Patients with cauda equina syndrome (CES) require emergency imaging and surgical decompression. The severity and type of symptoms may influence the timing of imaging and surgery, and help predict the patient’s prognosis. Categories of CES attempt to group patients for management and prognostication purposes. We aimed in this study to assess the inter-rater reliability of dividing patients with CES into categories to assess whether they can be reliably applied in clinical practice and in research. A literature review was undertaken to identify published descriptions of categories of CES. A total of 100 real anonymized clinical vignettes of patients diagnosed with CES from the Understanding Cauda Equina Syndrome (UCES) study were reviewed by consultant spinal surgeons, neurosurgical registrars, and medical students. All were provided with published category definitions and asked to decide whether each patient had ‘suspected CES’; ‘early CES’; ‘incomplete CES’; or ‘CES with urinary retention’. Inter-rater agreement was assessed for all categories, for all raters, and for each group of raters using Fleiss’s kappa.Aims
Methods
Aims. The surgical treatment of tuberculosis (TB) of the spine consists
of debridement and reconstruction of the anterior column. Loss of
correction is the most significant challenge. Our aim was to report
the outcome of single-stage posterior surgery using bone allografts
in the management of this condition. Patients and Methods. The study involved 24 patients with thoracolumbar TB who underwent
single-stage posterior spinal surgery with a cortical bone allograft
for anterior column reconstruction and posterior instrumentation
between 2008 and 2015. A
Clinical, radiological, and Scoliosis Research
Society-22 questionnaire data were reviewed pre-operatively and
two years post-operatively for patients with thoracolumbar/lumbar
adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treated by posterior spinal fusion
using a
The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility
of using the intact S1 nerve root as a donor nerve to repair an avulsion
of the contralateral lumbosacral plexus. Two cohorts of patients
were recruited. In cohort 1, the L4–S4 nerve roots of 15 patients
with a
We reviewed 212 consecutive patients with adolescent
idiopathic scoliosis who underwent posterior spinal arthrodesis
using all pedicle screw instrumentation in terms of clinical, radiological
and Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 outcomes. In Group 1 (51
patients), the correction was performed over two rods using bilateral
segmental pedicle screws. In Group 2 (161 patients), the correction
was performed over one rod using
The aim of the study was to determine if there was a direct correlation between the pain and disability experienced by patients and size of their disc prolapse, measured by the disc’s cross-sectional area on T2 axial MRI scans. Patients were asked to prospectively complete visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores on the day of their MRI scan. All patients with primary disc herniation were included. Exclusion criteria included recurrent disc herniation, cauda equina syndrome, or any other associated spinal pathology. T2 weighted MRI scans were reviewed on picture archiving and communications software. The T2 axial image showing the disc protrusion with the largest cross sectional area was used for measurements. The area of the disc and canal were measured at this level. The size of the disc was measured as a percentage of the cross-sectional area of the spinal canal on the chosen image. The VAS leg pain and ODI scores were each correlated with the size of the disc using the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC). Intraobserver reliability for MRI measurement was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). We assessed if the position of the disc prolapse (central, lateral recess, or foraminal) altered the symptoms described by the patient. The VAS and ODI scores from central and lateral recess disc prolapses were compared.Aims
Methods
Segmental vessel ligation during anterior spinal surgery has been associated with paraplegia. However, the incidence and risk factors for this devastating complication are debated. We reviewed 346 consecutive paediatric and adolescent patients ranging in age from three to 18 years who underwent surgery for anterior spinal deformity through a thoracic or thoracoabdominal approach, during which 2651 segmental vessels were ligated. There were 173 patients with idiopathic scoliosis, 80 with congenital scoliosis or kyphosis, 43 with neuromuscular and 31 with syndromic scoliosis, 12 with a scoliosis associated with intraspinal abnormalities, and seven with a kyphosis. There was only one neurological complication, which occurred in a patient with a 127° congenital thoracic scoliosis due to a
Aims. We reviewed 34 consecutive patients (18 female-16 male) with
isthmic spondylolysis and grade I to II lumbosacral spondylolisthesis
who underwent in situ posterolateral arthodesis between the L5 transverse
processes and the sacral ala with the use of iliac crest autograft.
Ten patients had an associated scoliosis which required surgical correction
at a later stage only in two patients with idiopathic curves unrelated
to the spondylolisthesis. . Methods. No patient underwent spinal decompression or instrumentation
placement. Mean surgical time was 1.5 hours (1 to 1.8) and intra-operative
blood loss 200 ml (150 to 340). There was one wound infection treated
with antibiotics but no other complication. Radiological assessment
included standing posteroanterior and lateral, Ferguson and lateral flexion/extension
views, as well as CT scans. . Results. A solid posterolateral fusion was confirmed in all patients at
mean latest follow-up of 4.7 years (3.4 to 9.8) beyond skeletal
maturity into early adult life. Fusion of the isthmic lesion was
documented in nine patients bilaterally and eight patients
The outcome following the development of neurological complications after corrective surgery for scoliosis varies from full recovery to a permanent deficit. This study aimed to assess the prognosis and recovery of major neurological deficits in these patients, and to determine the risk factors for non-recovery, at a minimum follow-up of two years. A major neurological deficit was identified in 65 of 8,870 patients who underwent corrective surgery for scoliosis, including eight with complete paraplegia and 57 with incomplete paraplegia. There were 23 male and 42 female patients. Their mean age was 25.0 years (SD 16.3). The aetiology of the scoliosis was idiopathic (n = 6), congenital (n = 23), neuromuscular (n = 11), neurofibromatosis type 1 (n = 6), and others (n = 19). Neurological function was determined by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale at a mean follow-up of 45.4 months (SD 17.2). the patients were divided into those with recovery and those with no recovery according to the ASIA scale during follow-up.Aims
Methods
Little information is available about the incidence
and outcome of incidental dural tears associated with microendoscopic
lumbar decompressive surgery. We prospectively examined the incidence
of dural tears and their influence on the outcome six months post-operatively
in 555 consecutive patients (mean age 47.4 years (13 to 89)) who
underwent this form of surgery. The incidence of dural tears was
5.05% (28/555). The risk factors were the age of the patient and
the procedure of bilateral decompression via a
Cauda equina syndrome (CES) can be associated with chronic severe lower back pain and long-term autonomic dysfunction. This study assesses the recently defined core outcome set for CES in a cohort of patients using validated questionnaires. Between January 2005 and December 2019, 82 patients underwent surgical decompression for acute CES secondary to massive lumbar disc prolapse at our hospital. After review of their records, patients were included if they presented with the clinical and radiological features of CES, then classified as CES incomplete (CESI) or with painless urinary retention (CESR) in accordance with guidelines published by the British Association of Spinal Surgeons. Patients provided written consent and completed a series of questionnaires.Aims
Methods
We investigated the incidence of anomalies in
the vertebral arteries and Circle of Willis with three-dimensional
CT angiography in 55 consecutive patients who had undergone an instrumented
posterior fusion of the cervical spine. We recorded any peri-operative and post-operative complications.
The frequency of congenital anomalies was 30.9%, abnormal vertebral
artery blood flow was 58.2% and vertebral artery dominance 40%. . The posterior communicating artery was occluded on one side in
41.8% of patients and bilaterally in 38.2%. Variations in the vertebral
arteries and Circle of Willis were not significantly related to
the presence or absence of posterior communicating arteries. Importantly,
18.2% of patients showed characteristic variations in the Circle
of Willis with
Aims. The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of changes
in parameters of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) such as fractional
anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in patients
with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation. We also investigated the
correlation between the severity of neurological symptoms and these parameters. . Patients and Methods. A total of 13 patients with
Spinal deformity surgery carries the risk of neurological injury. Neurophysiological monitoring allows early identification of intraoperative cord injury which enables early intervention resulting in a better prognosis. Although multimodal monitoring is the ideal, resource constraints make surgeon-directed intraoperative transcranial motor evoked potential (TcMEP) monitoring a useful compromise. Our experience using surgeon-directed TcMEP is presented in terms of viability, safety, and efficacy. We carried out a retrospective review of a single surgeon’s prospectively maintained database of cases in which TcMEP monitoring had been used between 2010 and 2017. The upper limbs were used as the control. A true alert was recorded when there was a 50% or more loss of amplitude from the lower limbs with maintained upper limb signals. Patients with true alerts were identified and their case history analyzed.Aims
Methods
We describe a modified technique of micro-decompression of the lumbar spine involving the use of an operating microscope, a malleable retractor and a high-speed burr, which allows decompression to be performed on both sides of the spine through a
Although lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are well-documented, few large-scale studies have investigated thoracolumbar transitional vertebrae (TLTV) and spinal numerical variants. This study sought to establish the prevalence of numerical variants and to evaluate their relationship with clinical problems. A total of 1,179 patients who had undergone thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic CT scanning were divided into groups according to the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the presence or absence of TLTV or LSTV. The prevalence of spinal anomalies was noted. The relationship of spinal anomalies to clinical symptoms (low back pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) and degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) was also investigated.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of using MRI scans to calculate the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC). A total of 100 patients were retrospectively included in the study. The SINS score was calculated from each patient’s MRI and CT scans by two consultant musculoskeletal radiologists (reviewers 1 and 2) and one consultant spinal surgeon (reviewer 3). In order to avoid potential bias in the assessment, MRI scans were reviewed first. Bland-Altman analysis was used to identify the limits of agreement between the SINS scores from the MRI and CT scans for the three reviewers.Aims
Methods
Aims. Loosening of pedicle screws is a major complication of posterior
spinal stabilisation, especially in the osteoporotic spine. Our
aim was to evaluate the effect of cement augmentation compared with
extended dorsal instrumentation on the stability of posterior spinal
fixation. Materials and Methods. A total of 12 osteoporotic human cadaveric spines (T11-L3) were
randomised by bone mineral density into two groups and instrumented
with pedicle screws: group I (SHORT) separated T12 or L2 and group
II (EXTENDED) specimen consisting of T11/12 to L2/3. Screws were
augmented with cement
We have studied fracture-dislocation of the fifth lumbar vertebra in seven patients and reviewed 50 previously reported cases. Based on this information, we have classified the injury into five types: type 1,
The aim of this study was to determine the differences in spinal imaging characteristics between subjects with or without lumbar developmental spinal stenosis (DSS) in a population-based cohort. This was a radiological analysis of 2,387 participants who underwent L1-S1 MRI. Means and ranges were calculated for age, sex, BMI, and MRI measurements. Anteroposterior (AP) vertebral canal diameters were used to differentiate those with DSS from controls. Other imaging parameters included vertebral body dimensions, spinal canal dimensions, disc degeneration scores, and facet joint orientation. Mann-Whitney U and chi-squared tests were conducted to search for measurement differences between those with DSS and controls. In order to identify possible associations between DSS and MRI parameters, those who were statistically significant in the univariate binary logistic regression were included in a multivariate stepwise logistic regression after adjusting for demographics. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported where appropriate.Aims
Methods