Low back pain is the single most common cause for disability in individuals aged 45 years or younger, it carries tremendous weight in socioeconomic considerations. Degenerative aging of the structural components of the spine can be associated with genetic aspects, lifetime of tissue exposure to mechanical stress & loads and environmental factors. Mechanical consequences of the disc degenerative include loss of disc height, segment instability and increase the load on facets joints. All these can lead to degenerative changes and osteophytes that can narrow the spinal canal. Surgery is indicated in patients with spinal stenosis who have intractable pain, altered quality of life, substantially diminished functional capacity, failed non-surgical treatment and are not candidates for non-surgical treatment. The aim was to determine the reasons for refusal of surgery in patients with established degenerative lumber spine pathology eligible for surgery. All patients meeting the study criteria, patients older than 18 years, patients with both clinical and radiological established symptomatic degenerative lumbar spine pathology and patients eligible for surgery but refusing it were recruited. Questionnaire used to investigate reasons why they are refusing surgery. Results 59 were recruited, fifty-one (86.4 %) females and eight (13.6 %) males. Twenty (33.8 %) were between the age of 51 and 60 years, followed by nineteen (32.2 %) between 61 and 70 years, and fourteen (23.7 %) between 71 and 80 years. 43 (72 %) patients had lumber spondylosis complicated by lumber spine stenosis, followed by nine (15.2 %) with lumbar spine spondylolisthesis and four (6.7 %) had adjacent level disease. 28 (47.4 %) were scared of surgery, fifteen (25.4 %) claimed that they are too old for surgery and nine (15.2 %) were not ready. Findings from this study outlined that patients lack information about the spinal surgery. Patients education about spine surgery is needed

Seniors make up 16.9 percent of the Canadian population. Furthermore, the number of Canadians who are 65 years or older is increasing at an average rate of 20 percent every 5 years. In 2017, Sing etal reported that there is an increasing number of patients undergoing degenerative scoliosis surgery with the largest increase attributed to patients aged 65–69 years followed by those aged 70–74 years. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of undergoing spinal surgery to correct degenerative spinal scoliosis in the ever-growing number of elderly patients. We hypothesize that age is not an independent prognostic factor of patients' outcomes followings degenerative scoliosis surgery. A retrospective review of prospectively collected data within the Canadian Spine Outcome and Research Network (CSORN) was conducted. Data was analyzed using IBM-SPSS. ANOVA was used to analyze continuous variables while Chi Square test was used to analyze categorical variables. Significance level was p < 0.05. There were 165 patients identified from the registry who met the inclusion criteria, 94 patients (57 %) were female. There were 102 (61.8 %) patients who were 65 years or older. The overall average age was 66.6 years (range 35–84, SD 8.6). There were 27 intra-operative complications, 44 peri-operative complications and 18 post operative complications. There was no statistically significant difference between the two age groups with regards to risk of developing intra-operative, perioperative and post operative complications. Patients who underwent degenerative scoliosis surgery reported an average improvement of 2.95±3.32, 3.64±3.50, 16.84±20.44 points on the back-pain scale, leg pain scale and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) respectively, there was no statistically significant differences in these measures between the two age groups. As the number of patients undergoing degenerative scoliosis surgery increases, clinicians will need to determine which factors will significantly impact patients' outcomes following surgery. This study shows that age is not an independent prognostic factor when it comes to patients' outcomes following degenerative scoliosis surgery. In the future, research should examine the impact of age in conjunction with factors such as frailty, comorbidities and functional status on patient outcomes

Introduction. Untreated hip osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition leading to pain, bone deformation, and limited range of motion. Unfortunately, studies have not been conducted under in vivo conditions to determine progressive kinematics variations to a hip joint from normal to pre-operative and post-operative THA conditions. Therefore, the objective was this study was to quantify normal and degenerative hip kinematics, compared to post-operative hip kinematics. Methods. Twenty unique subjects were analyzed; 10 healthy, normal subjects and 10 degenerative, subjects analyzed pre-operatively and then again post-operatively after receiving a THA. During each assessment, the subject performed a gait (stance and swing phase) activity under mobile, fluoroscopic surveillance. The normal and diseased subjects had CT scans in order to acquire bone geometry while implanted subjects had corresponding CAD models supplied. Femoral head and acetabular cup centers were approximated by spheres based on unique geometries while the component centers were pre-defined as the center of mass. These centers were used to compare femoral head sliding magnitudes on the acetabular cup during the activity for all subjects. Subjects were noted to have separation with changes in center magnitudes of more than 1 mm during gait. Utilizing 3D-to-2D registration techniques, the hip joint kinematics were derived and assessed. This allowed for visualization of normal subject positioning, pre-op bone deterioration, and implant placement within the bones. Results. None of the normal, experienced femoral head sliding (FHS) within the acetabulum. Two of the normal subjects revealed tendencies more similar to a degenerative hip. However, 4/10 of the degenerative subjects saw significant FHS with an average maximum of 1.344 0.522 mm. It was interesting to note that none of the implanted subjects experienced FHS, demonstrating improved kinematic trends more normal-like and revealing better kinematic patterns post-operative compared to their pre-operative conditions. Discussion. Overall, analysis has revealed trends of degenerative hips experiencing more abnormal hip kinematics due to lower surface area and greater magnitudes of femoral center head displacement. The implanted subjects saw decreased amounts of displacement which correlated to increases in contact area. These results more closely matched normal hip kinematics and showed an improvement over their diseased condition. It seems that the surgeon in this study better replicated the stem version angle to the pre-operative conditions, leaving less transverse stress of the femoral head on the acetabular cup, possibly leading to the femoral head remaining within the acetabular cup and the subjects not experiencing FHS. Significance. Pre-operative, degenerative hip subjects displayed abnormal femoral hip displacement at greater magnitudes to normal hip subjects. After THA, these subjects saw reduced magnitudes of displacement more in line with normal hip kinematics. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Introduction. Hip osteoarthritis can be debilitating, often leading to pain, poor kinematics and limiting range of motion. While the in vivo kinematics of a total hip arthroplasty (THA) are well documented, there is limited information pertaining to the kinematics of native, non-arthritic (normal) hips and degenerative hips requiring a THA. The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the in vivo kinematics of the normal hip with pre-operative, degenerative hips and post-operative THA. Methods. Twenty subjects, ten having a normal hip and ten having a pre-operative, degenerative hip that were analyzed before surgery and then post-operatively after receiving a THA. Each subject was asked to perform gait while under mobile fluoroscopic surveillance. Normal and pre-operative degenerative subjects underwent a CT scan so that 3D models of their femur and pelvis could be created. Using 3D-to-2D registration techniques, the hip joint kinematics were derived and assessed. Femoral head and acetabular cup rotational centers were derived using spheres. The centers of these spheres were used to obtain the femoral head sliding distance on the acetabular cup during the activity. The patient-specific reference femoral head values were obtained from the subjects’ CT scans in a non-weight bearing situation. Results. Overall, 0% of the normal subjects experienced femoral head sliding (FHS) within the acetabulum, and 33% of the degenerative subjects experienced FHS. The degenerative hips experienced an average maximum sliding of 0.902 ± 0.864 mm. Further evaluation seems to indicate that the femoral head ligament played a significant role in hip separation. If this ligament was not functioning, it appeared that the femoral head experienced more abnormal motion. Therefore, degenerative hip subjects having an intact femoral head ligament did not experience femoral head sliding of their femoral head within the acetabulum. A further analysis was then conducted to assess the contact area between femoral head and acetabular cup (Figure 1). After THA implantation, subjects experienced greater abnormal hip motion leading to hip separation. Discussion. Overall, our current analysis has revealed trends that degenerative hips experience more abnormal hip kinematics that lead to higher bearing surface forces and stresses. It was interesting to note that the intact femoral head ligament did stabilize the hip joint leading to no femoral head sliding. Therefore, further research needs to be conducted to determine the role of the femoral head ligament and degeneration of the hip joint. Also, it is worth noting that the maximum displacement usually occurs during swing phase of the gait, just before heel-strike for degenerative hips, similar to total hip arthroplasty, evaluated in previous fluoroscopic studies. Further investigation is being conducted to evaluate component placement for the THA subjects, comparing their motion pre and post-operatively

Aims. To compare the efficacy of decompression alone (DA) with i) decompression and fusion (DF) and ii) interspinous process device (IPD) in the treatment of lumbar stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis. Outcomes of interest were both patient-reported measures of postoperative pain and function, as well as the perioperative measures of blood loss, operation duration, hospital stay, and reoperation. Methods. Data were obtained from electronic searches of five online databases. Included studies were limited to randomised-controlled trials (RCTs) which compared DA with DF or IPD using patient-reported outcomes such as the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ), or perioperative data. Patient-reported data were reported as part of the systematic review, while meta-analyses were conducted for perioperative outcomes in MATLAB using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. Forest plots were generated for visual interpretation, while heterogeneity was assessed using the I. 2. -statistic. Results. A total of 13 articles met the eligibility criteria. Of these, eight compared DA with DF and six studies compared DA with IPD. Patient-rated outcomes reported included the ODI and ZCQ, with mixed results for both types of comparisons. Overall, there were few statistically significant and no clinically significant differences in patient-rated outcomes. Study quality varied greatly across the included articles. Meta-analysis of perioperative outcomes revealed DF to result in greater blood loss than DA (MD = 406.74 ml); longer operation duration (MD = 108.91 min); and longer postoperative stay in hospital (MD = 2.84 days). Use of IPD in comparison to DA led to slightly reduced operation times (MD = –25.18 min), but a greater risk of reoperation compared to DA (RR = 2.70). Conclusion. Currently there is no evidence for the use of DF or IPD over DA in both patient-rated and perioperative outcomes. Indeed, both procedures can potentially lead to greater cost and risk of complications, and therefore, a stronger evidence base for their use should be established before they are promoted as routine options in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis

In multilevel posterior cervical instrumented fusions, extending the fusion across the cervico-thoracic junction at T1 or T2 (CTJ) has been associated with decreased rate of re-operation and pseudarthrosis but with longer surgical time and increased blood loss. The impact on patient reported outcomes (PROs) remains unclear. The primary objective was to determine whether extending the fusion through the CTJ influenced PROs at 3 and 12 months after surgery. Secondary objectives were to compare the number of patients reaching the minimally clinically important difference (MCID) for the PROs and mJOA, operative time duration, intra-operative blood loss (IOBL), length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, adverse events (AEs), re-operation within 12 months of the surgery, and patient satisfaction. This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from a multicenter observational cohort study of patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy. Patients who underwent a posterior instrumented fusion of 4 levels of greater (between C2-T2) between January 2015 and October 2020 with 12 months follow-up were included. PROS (NDI, EQ5D, SF-12 PCS and MCS, NRS arm and neck pain) and mJOA were compared using ANCOVA, adjusted for baseline differences. Patient demographics, comorbidities and surgical details were abstracted. Percentafe of patient reaching MCID for these outcomes was compared using chi-square test. Operative duration, IOBL, AEs, re-operation, discharge disposittion, LOS and satisfaction were compared using chi-square test for categorical variables and independent samples t-tests for continuous variables. A total of 206 patients were included in this study (105 patients not crossing the CTJ and 101 crossing the CTJ). Patients who underwent a construct extending through the CTJ were more likely to be female and had worse baseline EQ5D and NDI scores (p> 0.05). When adjusted for baseline difference, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for the PROs and mJOA at 3 and 12 months. Surgical duration was longer (p 0.05). Satisfaction with the surgery was high in both groups but significantly different at 12 months (80% versus 72%, p= 0.042 for the group not crossing the CTJ and the group crossing the CTJ, respectively). The percentage of patients reaching MCID for the NDI score was 55% in the non-crossing group versus 69% in the group extending through the CTJ (p= 0.06). Up to 12 months after the surgery, there was no statistically significant differences in PROs between posterior construct extended to or not extended to the upper thoracic spine. The adverse event profile did not differ significantly, but longer surgical time and blood loss were associated with construct extending across the CTJ

Abstract. Objective. Flexible stabilisation has been utilised to maintain spinal mobility in patients with early-stage lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Previous literature has not yet established any non-fusion solution as a viable treatment option for patients with severe posterior degeneration of the lumbar spine. This feasibility study evaluates the mean five-year outcomes of patients treated with the TOPS (Total Posterior Spine System) facet replacement system in the surgical management of lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis. Methods. Ten patients (2 males, 8 females, mean age 59.6) were enrolled into a non-randomised prospective clinical study. Patients were evaluated with standing AP, lateral, flexion and extension radiographs and MRI scans, back and leg pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) and the SF-36 questionnaires, preoperatively, 6 months, one year, two years and latest follow-up at a mean of five years postoperatively (range 55–74 months). Flexion and extension standing lumbar spine radiographs were obtained at 2 years to assess range of motion (ROM) at the stabilised segment. Results. The clinical outcome scores for the cohort improved significantly across all scoring systems. Radiographs at 2 years did not reveal any loss of position or loosening of metal work. There were two incidental durotomies and no failures at 5 years with no patient requiring revision surgery. Conclusions. The TOPS implant maintains clinical improvement and motion in the surgical management of LSS and spondylolisthesis, indicating it can be considered an option for these indications

Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) is a common condition with many available treatment options. The Degenerative Spondylolisthesis Instability Classification (DSIC) scheme, based on a systematic review of best available evidence, was proposed by Simmonds et al. in 2015. This classification scheme proposes that the stability of the patient's pathology be determined by a surgeon based on quantitative and qualitative clinical and radiographic parameters. The purpose of the study is to utilise machine learning to classify DLS patients according to the DSIC scheme, offering a novel approach in which an objectively consistent system is employed. The patient data was collected by CSORN between 2015 and 2018 and included 224 DLS surgery cases. The data was cleaned by two methods, firstly, by deleting all patient entries with missing data, and secondly, by imputing the missing data using a maximum likelihood function. Five machine learning algorithms were used: logistic regression, boosted trees, random forests, support vector machines, and decision trees. The models were built using Python-based libraries and trained and tested using sklearn and pandas librairies. The algorithms were trained and tested using the two data sets (deletion and imputation cleaning methods). The matplotlib library was used to graph the ROC curves, including the area under the curve. The machine learning models were all able to predict the DSIC grade. Of all the models, the support vector machine model performed best, achieving an area under the curve score of 0.82. This model achieved an accuracy of 63% and an F1 score of 0.58. Between the two data cleaning methods, the imputation method was better, achieving higher areas under the curve than the deletion method. The accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 scores were similar for both data cleaning methods. The machine learning models were able to effectively predict physician decision making and score patients based on the DSIC scheme. The support vector machine model was able to achieve an area under the curve of 0.82 in comparison to physician classification. Since the data set was relatively small, the results could be improved with training on a larger data set. The use of machine learning models in DLS classification could prove to be an efficient approach to reduce human bias and error. Further efforts are necessary to test the inter- and intra-observer reliability of the DSIC scheme, as well as to determine if the surgeons using the scheme are following DLS treatment recommendations

Instrumented fusion for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS) has been challenged recently with high impact trials demonstrating similar changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and less morbidity/cost with laminectomy alone. Randomized trials often fail, however, to evaluate a heterogeneous population of patients. A standardized clinical assessment and management plan (SCAMP) was created as a decision aid for surgeons based on the radiographic stability and clinical presentation of patients. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of those patients who followed the decision aid with respect to fusion/no fusion to those who did not. Patients were prospectively enrolled from eleven different Canadian institutions and followed from 2015–2019. A degenerative spondylolisthesis instability classification system (DSIC) was created using best available evidence stratifying patients into three different subtypes (1. stable degenerative spondylolisthesis, 2. potentially unstable spondylolisthesis and 3. unstable spondylolisthesis). The decision aid recommends laminectomy alone for group 1 patients, posterolateral fusion with pedicle screws in type 2 patients and pedicle screw and interbody fusion for type 3 patients. One year changes in HRQOL, length of hospital stay (LOS), medication use and surgical time were compared between each group and in context of whether the treatment fell within the decision aid recommendation. Statistics were performed with STATA software. There were 394 patients initially enrolled and 334 (84.8%) with full one year data available for comparison. There were 95 type 1 (stable), 224 type 2 (potentially unstable) and 75 type 3 (unstable) patients initially classified. Baseline Ostwestry disability index (ODI), EQ-5D, and SF-12 MCS scores were significantly worse for type 3 patients versus type 1 patients. One hundred and eight patients were treated within the recommendations of the DSIC system (108/334, 32.3%). Surgeons performed interbody fusions in 141 patients (42%) rather than follow DSIC recommending a less invasive approach. There were no significant differences EQ-5D, SF-12 PCS/MCS, PHQ-9 or ODI at one year between patient groups. There was a trend towards shorter operating times for those patients following the DSIC system (195 minutes non-followers versus 180 followers, p=0.078) and reduced hospital stay (4.46 days non-followers versus 3.98 followers, p=0.065). There were no significant clinical differences in outcome at 1 year whether patients underwent decompression alone, decompression/posterolateral fusion or interbody fusion regardless of the stability classification. Surgeons were more likely to perform potentially unnecessary interbody fusions even in those patients with stable or potentially unstable spondylolisthesis. Although not statistically significant, there is some suggestion that following the DSIC system based on best evidence recommendations leads to more judicious/responsible use of hospital resources. Further study is required to determine why surgeons are more likely to choose more invasive, higher rigidity constructs in patients with LDS

Introduction. Diagnosis of osteoarthritis relies primarily on image-based analyses. X-ray, CT, and MRI can be used to evaluate various features associated with OA including joint space narrowing, deformity, articular cartilage integrity, and other joint parameters. While effective, these exams are costly, may expose the patient to ionizing radiation, and are often conducted under passive, non-weightbearing conditions. A supplemental form of analysis utilizing vibroarthrographic (VAG) signals provides an alternative that is safer and more cost-effective for the patient. The objective of this study is to correlate the kinematic patterns of normal, diseased (pre-operative), and implanted (post-operative) hip subjects to their VAG signals that were collected and to more specifically, determine if a correlation exists between femoral head center displacement and vibration signal features. Methods. Of the 28 hips that were evaluated, 10 were normal, 10 were diseased, and 8 were implanted. To collect the VAG signal from each subject, two uniaxial accelerometers were placed on bony landmarks near the joint; one was placed on the greater trochanter of the femur and the other along the anterior edge of the iliac crest. The subjects performed a single cycle gait (stance and swing phase) activity under fluoroscopic surveillance. The CAD models of the implanted components were supplied by the sponsoring company while the subject bone models were created from CT scans. 3D-to-2D registration was conducted on subject fluoroscopic images to obtain kinematics, contact area, and femoral center head displacement. The VAG signals were trimmed to time, passed with a denoise filter and wavelet decomposition. Results. When comparing the femoral head displacement to the vibration signals with respect to the normal hips, insignificant magnitudes of vibration were present (0.05 volts). For the diseased hips, greater magnitudes were seen (0.2 volts). For the implanted subjects, the overall vibration features were small (0.05 volts) much like the signals from the normal hips except for spikes that correlated to features within the gait cycle. Therefore, grinding sounds were heard from the degenerative hips, but not present for the normal or implanted hips in this study. Discussion. In regards to the normal hip subjects, the lesser magnitude of volts correlated well with the kinematic results showing no separation of the femoral head center (1 mm). For the diseased hips, the instances of greater feature quantity occurred at moments where the subjects experienced higher values of head center displacement (1 mm). These subjects also had an overall increase in average voltage magnitude likely due to the loss of cartilage about the articulating surface resulting in a rougher surface for the accelerometers to record. For the implanted subjects, due to no head center displacement and a smoother surface for joint articulation, the vibration signals were smaller than the diseased case but showed better correlation with features within the gait cycle. No exact quantification has been determined between separation and accelerometer voltage output, further studies and testing will need to be carried out in order to reach such a conclusion. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

To compare the clinical outcomes of instrumented fusion for single level degenerative spondylolisthesis with local bone versus iliac crest bone graft. Fifty patients (32 female, 18 males) operated on by the author over a 3 year period were reviewed. All cases had a single level decompression and instrumented fusion for a degenerative spondylolisthesis. 25 patients had iliac crest graft and 25 had morcelised local bone graft. Patients were followed up for 6 months. Pre and postoperative visual analogue pain scores and Roland disability scores were recorded. Inpatient notes were reviewed for duration of surgery and duration of stay. There was no difference in age, sex and severity of pre operative symptoms between the two groups. There was no significant difference in improvement in Roland score between the two groups but pain scores were lower in the local graft group although this was not statistically significant. Duration of surgery (140 vs 175min) and hospital stay (4.3 vs 5.1 days) were lower in the local bone graft group.6 patients in the iliac crest graft group complained of donor site pain vs none in the local graft group at 6 months. Usage of morcelised local bone graft resulted in clinical outcomes comparable to iliac crest bone graft in patients undergoing decompression and fusion for a single level degenerative spondylolisthesis. Duration of surgery, hospital stay and donor site pain are reduced when local bone was utilised

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful and commonly performed surgical interventions worldwide. Based on registry data, at one-year post THA, implant survivorship is nearly 100% and patient satisfaction is 90%. A novel, porous coated acetabular implant was introduced in Europe and Australia in 2007. Several years after its introduction, warnings were issued for the system when used with metal-on-metal bearings due to adverse local tissue reaction, with one study reporting a 24% failure rate (Dramis et al. 2014). A subsequent 2018 study by Teoh et al. showed that the acetabular system had a survival rate of 98.9% at five years when used with conventional polyethylene or ceramic bearing surfaces. The current study was conducted to determine the safety and effectiveness of the acetabular system using standard highly-crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) and ceramic liners at five-year follow-up. Our hypothesis was that the acetabular system would exhibit survivorship comparable to other acetabular components on the market at five-year follow-up. A prospective, non-randomized study was conducted from February 2009 to June 2017 at eight sites in Canada and the USA. One hundred fifty-five hips were enrolled and 148 hips analyzed after THA indicated for degenerative arthritis. At five-year follow-up, 103 subjects remained for final analysis. All patients received a zero, three, or multi-hole R3 acetabular shell with Stiktite porous coating (Smith & Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN, USA). Standard THA surgical techniques were employed, with surgical approach and either of a XLPE or ceramic bearing surface chosen at the discretion of the surgeon. The primary outcome was revision at five-years post-op with secondary outcomes including the Harris Hip Score (HHS), Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), radiographic analysis, and post-operative adverse events. Data and outcomes were analyzed using summary statistics with 95% confidence intervals, t-tests, and Wilcoxon Rank tests. At five-year follow-up the overall success rate was 97.14% (95% CI: 91.88–100). When analyzed by liner type, the success rate was 96.81% (95% CI: 90.96–99.34) for polyethylene (n=94) and 100% (95% CI: 71.51–100) for ceramic (n=11), with no significant difference between either liner type (p=1). There were three revisions during the study (1.9%), two for femoral stem revision post fracture, and one for deep infection. The HHS (51.36 pre-op, 94.50 five-year), all 5 HOOS sub-scales, and WOMAC (40.9 pre-op, 89.13 five-year) scores all significantly improved (p < 0 .001) over baseline scores at all follow-up points. One (0.7%) subject met the criteria for radiographic failure at one-year post-op but did not require revision. Six (1.8%) of the reported adverse events were considered related to the study device, including four cases of squeaking, one bursitis, and one femur fracture. Results from this five-year, multicenter, prospective study indicate good survivorship for this novel, porous coated acetabular system. The overall survivorship of 97.14% at five-year follow-up is comparable to that reported for similar acetabular components and aligns with previous analyses (Teoh et al. 2018)

Introduction. Epidural steroid injection is an established treatment modality for intervertebral disc prolapse. It is a low-risk alternative to surgical intervention in some patients for whom noninvasive treatment has failed. Caudal epidural steroid injection is one of the most widely used methods for pain relief. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of same dose in different volume of caudal epidural steroid injection in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease. Material/Methods. Prospective study was conducted during 2007 to 2009. 100 Patients were randomized in to two groups, of which 50 % (group A) received 4 ml of steroid with isotonic saline and remaining 50 % (group B) received 12 ml. Injection was given in prone position through a 22-G needle in to the epidural space through the sacral hiatus. The average follow-up was 18 months. Outcomes scores included the SF-36, Oswestry disability index and pain VAS and were recorded in the pre and post injection periods. Results. In group A, 18 patients had significant pain relief and 32 had no relief during the early period. Whereas in group B, 22 had significant pain relief and 28 had no relief. The quality of pain relief of 50% or greater was considered as significant. Follow up after 1 year does not show much difference. Group B had significant decrease in symptoms in the initial post injection period (P<0.05). Conclusions. The volume of steroid solution in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease is significant in the early post injection period only

Prolonged length of stay (LOS) is a significant contributor to the variation in surgical health care costs and resource utilization after elective spine surgery. The primary goal of this study was to identify patient, surgical and institutional variables that influence LOS. The secondary objective is to examine variability in institutional practices among participating centers.

This is a retrospective study of a prospectively multicentric followed cohort of patients enrolled in the CSORN between January 2015 and October 2020. A logistic regression model and bootstrapping method was used. A survey was sent to participating centers to assessed institutional level interventions in place to decrease LOS. Centers with LOS shorter than the median were compared to centers with LOS longer than the median.

A total of 3734 patients were included (979 discectomies, 1102 laminectomies, 1653 fusions). The median LOS for discectomy, laminectomy and fusion were respectively 0.0 day (IQR 1.0), 1.0 day (IQR 2.0) and 4.0 days (IQR 2.0). Laminectomy group had the largest variability (SD=4.4, Range 0-133 days). For discectomy, predictors of LOS longer than 0 days were having less leg pain, higher ODI, symptoms duration over 2 years, open procedure, and AE (p< 0.05). Predictors of longer LOS than median of 1 day for laminectomy were increasing age, living alone, higher ODI, open procedures, longer operative time, and AEs (p< 0.05). For posterior instrumented fusion, predictors of longer LOS than median of 4 days were older age, living alone, more comorbidities, less back pain, higher ODI, using narcotics, longer operative time, open procedures, and AEs (p< 0.05). Ten centers (53%) had either ERAS or a standardized protocol aimed at reducing LOS.

In this study stratifying individual patient and institutional level factors across Canada, several independent predictors were identified to enhance the understanding of LOS variability in common elective lumbar spine surgery. The current study provides an updated detailed analysis of the ongoing Canadian efforts in the implementation of multimodal ERAS care pathways. Future studies should explore multivariate analysis in institutional factors and the influence of preoperative patient education on LOS.

The primary aim of this study was to identify the rate of osteoarthritis in scaphoid fracture non-union. We also aimed to investigate whether the incidence of osteoarthritis correlates with the duration of non-union(interval), and to identify the variables that influence the outcome. We retrospectively reviewed 273 scaphoid fracture non-union presented between 2007 and 2016. Data included patient demographics, interval, fracture morphology, grade of osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence) and scaphoid non-union advanced collapse (SNAC), and overall health-related quality of life. Patients were divided into two groups (SNAC and Non-SNAC). Group differences were analysed using Mann-Whitney U test and association with Pearson's correlations. A two-sided p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.

The scaphoid fracture non-union were confirmed on CT scans (n=243) and plain radiographs (n=35). The subjects were 32 females and 260 males with the mean age of 33.8 years (SD, 13.2). The average interval was 3.1 years (range, 0–45 years). Osteoarthritis occurred in 58% (n=161) of non-unions, and 42% (n=117) had no osteoarthritis. In overall, 38.5% (n=107) had SNAC-1, 9% (n=25) with SNAC-2, and 10.4% (n=29) presented with SNAC-3. The mean interval in the non-SNAC group was 1.2 years, and in SNAC 1,2, and 3 were 2.6, 6.8, and 11.1 years, respectively. The average summary index in SNAC and non- SNAC groups was 0.803 and 0.819, respectively. Our results also showed a significant correlation between advanced osteoarthritis and proximal fracture non-unions(P<0.05).

We concluded that there is no clear correlation between the interval and the progression of osteoarthritis. SNAC was more likely to occur in fractures aged 2 years or older.

Introduction

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a recognized procedure for treatment of medial compartment osteoarthritis. Patellofemoral (PF) joint degeneration is widely considered to be a contraindication to medial unicompartmental knee replacement. We examined the validity of this preconception using information gathered prospectively on consecutive patients who underwent UKA using the Repicci II® UKA prosthesis for medial compartment osteoarthritis.

Introduction

Arthritic knees requiring total knee replacement may present with additional deformities located along the femur or tibia away from the articular region. These deformities may be congenital, developmental, associated with metabolic bone disease, or acquired as a result of malunited fractures or previous advocated for arthritic knee with ipsilateral extra-articular deformity.

Introduction

Meniscal tears in middle-aged patients are common. There is a lack of consensus regarding the optimum management of these injuries. Although arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) is a frequently performed surgical option, literature has failed to prove its effectiveness over conservative approaches.

The study aim was to simulate oblique spinous process abutment (SPA) in cadaveric spines and determine how this affects coupled motion in the coronal plane.

L4-S1 spinal segments from thirteen cadavers were loaded on a materials testing machine in pure compression at 1kN for 10 minutes. Reflective markers on the vertebral bodies were used to assess coronal motion using a motion analysis system. Oblique SPA was simulated by attaching moulded oblique aluminium strips to the L4 and L5 spinous processes. In each specimen, both a right- and left-sided SPA was simulated, in random order, and compression at 1kN was again applied. All tests were then repeated after endplate fracture. Coronal plane motion at baseline was compared with values following simulated SPA using Mann Whitney U-tests.

Pre-fracture, SPA increased coronal motion by 0.28° and 0.34° on right and left sides respectively, compared to baseline, only the former was significant (P=0.03). Post-fracture, SPA decreased coronal motion by 0.36° and 0.46° on right and left sides respectively, only the latter was significant (P=0.03). Simulated oblique SPA in the intact spine initiated an increase in coronal motion during pure axial loading. These findings provide limited evidence that oblique SPA may be causative in DLS.

The autologous osteochondral grafting represents a treatment option for osteochondral lesions of the weight bearing articular surfaces of femoral condyles and talus. The aim of our study was to evaluate the MRI findings and to determine the correlation between the radiological and the functional outcome in the early follow up.

We performed a retrospective study and followed up 33 patients 1 to 4 years after osteochondral auto-grafting. The grafts were harvested from the anterolateral region on the lateral femoral condyle of the ipsilateral knee using an insider rinsing diamond bone-cutting instrument (DBCS). The grafts were implanted using press fit technique and mosaic plasty.

Sixteen (48%) women and 17 men were included in our follow up with an average age of 38.4 years (age range-16 to 58 yrs). The Lysholm and Foot and Ankle Osteoarthritis Scores were used for the assessment of the functional outcome. MRI scans were performed by all patients.

While the MRI results illustrated graft incorporation, the cartilage contour interruption, irregularity of the subchondral lamina, inhomogeneity and subchondral oedema are typical findings between host and graft tissues. The clinical outcome demonstrated pain relief and improved function. There was no statistically significant correlation between radiological and functional outcome (p>0.05).

The MRI is a well-recognised non-invasive diagnostic tool to assess the integration of osteochondral grafts and to evaluate the articular surface but it has a reduced clinical significance on the early post operative stages. The long-term prognostic value of the unsatisfying MRI results is unknown.