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Global Spine J 2022 May 24:21925682221100173. Epub 2022 May 24.

Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.

Objective: Reimbursement trends for common procedures have persistently declined over the past 2 decades. Spinal instrumentational and fusion procedures are increasingly utilized and have increased in clinical complexity, yet longitudinal inflation-adjusted data for Medicare reimbursements of these procedures have not been evaluated.

Methods: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool was used to extract Medicare reimbursements for the 5 most common spinal procedures and associated instrumentations from 2000-2020. Read More

J Clin Lab Anal 2022 May 20:e24496. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to have potential biological applications against tumors in humans. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic, prognostic, and clinicopathological value of circRNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were comprehensively searched for the relevant studies before October 20, 2021. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2022 28;9:892306. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Laboratory of Membrane and Liposome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.

A 14-year-old intact mixed breed dog (26 kg) was submitted for a novel cannabidiol (CBD) analgesic treatment. The dog was cachectic and had a testicular neoplasia, hip and elbow osteoarthritis and severe cervical pain. Analgesic treatment included canine osteoarthritic supplement, robencoxib and gabapentin. Read More

Dermatol Ther 2022 May 15:e15585. Epub 2022 May 15.

Department of Dermatology, İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic systemic vasculitis with a wide range of clinical findings. It has both autoinflammatory and autoimmune features and manifests with recurrent inflammatory attacks involving the innate immune system. Recently, autoinflammation has started to take place in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration. Read More

BMC Surg 2022 May 14;22(1):179. Epub 2022 May 14.

West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.

Introduction: According to the different numbers and locations of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), three-level hybrid surgery (HS) has many constructs. The purpose of the present study was to introduce a classification system for three-level HS and compare the two types with each other and with ACDF.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving patients with three-level cervical degenerative disc disease (CDDD) who underwent ACDF or HS in our hospital between June 2012 and May 2019. Read More

Eur Spine J 2022 May 11. Epub 2022 May 11.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, 1611 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL, USA.

Purpose: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common surgical treatment for degenerative disease in the cervical spine. However, resultant biomechanical alterations may predispose to early-onset adjacent segment degeneration (EO-ASD), which may become symptomatic and require reoperation. This study aimed to develop and validate a machine learning (ML) model to predict EO-ASD following ACDF. Read More

Orthop Surg 2022 Apr 27. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy and radioactivity of the bridge-type zero-profile anchored spacer (ROI-C) interbody fusion cage and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with plating and cage system (ACDF) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Methods: This is a retrospective contrastive study. We recruited 35 patients who received ROI-C (ROI-C group) and 34 patients who received ACDF (ACDF group), between January 2014 to January 2019, at our treatment center. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2022 Apr 27;23:e935208. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Continuing Medical Education, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud (FUCS), Bogotá, Colombia.

BACKGROUND The intervertebral disc extrusion resorption has been described in the literature by various authors. It occurs in up to 75% of patients with symptomatic extruded lumbar discs. The Atlasprofilax method favors osteo-musculo-articular rehabilitation processes, mainly impacting on 2 levels: the first is the bone anatomy of the atlanto-occipital joint, and the second is the fasciae located in the cervical region. Read More

Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2022 Apr 26. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one of the most commonly performed procedures for degenerative cervical disease. The evaluation of fusion status is still not fully standardized, and a variety of measurement methods are used. This study presents our own evaluation of fusion by comparing two types of implants. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2022 Apr 15:1-7. Epub 2022 Apr 15.

Objective: Total disc arthroplasty (TDA) has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for cervical degenerative disc disease at short- and midterm follow-up. However, there remains a paucity of literature reporting the differences between individual prosthesis designs with regard to device performance. In this study, the authors evaluated the long-term maintenance of segmental range of motion (ROM) at the operative cervical level across a diverse range of TDA devices. Read More

J Neurosurg Sci 2022 Apr 13. Epub 2022 Apr 13.

Spine Center, Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China -

Background: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of cervical total disc replacement (CTDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in the treatment of single-level cervical disc degenerative disease with a mid-term follow-up period.

Methods: Seventy-two patients with C5/6 single-level cervical degenerative disc disease refractory to conservative interventions were randomly assigned to two groups: ACDF and CTDR. Clinical outcomes were assessed by using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Apr 6;23(7). Epub 2022 Apr 6.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) diseases are common spinal disorders that cause neck or back pain in the presence or absence of an underlying neurological disorder. IVD diseases develop on the basis of degeneration, and there are no established treatments for degeneration. IVD diseases may therefore represent a candidate for the application of regenerative medicine, potentially employing normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) induced to differentiate into nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Read More

Clin Spine Surg 2022 05 11;35(4):155-165. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The aim was to compare perioperative and radiographic outcomes between stand-alone and anterior plated 1 and 2-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

Summary Of Background Data: ACDF with interbody spacer and separate plate/screw construct (PLATE) may be associated with a higher incidence of postoperative dysphagia, increased operative time, and other complications. Read More

J Craniovertebr Junction Spine 2022 Jan-Mar;13(1):55-61. Epub 2022 Mar 9.

NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.

Introduction: Cervical total disc replacement (CTDR) is an alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for select patients that may preserve range of motion and reduce adjacent segment disease. Various CTDR prostheses are available; however, comparative data are limited. This study aimed to compare the short-term kinematic and radiological parameters of the M6-C, Mobi-C, and the CP-ESP prostheses. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2022 Apr 1:1-11. Epub 2022 Apr 1.

3Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Back Institute, Plano, Texas.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a PEEK-on-ceramic cervical total disc replacement (cTDR) device for the treatment of 2-level cervical disc disease with radiculopathy and/or myelopathy.

Methods: The study was a prospective, nonrandomized, historically controlled FDA investigational device exemption trial evaluating the Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc for use at 2 levels. The anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) control group was derived from a propensity score-matched (using subclassification) cohort of patients who participated in an earlier prospective trial in which similar indications were used. Read More

Jt Dis Relat Surg 2022 28;33(1):93-101. Epub 2022 Mar 28.

Ankara Şehir Hastanesi, Romatoloji Kliniği, 06800 Çankaya, Ankara, Türkiye.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to differentiate normal cervical graphs and graphs of diseases that cause mechanical neck pain by using deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) technology.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, the convolutional neural networks were used and transfer learning method was applied with the pre-trained VGG-16, VGG-19, Resnet-101, and DenseNet-201 networks. Our data set consisted of 161 normal lateral cervical radiographs and 170 lateral cervical radiographs with osteoarthritis and cervical degenerative disc disease. Read More

J Family Med Prim Care 2022 Feb 16;11(2):787-789. Epub 2022 Feb 16.

School of Nursing and Health Studies, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Adjacent segment pathology (ASP) refers to degenerative changes at segments immediately contiguous to previous spinal fusion. Its pathophysiology is hypothesized as being possibly due to altered biomechanical stresses on adjacent levels following spinal fusion or due to patient propensity to develop progressive degenerative change. This case report describes a 61-year-old female who presented with neck pain and cervical radiculopathy attributed to an anterior cervical discectomy and spinal fusion performed for degenerative disc disease 30 years earlier. Read More

Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2022 Mar;102(12):870-876

Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.

To analyze the clinical features and spinal lesions related to micturitionin of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS) patients. Patients with CP/CPPS were enrolled to this study at the outpatient department of Tongji Hospital between January and June 2019. The data of clinical features was collected and analyzed, including lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS), bowel syndrome and pain over different parts of body, as well as lower urinary tract dysfunction, spinal lesions and pelvic organ morphological changes demonstrated by MRI. Read More

Eur Spine J 2022 May 24;31(5):1260-1272. Epub 2022 Mar 24.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Health System, Level 11, Tower Block, 1E, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.

Purpose: Our study aimed to evaluate non-inferiority of ProDisc-C to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in terms of clinical outcomes and incidence of adjacent segment disease (ASD) at 24-months post-surgery in Asian patients with symptomatic cervical disc disease (SCDD).

Methods: This multicentre, prospective, randomized controlled trial was initiated after ethics committee approval at nine centres (China/Hong Kong/Korea/Singapore/Taiwan). Patients with single-level SCDD involving C3-C7-vertebral segments were randomized (2:1) into: group-A treated with ProDisc-C and group-B with ACDF. Read More

BMC Neurol 2022 Mar 23;22(1):110. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.

Background: Cervical extension and flexion are presumably harmful to patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) because they worsen medullary compression visible on dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dynamic somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) are an objective tool to measure the electrophysiological function of the spinal cord at different neck positions. In contrast to previous hypotheses, a considerable proportion of patients with DCM present improved SSEPs upon extension and flexion compared to a neutral position. Read More

Ortop Traumatol Rehabil 2022 Feb;24(1):43-60

Sutherland Medical Center, Warszawa, Polska / Sutherland Medical Center, Warsaw, Poland.

Background: The PRP method is widely used to support healing and regeneration in musculoskeletal and aesthetic medicine. The current literature, however, brings contradictory reports as to its effectiveness, which, at least in part, should be attributed to the diversity of methods for producing the concentrate, including the use of various volumes of whole blood, single vs double centrifugation vs filtration, use of thrombin vs calcium chloride to activate the process, and, finally, the use of an anticoagulant. The aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of high-volume PRP therapy with the Angel® system (Arthrex) in our patients. Read More

Vet Pathol 2022 03 4;59(2):284-298. Epub 2022 Jan 4.

Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Gross morphology of healthy and degenerated intervertebral discs (IVDs) is largely similar in horses as in dogs and humans. For further comparison, the biochemical composition and the histological and biochemical changes with age and degeneration were analyzed in 41 warmblood horses. From 33 horses, 139 discs and 2 fetal vertebral columns were evaluated and scored histologically. Read More

Cureus 2022 Feb 1;14(2):e21811. Epub 2022 Feb 1.

Neurological Surgery, Norton Neuroscience Institute, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, USA.

Background Brachioradial pruritus (BRP) is a neuropathic dysesthesia manifesting as pruritus over the dorsolateral forearm. While the etiology is unknown, intensive sun exposure and cervical spine disease have been proposed. This study describes the clinical, electrodiagnostic (EDX), and cervical MRI findings in nine patients diagnosed with BRP. Read More

North Clin Istanb 2021 31;8(6):581-587. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.

Objective: Herniated cervical intervertebral disc (cervical disc herniation [CDH]) with radiculopathy is known to occur in seven or eight out of 100 people worldwide. This disease causes movement limitation, loss of strength, and pain of upper extremity. The aim of this study is the effect of conventional physiotherapy agents on predetermined parameters in patients with cervical radiculopathy and to compare the results with healthy controls. Read More

Quant Imaging Med Surg 2022 Mar;12(3):1919-1928

Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.

Background: As degenerative disease with nerve compression, little is known about the relationship between cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). This study investigates the effect of ossification of ligaments on IVDD in patients with cervical OPLL. We focus on the ossification-related segment in patients diagnosed with OPLL, which is characterized by ossification that crosses intervertebral space or occurs concurrently in the upper and lower vertebrae. Read More

Strahlenther Onkol 2022 Mar 12. Epub 2022 Mar 12.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of radiotherapy and to determine possible prognostic factors in patients with painful vertebral hemangioma.

Methods: In the last two decades, 80 patients with vertebral hemangioma who received radiotherapy in our institute were evaluated in terms of pain response, treatment-related side effects, and prognostic factors. All patients were questioned 3 months after radiotherapy for the evaluation of pain response and were divided into three groups (complete response, partial response, and no change). Read More

Int J Spine Surg 2022 Apr 10;16(2):215-221. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

American Neurospine Institute, PLLC, Plano, Texas, USA

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common surgery to treat cervical degenerative disc disease. Use of an anterior spacer and plate system (ASPS) results in increased disc height, higher fusion rate, lower subsidence rate, and lower complication rate than a spacer alone.1,2 However, anterior cervical plating is associated with complications, such as dysphagia, plate-screw dislodgment, soft tissue injury, neural injury, and esophageal perforation. Read More

Int J Spine Surg 2022 Apr 10;16(2):222-232. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Villalba General University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.

Background: Despite the advances in anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) as a reconstructive surgical technique, the rate of complications related to artificial implants remains high. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term clinical course of ACCF with tantalum trabecular metal (TTM)-lordotic implants. Focus is placed on the relevance and influence of implant subsidence on sagittal alignment and the related clinical implications. Read More

Int J Spine Surg 2022 Feb 10;16(1):95-101. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.

Background: Driving an automobile requires the ability to turn the neck laterally. Anecdotally, patients with multilevel fusions often complain about restricted turning motion. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) on driving disability improvement at 10-year follow-up after a 2-level procedure. Read More

Asian Spine J 2022 Mar 11. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Sanglah General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Denpasar, Indonesia.

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aim to thoroughly describe and objectively compare the efficacy of anterior cervical plate (ACP) and stand-alone cage (SAC). Although recognized as an effective procedure for cervical degenerative disease (CDD), a debate between the methods of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion exists. ACP provides stability to the fusion construct; however, some complications have been reported, such as dysphagia, adjacent disc disease, and soft tissue injury. Read More