Microdiscectomy is the most commonly performed spine surgery in the world. Due to its technical simplicity and low complication rate, this was the first spine surgical procedure transitioning for one-day surgery. However, the economic assessment of this outpatient transition was never performed and the question on the real impact in the burden of spine care remains. This economic study aims to access the cost-utility of outpatient lumbar microdiscectomy when compared with the inpatient procedure. To do so, a cost-utility study was performed, adopting the hospital perspective. Direct medical costs were retrieved from the assessment of 20 patients undergoing outpatient lumbar microdiscectomy and 20 undergoing inpatient lumbar microdiscectomy, from a in a Portuguese NHS hospital. Utilities were calculated with quality-adjusted life-years were derived from Oswestry Disability Index values (ODI). ODI was assessed prospectively in outpatients in pre and 3- and 6-month post-operative evaluations. Inpatient ODI data were estimated from a meta-analysis. both probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) calculated. A willingness to pay (WTP) threshold of €60000/QALY gained with inpatient procedure was defined. Out results showed that inpatient procedure was cost-saving in all models tested. At 3-month assessment ICER ranged from €135753 to €345755/QALY, higher than the predefined WTP. At 6-month costs were lower and utilities were higher in outpatient, overpowering the inpatient procedure. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that in 65% to 73% of simulations outpatient was the better option. The savings with outpatient were about 55% of inpatient values, with similar utility scores. No 30-day readmissions were recorded in either group. The mean admission time in inpatient group was 2.5 days. Since there is an overall agreement among spine surgeons that an uncomplicated inpatient MD would only need a one-day admission, an analysis reducing inpatient admission time for one day was also performed and outpatient remained cost-effective. In conclusion, as the first economic study on cost-utility of outpatient lumbar microdiscectomy, this study showed a significant reduction in costs, with a similar clinical outcome, proving this outpatient transition as cost-effective

Introduction. There has been a recent surge in the interest of the role of vitamin D in chronic musculoskeletal pain however there are limited studies that have investigated the link of vitamin D hypovitaminosis with low back pain. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of low vitamin D levels in patients who present with low back pain in an outpatient setting in the UK. Methods. Data was collected retrospectively from computerised databases of all patients who presented with low back pain from a single spinal consultant's outpatient clinic and have had serum levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH vitamin D) requested. Data of these patients were collected from hospital electronic and paper records and analysed against their serum 25-OH vitamin D levels. Results. Data on 229 patients was collected over an 18 month period. 19.7% of patients presenting to the spinal outpatient clinics had severe 25-OH vitamin D deficiency (less than 15 nmol/L) compared to 2.6% of 3132 non-spinal outpatient clinic patients (p<0.001). However, the percentage of patients with deficient (15 to 30 nmol/L) but not severe deficiency was similar in both groups (37.6% versus 38.3%). There was no significant difference in the incidence of vitamin D deficiency whether a surgical or non-surgical pathology was present or not (p=0.62). Conclusion. We have found no link between vitamin D deficiency and low back pain in this study. Vitamin D deficiency is a common comorbidity in Leicester

Aim

To assess the safety of day case lumbar decompressive surgery

A Core Outcome Set (COS) for treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is essential to ensure that the most meaningful outcomes are evaluated and used consistently. Measuring the same outcomes ensures evidence from clinical trials and routine clinical practice of different treatments can be more easily compared and combined, therefore increasing the quality of the evidence base. The SPINE-COS-AYA project aims to develop a gold standard COS which can be used internationally in research and routine clinical practice to evaluate the treatment (surgical and bracing) of AIS. In this qualitative study, the views of adolescents and young adults with AIS (10-25 years of age), their family members and healthcare professionals in a UK region were sought, via interviews, on treatment outcomes. Participants were purposively recruited from a variety of sources including NHS outpatient clinics and social media. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Key findings will be presented, to include potential core outcome domains identified by the different subgroups. The core outcome domains identified in this research programme will subsequently form part of an international consensus survey to agree a COS. In future, if the COS is used by healthcare staff and researchers, it will be easier for everyone, including patients and their families, to assess which treatment works best

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether OHEIs could facilitate student physiotherapy placement training in their educational outpatient clinics. Background. The National Health Service (NHS) is actively promoting Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) to have a greater role in supporting healthcare delivery. There are challenges to increasing AHP numbers and one of these is providing enough student training placements to meet demand. Methods. This evaluation used quantitative and qualitative methods. The OHEI clinical tutors and students collected activity data Anonymised questionnaires for physiotherapy students examining expectation were completed online before placement and an experience questionnaire after placement. Interviews and focus groups were conducted to investigate the experiences of stakeholders involved in the project. This included physiotherapy and osteopathy students, clinic tutors, and placement coordinators in OHEIs and physiotherapy HEIs. Results. Four universities with physiotherapy courses participated, and 37 students in 2 cohorts completed either five- or six-week placements at three OHEI clinics between April and August 2021. Cohort 1 expressed uncertainties about roles and integration in clinic and with patients. Concerns were addressed for Cohort 2 and physiotherapy student learning experiences were much better with 83% of physiotherapy students satisfied or very satisfied with their placement. Conclusion. The placement of physiotherapists in OHEI clinics is feasible. Careful expectation management is essential. Future sustainability is dependent upon managing costs to the OHEIs as it is unlikely placements will generate income. The learning environment could be made more reciprocal with time and experience leading to better understanding of the different professions and enhanced multidisciplinary working. Conflicts of interest: Dawn Carnes and Carol Fawkes are both trained osteopaths. Sources of funding: Health Education England grant to the Institute of Osteopathy (the professional association for UK osteopaths)

SUMMARY. A retrospective cohort study of 19 patients of EOS who underwent MCGR rod instrumentation with subsequent serial distractions, measured using ultrasonography. The degree of distraction achieved during each session were analyzed and subgroup analysis done. HYPOTHESIS. The degree of distraction/ distractibility of the MCGR rod is closely linked to the etiology of EOS. The degree of distraction achieved at each session progressively diminishes with successive distractions. STUDY DESIGN. Retrospective cohort study. INTRODUCTION. MCGR rods have gained popularity as an alternative to traditional growing rods for the treatment of Early-onset scoliosis (EOS), serially distracting with an aim to mimic the normal spinal growth, which can be achieved in an outpatient setting using external remote controller. The use of ultrasound as a tool to measure the degree of distraction achieved has been validated previously. However the association between the etiological diagnosis of EOS and the degree of distraction achieved has not been studied previously. METHODS. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 19 patients with EOS of varying etiologies who underwent MCGR rod instrumentation at our institution since 2016. Their hospital records were analyzed to assess the demographics, distraction interval and the degree of distraction achieved at each session. RESULTS. 19 patients (12 females and 7 males) were included in the study. The average age of the study population was 7 years (4–13 years). The average follow up was 2.1 years (1–4). The following were the etiological diagnoses: Idiopathic EOS(8), Neuromuscular scoliosis(5), Syndromic(5), Congenital(1). The average interval between each distraction was 109.8days (88.2–140.6). The overall mean distraction was 1.66mm (0.6–3.427). The mean distraction achieved for the concave rod was 1.69mm (0.6–3.03) as against 1.59mm (0.2–3.427) for the convex rod. The degree of distraction achieved per session was the greatest in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis 2.79mm (0.94–4.62), while it was the least in Congenital scoliosis 0.99mm (0.8–2.93). The degree of distraction in Syndromic and Idiopathic scoliosis groups were 2.19mm (0.1–4.2) and 1.50mm (0.2–4.45) respectively. The mean distraction achieved during the first session after MCGR instrumentation was 2.82mm (0.4–9.8) as against 1.98mm (0.1–4.2) and 1.18mm (0.2–2.3), achieved during the 5. th. and 10. th. distractions respectively. CONCLUSIONS. The average distraction of the MCGR rod achieved per session depends upon the etiological diagnosis of EOS. Neuromuscular curves are the most amenable to MCGR distractions, while the congenital curves are the least. The degree of distraction achieved progressively diminishes with each successive distractions. The distraction achieved slumps to 70% of the initial distraction by the 5. th. session and further declines to 41% of the initial distraction by the 10. th. session. TAKE HOME MESSAGE. The distractibility of the MCGR rod is closely linked to the etiology of EOS. MCGR rods are most effective in cases of neuromuscular scoliosis, while least effective in congenital scoliosis. The law of diminishing returns holds true even with MCGR rods

Purpose and background. Acute and chronic spinal pain are major causes of disability, and many patients use analgesics to treat their pain. However, increased use of analgesics, particularly prescription opioids have the potential to be overused and cause dependence. Psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, pain acceptance, pain catastrophising and alexithymia influence both the pain response and analgesic use, yet to date no studies have explored these variables in spinal pain patients. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the nature, prevalence and correlates of analgesic dependence among patients with acute or chronic spinal pain. Methods and results. Patients over the age of 18 attending outpatient services at the Royal Derby Hospital with complaints of either acute or chronic spinal pain and currently using analgesics to treat their pain completed the Current Opioid Misuse Measure, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire-8, the Pain Catastrophising Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, and the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire, a measure of analgesic dependence. Preliminary findings from 52 patients (16 males and 36 females) with chronic spinal pain ranging from 23–88 years old, show that greater pain catastrophising is a significant predictor of analgesic dependence (t = 2.74, df = 51, p = 0.009). Conclusion. The study findings can inform the development of appropriate interventions targeting pain catastrophising to prevent and/or treat analgesic dependence, as well as contributing to potential future research on the understanding of tapering spinal pain patients off analgesic medication. No conflicts of interest. No funding obtained

Background. Acute lumbar radiculopathy is a very painful condition sometimes requiring admission for strong analgesia. Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy of distal nerve root blocks as an outpatient procedure for immediate pain relief. Methods. Local anaesthetic was injected in the distal nerve root areas of the leg and foot in the clinic in patients with lumbar radiculopathy who consented to the procedure. Results. There were 29 patients, 18 females and 11 males, aged 25 to 76 years. 13 patients had acute lumbar disc prolapse, 11 had lumbar canal stenosis, 2 had annular tears and one a facet joint cyst. The VAS pain scores ranged from 3 to 11 (patient's description), with an average VAS score of 7.5. The improvement in VAS scores was between 2 and 9 with average improvement of 6. 19 patients had associated back pain which improved in 14. Walking improved in all 29 patients. Pain relief was immediate in all patients. This lasted from 30 min to 11 days with one patient having no recurrence. 27 patients had at least 24 hours pain relief. All patients could be sent home immediately after the procedure. 12 patients had recent onset of foot weakness which improved one MRC grade immediately after the injection. The analgesic effect was most significant in acute disc prolapse. There were no complications. Conclusion. This technique is simple and would be valuable in the acute setting to provide immediate pain relief allowing immediate discharge from accident and emergency. Conflicts of interest: None. Sources of funding: None

Background and purpose of the study. Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is commonly mistaken as chronic mechanical back pain. Delayed diagnosis averages 5- 8 years with impacts on effective and timely management, outcomes and quality of life. NICE Guidance (2017) highlights the importance of the recognition and referral of suspected axial spondyloarthritis. This study investigated the occurrence of physiotherapy care prior to diagnosis of axSpA within physiotherapy outpatient settings. Methods and results. A retrospective review was performed of all patients diagnosed with axSpA who had received physiotherapy care prior to their diagnosis from 1990–2016. Three or more episodes of care prior to diagnosis was taken as unrecognised axSpA. Information was obtained on diagnostic codes, number of episodes of care and contacts per episode from nine outpatient physiotherapy services. Analysis showed that 263 people (17–69 years) diagnosed with axSpAs had received physiotherapy care prior to diagnosis. Within this population, 103 (44%) had received ≥3 episodes of care. Number of contacts within each episode ranged from 3 (47 people) to 58 (1 person) [median=11 contacts-10 people]. Average time from initial physiotherapy episode to date of diagnosis was 6.4 years (range=0.3–12.8 years, median=8.8 years). The most common assigned diagnostic code was back pain (49.6%), followed by shoulder (11.1%), knee (8.5%), neck (7.7%), ankle/foot (4.3%), tendonitis (4.2%), joint pain (3.4%), osteoarthritis (3.4%) and sacroiliac joint (2%). Conclusion. Findings illustrate the extent of unrecognised axial spondyloarthritis referred to and missed in musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice. It is essential to improve screening and recognition of inflammatory back pain and possible axSpA in musculoskeletal assessments, supported by rheumatology referral guidance. No conflicts of interest. No funding obtained

Purpose and background. Back pain guidelines endorse giving advice to enable people to self-manage and continue normal activities. Little is known however, about the content of advice that clinicians give and this project aimed to identify the advice given by physiotherapists to patients with back pain at their initial consultation. Patients and methods. Twenty-five audio-recordings of patients with back pain and physiotherapists in a primary care outpatient department were collected, transcribed, coded and thematically analysed using a Framework approach to identify the content of advice given. Results. The mean duration of consultation was 38 minutes 59 seconds (range 26:21–53:16). Advice was given in 88% (n=22/25) consultations and 96% included additional exercise instruction. Cognitive reassurance was evident, focussing on getting people confident to ‘move your back’ despite pain and encouraging active lifestyle changes. Beyond reassurance and discussion to enhance confidence, the key topics of advice given were: activity promotion; postural changes; practical self-help advice regarding ways to sit; pain-management advice including medication and the use of heat. Gaps were identified in the completeness of the advice given and there was a lack of specificity, especially relating to the frequency of recommended tasks and activities. Conclusion. Advice and reassurance are integral to enabling people to self-manage their back pain. Despite its importance, little is known about the advice offered by clinicians. This novel, observational study identifies the topics of advice given by clinicians in back pain consultations and recognises the need for guidance to be patient-centred and specific. No conflicts of interest. Sources of funding: The data were collected as part of Lisa Roberts's Arthritis Research UK academic fellowship [17830]. Lisa Roberts currently holds an NIHR senior clinical lectureship (round 3)

Aims

To determine the major risk factors for unplanned reoperations (UROs) following corrective surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) and their interactions, using machine learning-based prediction algorithms and game theory.

Aims

Patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs) have a favourable long-term survival. Spinal metastases (SMs) cause a decline in performance status (PS), directly affecting mortality and indirectly preventing the use of systemic therapies. Metastasectomy is indicated, if feasible, as it yields the best local tumour control. Our study aimed to examine the long-term clinical outcomes of metastasectomy for SMs of thyroid carcinomas.

Aims

Gram-negative infections are associated with comorbid patients, but outcomes are less well understood. This study reviewed diagnosis, management, and treatment for a cohort treated in a tertiary spinal centre.

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People with severe, persistent low back pain (LBP) may be offered lumbar spine fusion surgery if they have had insufficient benefit from recommended non-surgical treatments. However, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2016 guidelines recommended not offering spinal fusion surgery for adults with LBP, except as part of a randomized clinical trial. This survey aims to describe UK clinicians’ views about the suitability of patients for such a future trial, along with their views regarding equipoise for randomizing patients in a future clinical trial comparing lumbar spine fusion surgery to best conservative care (BCC; the FORENSIC-UK trial).

Aims

The escalating demand for medical resources to address spinal diseases as society ages is an issue that requires careful evaluation. However, few studies have examined trends in spinal surgery, especially unscheduled hospitalizations or surgeries performed after hours, through large databases. Our study aimed to determine national trends in the number of spine surgeries in Japan. We also aimed to identify trends in after-hours surgeries and unscheduled hospitalizations and their impact on complications and costs.

Objectives. The objective of this study was to assess the association between whole body sagittal balance and risk of falls in elderly patients who have sought treatment for back pain. Balanced spinal sagittal alignment is known to be important for the prevention of falls. However, spinal sagittal imbalance can be markedly compensated by the lower extremities, and whole body sagittal balance including the lower extremities should be assessed to evaluate actual imbalances related to falls. Methods. Patients over 70 years old who visited an outpatient clinic for back pain treatment and underwent a standing whole-body radiograph were enrolled. Falls were prospectively assessed for 12 months using a monthly fall diary, and patients were divided into fallers and non-fallers according to the history of falls. Radiological parameters from whole-body radiographs and clinical data were compared between the two groups. Results. A total of 144 patients (120 female patients and 24 male patients) completed a 12-month follow-up for assessing falls. A total of 31 patients (21.5%) reported at least one fall within the 12-month follow-up. In univariate logistic regression analysis, the risk of falls was significantly increased in older patients and those with more medical comorbidities, decreased lumbar lordosis, increased sagittal vertical axis, and increased horizontal distance between the C7 plumb line and the centre of the ankle (C7A). Increased C7A was significantly associated with increased risk of falls even after multivariate adjustment. Conclusion. Whole body sagittal balance, measured by the horizontal distance between the C7 plumb line and the centre of the ankle, was significantly associated with risk of falls among elderly patients with back pain. Cite this article: J. Kim, J. Y. Hwang, J. K. Oh, M. S. Park, S. W. Kim, H. Chang, T-H. Kim. The association between whole body sagittal balance and risk of falls among elderly patients seeking treatment for back pain. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:–344. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.65.BJR-2016-0271.R2

Aims. We undertook a prospective non-randomised radiological study to evaluate the preliminary results of using magnetically-controlled growing rods (MAGEC System, Ellipse technology) to treat children with early-onset scoliosis. Patients and Methods. Between January 2011 and January 2015, 19 children were treated with magnetically-controlled growing rods (MCGRs) and underwent distraction at three-monthly intervals. The mean age of our cohort was 9.1 years (4 to 14) and the mean follow-up 22.4 months (5.1 to 35.2). Of the 19 children, eight underwent conversion from traditional growing rods. Whole spine radiographs were carried out pre- and post-operatively: image intensification was used during each lengthening in the outpatient department. The measurements evaluated were Cobb angle, thoracic kyphosis, proximal junctional kyphosis and spinal growth from T1 to S1. Results. The mean pre-, post-operative and latest follow-up Cobb angles were 62° (37.4 to 95.8), 45.1° (16.6 to 96.2) and 43.2° (11.9 to 90.5), respectively (p < 0.05). The mean pre-, post-operative and latest follow-up T1-S1 lengths were 288.1 mm (223.2 to 351.7), 298.8 mm (251 to 355.7) and 331.1 mm (275 to 391.9), respectively (p < 0.05). In all, three patients developed proximal pull-out of their fixation and required revision surgery: there were no subsequent complications. There were no complications of outpatient distraction. Conclusions. Our study shows that MCGRs provide stable correction of the deformity in early-onset scoliosis in both primary and revision procedures. They have the potential to reduce the need for multiple operations and thereby minimise the potential complications associated with traditional growing rod systems. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1240–47

Aims. The authors present the results of a cohort study of 60 adult patients presenting sequentially over a period of 15 years from 1997 to 2012 to our hospital for treatment of thoracic and/or lumbar vertebral burst fractures, but without neurological deficit. . Method. All patients were treated by early mobilisation within the limits of pain, early bracing for patient confidence and all progress in mobilisation was recorded on video. Initial hospital stay was one week. Subsequent reviews were made on an outpatient basis. . Results. The mean duration from admission to final follow-up was three months, and longer follow-up was undertaken telephonically. The mean kyphosis deformity on arrival was 17.4° (5° to 29°); mean kyphosis at final discharge three months later was 19.5° (1° to 28°). Spinal canal encroachment had no influence on successful functional recovery. . Discussion. Pain has not been a significant problem for any patient, irrespective of the degree of kyphosis and no patient has a self-perception of clinical deformity. In all, 11 patients took occasional analgesia. All patients returned to their original work level or better. Two patients died 2.5 years after treatment, from unrelated causes. Take home message: The natural history of thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurology would appear to be benign. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:97–101

Aims

We compared decompression alone to decompression with fusion surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, with or without degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). The aim was to evaluate if five-year outcomes differed between the groups. The two-year results from the same trial revealed no differences.

Aims

Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine with associated rotation, often causing distress due to appearance. For some curves, there is good evidence to support the use of a spinal brace, worn for 20 to 24 hours a day to minimize the curve, making it as straight as possible during growth, preventing progression. Compliance can be poor due to appearance and comfort. A night-time brace, worn for eight to 12 hours, can achieve higher levels of curve correction while patients are supine, and could be preferable for patients, but evidence of efficacy is limited. This is the protocol for a randomized controlled trial of ‘full-time bracing’ versus ‘night-time bracing’ in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).