM).(The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society, 2014-01) Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Kopjar, Branko; Yoon, Sangwook Tim; Massicotte, Eric M; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Brodke, Darrel S; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Smith, Justin S; Woodard, Eric J; Banco, Robert J; Chapman, Jens R; Janssen, Michael E; Bono, Christopher M; Sasso, Rick C; Dekutoski, Mark B; Gokaslan, Ziya LBackground context
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a chronic spinal cord disease and can lead to progressive or stepwise neurologic decline. Several factors may influence this process, including extent of spinal cord compression, duration of symptoms, and medical comorbidities. Diabetes is a systemic disease that can impact multiple organ systems, including the central and peripheral nervous systems. There has been little information regarding the effect of diabetes on patients with coexistent CSM.Purpose
To provide empirical data regarding the effect of diabetes on treatment outcomes in patients who underwent surgical decompression for coexistent CSM.Study design/setting
Large prospective multicenter cohort study of patients with and without diabetes who underwent decompressive surgery for CSM.Patient sample
Two hundred thirty-six patients without and 42 patients with diabetes were enrolled. Of these, 37 were mild cases and five were moderate cases. Four required insulin. There were no severe cases associated with end-organ damage.Outcome measures
Self-report measures include Neck Disability Index and version 2 of 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36v2), and functional measures include modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score and Nurick grade.Methods
We compared presurgery symptoms and treatment outcomes between patients with and without diabetes using univariate and multivariate models, adjusting for demographics and comorbidities.Results
Diabetic patients were older, less likely to smoke, and more likely to be on social security disability insurance. Patients with diabetes presented with a worse Nurick grade, but there were no differences in mJOA and SF-36v2 at presentation. Overall, there was a significant improvement in all outcome parameters at 12 and 24 months. There was no difference in the level of improvement between the patients with and without diabetes, except in the SF-36v2 Physical Functioning, in which diabetic patients experienced significantly less improvement. There were no differences in surgical complication rates between diabetic patients and nondiabetic patients.Conclusions
Except for a worse Nurick grade, diabetes does not seem to affect severity of symptoms at presentation for surgery. More importantly, with the exception of the SF-36v2 Physical Functioning scores, outcomes of surgical treatment are similar in patients with diabetes and without diabetes. Surgical decompression is effective and should be offered to patients with diabetes who have symptomatic CSM and are appropriate surgical candidates.Item Unknown Novel Method Using Baseline Normalization and Area Under the Curve to Evaluate Differences in Outcome Between Treatment Groups and Application to Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Undergoing Anterior Versus Posterior Surgery.(Spine, 2015-12) Liu, Shian; Tetreault, Lindsay; Fehlings, Michael G; Challier, Vincent; Smith, Justin S; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Arnold, Paul M; Scheer, Justin K; Chapman, Jens R; Kopjar, Branko; Protopsaltis, Themistocles S; Lafage, Virginie; Schwab, Frank; Massicotte, Eric M; Yoon, Sangwook T; Ames, Christopher PRetrospective review of a prospective database.To describe a novel method that uses baseline normalization and area under the curve (AUC) to compare surgical outcomes between patients surgically treated anteriorly versus posteriorly for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).It is important to control for baseline characteristics, especially disease severity, when evaluating differences in outcomes between 2 treatment groups. However, current methods of reporting outcomes are limited perhaps diminish the health impact of the entire postoperative recovery experience.In the prospective, multicenter AO Spine North America CSM database, 147 patients had complete modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) data at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-months postoperatively and were either treated anteriorly (n = 94) or posteriorly (n = 53). Each patient's follow-up mJOA scores were normalized by dividing them by the patient's baseline value. A graph was then plotted with the time point on the x-axis and the normalized score or "recovery index" on the y-axis. The AUC was calculated and then compared between the anterior and posterior surgical approach groups.The non-normalized recovery profile of the anterior group was better than that of the posterior group, as the patients treated anteriorly had less functional impairment at baseline. After normalization, patients in the anterior and posterior group had similar recovery indices and AUCs at 6-months following surgery. At 24-months, patients treated posteriorly had a significantly higher recovery index (1.32) and a larger AUC (16.3) than those treated anteriorly (1.11, 14.5, P = 0.004 and P = 0.006, respectively).This is the first study to apply AUC analysis to patients with CSM. In surgical patients with CSM, those treated anteriorly achieved a higher mJOA score at all time points than those treated posteriorly. The recovery indices, however, were not significantly different between approach groups at 6 months.3.Item Open Access Perioperative and delayed complications associated with the surgical treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy based on 302 patients from the AOSpine North America Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Study.(Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2012-05) Fehlings, Michael G; Smith, Justin S; Kopjar, Branko; Arnold, Paul M; Yoon, S Tim; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Brodke, Darrel S; Janssen, Michael E; Chapman, Jens R; Sasso, Rick C; Woodard, Eric J; Banco, Robert J; Massicotte, Eric M; Dekutoski, Mark B; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Bono, Christopher M; Shaffrey, Christopher IObject
Rates of complications associated with the surgical treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) are not clear. Appreciating these risks is important for patient counseling and quality improvement. The authors sought to assess the rates of and risk factors associated with perioperative and delayed complications associated with the surgical treatment of CSM.Methods
Data from the AOSpine North America Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Study, a prospective, multicenter study, were analyzed. Outcomes data, including adverse events, were collected in a standardized manner and externally monitored. Rates of perioperative complications (within 30 days of surgery) and delayed complications (31 days to 2 years following surgery) were tabulated and stratified based on clinical factors.Results
The study enrolled 302 patients (mean age 57 years, range 29-86) years. Of 332 reported adverse events, 73 were classified as perioperative complications (25 major and 48 minor) in 47 patients (overall perioperative complication rate of 15.6%). The most common perioperative complications included minor cardiopulmonary events (3.0%), dysphagia (3.0%), and superficial wound infection (2.3%). Perioperative worsening of myelopathy was reported in 4 patients (1.3%). Based on 275 patients who completed 2 years of follow-up, there were 14 delayed complications (8 minor, 6 major) in 12 patients, for an overall delayed complication rate of 4.4%. Of patients treated with anterior-only (n = 176), posterior-only (n = 107), and combined anterior-posterior (n = 19) procedures, 11%, 19%, and 37%, respectively, had 1 or more perioperative complications. Compared with anterior-only approaches, posterior-only approaches had a higher rate of wound infection (0.6% vs 4.7%, p = 0.030). Dysphagia was more common with combined anterior-posterior procedures (21.1%) compared with anterior-only procedures (2.3%) or posterior-only procedures (0.9%) (p < 0.001). The incidence of C-5 radiculopathy was not associated with the surgical approach (p = 0.8). The occurrence of perioperative complications was associated with increased age (p = 0.006), combined anterior-posterior procedures (p = 0.016), increased operative time (p = 0.009), and increased operative blood loss (p = 0.005), but it was not associated with comorbidity score, body mass index, modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, smoking status, anterior-only versus posterior-only approach, or specific procedures. Multivariate analysis of factors associated with minor or major complications identified age (OR 1.029, 95% CI 1.002-1.057, p = 0.035) and operative time (OR 1.005, 95% CI 1.002-1.008, p = 0.001). Multivariate analysis of factors associated with major complications identified age (OR 1.054, 95% CI 1.015-1.094, p = 0.006) and combined anterior-posterior procedures (OR 5.297, 95% CI 1.626-17.256, p = 0.006).Conclusions
For the surgical treatment of CSM, the vast majority of complications were treatable and without long-term impact. Multivariate factors associated with an increased risk of complications include greater age, increased operative time, and use of combined anterior-posterior procedures.Item Open Access Postoperative C5 Palsy after Anterior or Posterior Decompression for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Subgroup Analysis of the Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized, Phase III, CSM-Protect Clinical Trial.(Spine, 2024-10) Bak, Alex B; Moghaddamjou, Ali; Alvi, Mohammed; Ahn, Henry; Farhadi, H Francis; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Nassr, Ahmad; Mummaneni, Praveen; Arnold, Paul M; Jacobs, W Bradley; Riew, K Daniel; Kelly, Michael; Brodke, Darrel S; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Hilibrand, Alan S; Wilson, Jason; Harrop, James S; Yoon, S Tim; Kim, Kee D; Fourney, Daryl R; Santaguida, Carlo; Massicotte, Eric M; Kopjar, Branko; Fehlings, Michael GStudy design
Retrospective cohort study of prospectively accrued data.Objective
To evaluate a large, prospective, multicentre dataset of surgically treated degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) cases on the contemporary risk of C5 palsy with surgical approach.Summary of background data
The influence of surgical technique on postoperative C5 palsy after decompression for DCM is intensely debated. Comprehensive, covariate-adjusted analyses are needed using contemporary data.Methods
Patients with moderate to severe DCM were prospectively enrolled in the multicenter, randomized, Phase III CSM-Protect clinical trial and underwent either anterior or posterior decompression between Jan 31, 2012 and May 16, 2017. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative C5 palsy, defined as the onset of muscle weakness by at least one grade in manual muscle test at the C5 myotome with slight or absent sensory disruption after cervical surgery. Two comparative cohorts were made based on the anterior or posterior surgical approach. Multivariate hierarchical mixed-effects logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for C5 palsy.Results
A total of 283 patients were included, and 53.4% underwent posterior decompression. The total incidence of postoperative C5 palsy was 7.4% and was significantly higher in patients who underwent posterior decompression compared with anterior decompression (11.26% vs. 3.03%, P =0.008). After multivariable regression, the posterior approach was independently associated with greater than four times the likelihood of postoperative C5 palsy ( P =0.017). Rates of C5 palsy recovery were comparable between the two surgical approaches.Conclusion
The odds of postoperative C5 palsy are significantly higher after posterior decompression compared to anterior decompression for DCM. This may influence surgical decision-making when there is equipoise in deciding between anterior and posterior treatment options for DCM.Level of evidence
Therapeutic Level-II.Item Open Access Rare Complications of Cervical Spine Surgery: Horner's Syndrome.(Global spine journal, 2017-04) Traynelis, Vincent C; Malone, Hani R; Smith, Zachary A; Hsu, Wellington K; Kanter, Adam S; Qureshi, Sheeraz A; Cho, Samuel K; Baird, Evan O; Isaacs, Robert E; Rahman, Ra'Kerry K; Polevaya, Galina; Smith, Justin S; Shaffrey, Christopher; Tortolani, P Justin; Stroh, D Alex; Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Mroz, Thomas E; Riew, K DanielA multicenter retrospective case series.Horner's syndrome is a known complication of anterior cervical spinal surgery, but it is rarely encountered in clinical practice. To better understand the incidence, risks, and neurologic outcomes associated with Horner's syndrome, a multicenter study was performed to review a large collective experience with this rare complication.We conducted a retrospective multicenter case series study involving 21 high-volume surgical centers from the AOSpine North America Clinical Research Network. Medical records for 17 625 patients who received subaxial cervical spine surgery from 2005 to 2011 were reviewed to identify occurrence of 21 predefined treatment complications. Descriptive statistics were provided for baseline patient characteristics. Paired t test was used to analyze changes in clinical outcomes at follow-up compared to preoperative status.In total, 8887 patients who underwent anterior cervical spine surgery at the participating institutions were screened. Postoperative Horner's syndrome was identified in 5 (0.06%) patients. All patients experienced the complication following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. The sympathetic trunk appeared to be more vulnerable when operating on midcervical levels (C5, C6), and most patients experienced at least a partial recovery without further treatment.This collective experience suggests that Horner's syndrome is an exceedingly rare complication following anterior cervical spine surgery. Injury to the sympathetic trunk may be limited by maintaining a midline surgical trajectory when possible, and performing careful dissection and retraction of the longus colli muscle when lateral exposure is necessary, especially at caudal cervical levels.Item Open Access Rare Complications of Cervical Spine Surgery: Pseudomeningocoele.(Global spine journal, 2017-04) Ailon, Tamir; Smith, Justin S; Nassr, Ahmad; Smith, Zachary A; Hsu, Wellington K; Fehlings, Michael G; Fish, David E; Wang, Jeffrey C; Hilibrand, Alan S; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Chou, Dean; Sasso, Rick C; Traynelis, Vincent C; Arnold, Paul M; Mroz, Thomas E; Buser, Zorica; Lord, Elizabeth L; Massicotte, Eric M; Sebastian, Arjun S; Than, Khoi D; Steinmetz, Michael P; Smith, Gabriel A; Pace, Jonathan; Corriveau, Mark; Lee, Sungho; Riew, K Daniel; Shaffrey, ChristopherThis study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study.Rare complications of cervical spine surgery are inherently difficult to investigate. Pseudomeningocoele (PMC), an abnormal collection of cerebrospinal fluid that communicates with the subarachnoid space, is one such complication. In order to evaluate and better understand the incidence, presentation, treatment, and outcome of PMC following cervical spine surgery, we conducted a multicenter study to pool our collective experience.This study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study of patients who underwent cervical spine surgery at any level(s) from C2 to C7, inclusive; were over 18 years of age; and experienced a postoperative PMC.Thirteen patients (0.08%) developed a postoperative PMC, 6 (46.2%) of whom were female. They had an average age of 48.2 years and stayed in hospital a mean of 11.2 days. Three patients were current smokers, 3 previous smokers, 5 had never smoked, and 2 had unknown smoking status. The majority, 10 (76.9%), were associated with posterior surgery, whereas 3 (23.1%) occurred after an anterior procedure. Myelopathy was the most common indication for operations that were complicated by PMC (46%). Seven patients (53%) required a surgical procedure to address the PMC, whereas the remaining 6 were treated conservatively. All PMCs ultimately resolved or were successfully treated with no residual effects.PMC is a rare complication of cervical surgery with an incidence of less than 0.1%. They prolong hospital stay. PMCs occurred more frequently in association with posterior approaches. Approximately half of PMCs required surgery and all ultimately resolved without residual neurologic or other long-term effects.Item Open Access Riluzole for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Secondary Analysis of the CSM-PROTECT Trial.(JAMA network open, 2024-06) Fehlings, Michael G; Pedro, Karlo M; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Badhiwala, Jetan H; Ahn, Henry; Farhadi, H Francis; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Nassr, Ahmad; Mummaneni, Praveen; Arnold, Paul M; Jacobs, W Bradley; Riew, K Daniel; Kelly, Michael; Brodke, Darrel S; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Hilibrand, Alan S; Wilson, Jason; Harrop, James S; Yoon, S Tim; Kim, Kee D; Fourney, Daryl R; Santaguida, Carlo; Massicotte, Eric M; Huang, PengImportance
The modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale is the most common scale used to represent outcomes of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM); however, it lacks consideration for neck pain scores and neglects the multidimensional aspect of recovery after surgery.Objective
To use a global statistical approach that incorporates assessments of multiple outcomes to reassess the efficacy of riluzole in patients undergoing spinal surgery for DCM.Design, setting, and participants
This was a secondary analysis of prespecified secondary end points within the Efficacy of Riluzole in Surgical Treatment for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM-PROTECT) trial, a multicenter, double-blind, phase 3 randomized clinical trial conducted from January 2012 to May 2017. Adult surgical patients with DCM with moderate to severe myelopathy (mJOA scale score of 8-14) were randomized to receive either riluzole or placebo. The present study was conducted from July to December 2023.Intervention
Riluzole (50 mg twice daily) or placebo for a total of 6 weeks, including 2 weeks prior to surgery and 4 weeks following surgery.Main outcomes and measures
The primary outcome measure was a difference in clinical improvement from baseline to 1-year follow-up, assessed using a global statistical test (GST). The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Score (SF-36 PCS), arm and neck pain numeric rating scale (NRS) scores, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score, and Nurick grade were combined into a single summary statistic known as the global treatment effect (GTE).Results
Overall, 290 patients (riluzole group, 141; placebo group, 149; mean [SD] age, 59 [10.1] years; 161 [56%] male) were included. Riluzole showed a significantly higher probability of global improvement compared with placebo at 1-year follow-up (GTE, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.00-0.16; P = .02). A similar favorable global response was seen at 35 days and 6 months (GTE for both, 0.07; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.15; P = .04), although the results were not statistically significant. Riluzole-treated patients had at least a 54% likelihood of achieving better outcomes at 1 year compared with the placebo group. The ASIA motor score and neck and arm pain NRS combination at 1 year provided the best-fit parsimonious model for detecting a benefit of riluzole (GTE, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02-0.16; P = .007).Conclusions and relevance
In this secondary analysis of the CSM-PROTECT trial using a global outcome technique, riluzole was associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with DCM. The GST offered probability-based results capable of representing diverse outcome scales and should be considered in future studies assessing spine surgery outcomes.Item Open Access Safety and efficacy of riluzole in patients undergoing decompressive surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy (CSM-Protect): a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3 trial.(The Lancet. Neurology, 2021-02) Fehlings, Michael G; Badhiwala, Jetan H; Ahn, Henry; Farhadi, H Francis; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Nassr, Ahmad; Mummaneni, Praveen; Arnold, Paul M; Jacobs, W Bradley; Riew, K Daniel; Kelly, Michael; Brodke, Darrel S; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Hilibrand, Alan S; Wilson, Jason; Harrop, James S; Yoon, S Tim; Kim, Kee D; Fourney, Daryl R; Santaguida, Carlo; Massicotte, Eric M; Kopjar, BrankoBackground
Degenerative cervical myelopathy represents the most common form of non-traumatic spinal cord injury. This trial investigated whether riluzole enhances outcomes in patients undergoing decompression surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy.Methods
This multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3 trial was done at 16 university-affiliated centres in Canada and the USA. Patients with moderate-to-severe degenerative cervical myelopathy aged 18-80 years, who had a modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score of 8-14, were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either oral riluzole (50 mg twice a day for 14 days before surgery and then for 28 days after surgery) or placebo. Randomisation was done using permuted blocks stratified by study site. Patients, physicians, and outcome assessors remained masked to treatment group allocation. The primary endpoint was change in mJOA score from baseline to 6 months in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, defined as all individuals who underwent randomisation and surgical decompression. Adverse events were analysed in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population, defined as all patients who underwent randomisation, including those who did not ultimately undergo surgical decompression. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01257828.Findings
From Jan 31, 2012, to May 16, 2017, 408 patients were screened. Of those screened, 300 were eligible (mITT population); 290 patients underwent decompression surgery (ITT population) and received either riluzole (n=141) or placebo (n=149). There was no difference between the riluzole and placebo groups in the primary endpoint of change in mJOA score at 6-month follow-up: 2·45 points (95% CI 2·08 to 2·82 points) versus 2·83 points (2·47 to 3·19), difference -0·38 points (-0·90 to 0·13; p=0·14). The most common adverse events were neck or arm or shoulder pain, arm paraesthesia, dysphagia, and worsening of myelopathy. There were 43 serious adverse events in 33 (22%) of 147 patients in the riluzole group and 34 serious adverse events in 29 (19%) of 153 patients in the placebo group. The most frequent severe adverse events were osteoarthrosis of non-spinal joints, worsening of myelopathy, and wound complications.Interpretation
In this trial, adjuvant treatment for 6 weeks perioperatively with riluzole did not improve functional recovery beyond decompressive surgery in patients with moderate-to-severe degenerative cervical myelopathy. Whether riluzole has other benefits in this patient population merits further study.Funding
AOSpine North America.Item Open Access Terminology.(Spine, 2012-10) Anderson, Paul A; Andersson, Gunnar BJ; Arnold, Paul M; Brodke, Darrel S; Brodt, Erika D; Chapman, Jens R; Chou, Dean; Dekutoski, Mark; Dettori, Joseph R; DeVine, John G; Ely, Claire G; Fehlings, Michael G; Fischer, Dena J; Fourney, Daryl R; Hansen, Mitchell A; Harrod, Christopher Chambliss; Hashimoto, Robin; Hermsmeyer, Jeffrey T; Hilibrand, Alan S; Kasliwal, Manish K; Kelly, Michael P; Kim, Han Jo; Kraemer, Paul; Lawrence, Brandon D; Lee, Michael J; Lenke, Lawrence G; Norvell, Daniel C; Raich, Annie; Riew, K Daniel; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Skelly, Andrea C; Smith, Justin S; Standaert, Christopher J; Van Alstyne, Ellen M; Wang, Jeffrey CItem Open Access Timing of Decompression in Patients With Acute Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review.(Global spine journal, 2017-09-05) Wilson, Jefferson R; Tetreault, Lindsay A; Kwon, Brian K; Arnold, Paul M; Mroz, Thomas E; Shaffrey, Christopher; Harrop, James S; Chapman, Jens R; Casha, Steve; Skelly, Andrea C; Holmer, Haley K; Brodt, Erika D; Fehlings, Michael GSystematic review.To conduct a systematic review and synthesis of the literature to assess the comparative effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of early (≤24 hours) versus late decompression (>24 hours) in adults with acute spinal cord injury (SCI).A systematic search was conducted of Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Collaboration Library, and Google Scholar to identify studies published through November 6, 2014. Studies published in any language, in humans, and with an abstract were considered for inclusion. Included studies were critically appraised and the overall strength of evidence was determined using methods proposed by the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation working group.The search yielded 449 potentially relevant citations. Sixteen additional primary studies were identified through other sources. Six studies met inclusion criteria. All but 2 studies were considered to have moderately high risk of bias. Across studies and injury levels, the impact of early surgical decompression (≤24 hours) on clinically important improvement in neurological status was variable. Isolated studies reported statistically significant and clinically important improvements at 6 months (cervical injury, low strength of evidence) and following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation (all levels, very low strength of evidence) but not at other time points; another study observed a statistically significant 6 point improvement in ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) among patients with AIS B, C, or D, but not for those with AIS A (very low strength of evidence). In one study of acute central cord syndrome without instability, a clinically and statistically meaningful improvement in total motor scores was reported at 6 and 12 months in patients treated early (versus late). There were, however, no significant differences in AIS improvement between early and late surgical groups at 6- or 12-months (very low strength of evidence). One of 3 studies found a shorter length of hospital stay associated with early surgical decompression. Of 3 studies reporting on safety, no significant differences in rates of complications (including mortality, neurologic deterioration, pneumonia or pressure ulcers) were noted between early and late decompression groups.Results surrounding the efficacy of early versus late decompressive surgery, as well as the quality of evidence available, were variable depending on the level of SCI, timing of follow-up, and specific outcome considered. Existing evidence supports improved neurological recovery among cervical SCI patients undergoing early surgery; however, evidence regarding remaining SCI populations and clinical outcomes was inconsistent.Item Open Access Treatment of Axis Body Fractures: A Systematic Review.(Clinical spine surgery, 2017-12) Kepler, Christopher K; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Fleischman, Andrew N; Traynelis, Vincent C; Patel, Alpesh A; Dekutoski, Mark B; Harrop, James; Wood, Kirkham B; Schroeder, Gregory D; Bransford, Richard; Aarabi, Bizhan; Okonkwo, David O; Arnold, Paul M; Fehlings, Michael G; Nassr, Ahmad; Shaffrey, Christopher; Yoon, S Tim; Kwon, BrianStudy design
Evidence-based systematic review.Objectives
To define the optimal treatment of fractures involving the C2 body, including those with concomitant injuries, based upon a systematic review of the literature.Summary of background data
Axis body fractures have customarily been treated nonoperatively, but there are some injuries that may require operative intervention. High-quality literature is sparse and there are few class I or class II studies to guide treatment decisions.Materials and methods
A literature search was conducted using PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus (EMBASE, MEDLINE, COMPENDEX). The quality of literature was rated according to a grading tool developed by the Center for Evidence-based Medicine. Operative and nonoperative treatment of axis body fractures were compared using fracture bony union as the primary outcome measure. As risk factors for nonunion were not consistently reported, cases were analyzed individually.Results
The literature search identified 62 studies, of which 10 were case reports which were excluded from the analysis. A total of 920 patients from 52 studies were included. The overall bony union rate for all axis body fractures was 91%. Although the majority of fractures were treated nonoperatively, there has been an increasing trend toward operative intervention for Benzel type III (transverse) axis body fractures. Nearly 76% of axis body fractures were classified as type III fractures, of which 88% united successfully. Nearly all Benzel type I and type II axis body fractures were successfully treated nonoperatively. The risk factors for nonunion included: a higher degree of subluxation, fracture displacement, comminution, concurrent injuries, delay in treatment, and older age.Conclusions
High rates for fracture union are reported in the literature for axis body fractures with nonoperative treatment. High-quality prospective studies are required to develop consensus as to which C2 body fractures require operative fixation.