bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cadaveric Nerve and Artery Proximity to Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation Sutures Placed by a Suture-Capturing Device
Authors: Katrikh Aaron Z. , Ettarh Rajuno , Kahn Margie A. 
Published: October 2017

OBJECTIVE:
To simulate sacrospinous ligament fixation on cadaveric specimens, describe the surrounding retroperitoneal anatomy, and estimate the risk to nerves and arteries for the purposes of optimizing safe suture placement.

METHODS:
Sacrospinous ligament fixation was performed on eight fresh-tissue female cadavers using a Capio ligature capture device. Distances from placed sutures to the following structures were measured: ischial spine; fourth sacral root; pudendal nerve; the nerve to coccygeus muscle; the nerve to levator ani muscle; inferior gluteal artery; and internal pudendal artery. Periligamentous anatomy was examined in an additional 17 embalmed cadaver dissections.

RESULTS:
Sacrospinous ligament length was not seen to differ significantly between sides. The fourth sacral spinal nerve was seen most commonly associated with the medial third of the ligament, whereas the pudendal nerve and the nerves to coccygeus and levator ani muscles were associated with the lateral third. The inferior gluteal artery was seen leaving the greater sciatic foramen a median 15.8 mm (range 1.8–48.0, CI 14.9–22.3) above the ligament, whereas the internal pudendal artery exited just above the ischial spine. The two sets of sutures were placed 20.5 mm (range 9.2–34.4, CI 19.7–24.7) and 24.8 mm (range 12.4–46.2, CI 24.0–30.0) medial to the ischial spine, respectively. No structures were directly damaged by placed sutures. The nerves to coccygeus and levator ani were closest and arteries farthest from the placed sutures.

CONCLUSION:
The middle segment of the sacrospinous ligament has the lowest incidence of nerves and arteries associated with it. This study confirms that the nerves supplying the pelvic floor muscles are at a higher risk from entrapment than the pudendal nerve.
Incidence of Congenital Spinal Abnormalities Among Pediatric Patients and Their Association With Scoliosis and Systemic Anomalies
Authors: Passias Peter G. , Poorman Gregory W. , Jalai Cyrus M. , Diebo Bassel G. , Vira Shaleen , Horn Samantha R. , Baker Joseph F. , Shenoy Kartik , Hasan Saqib , Buza John , Bronson Wesley , Paul Justin C. , Kaye Ian , Foster Norah A. , Cassilly Ryan T. , Oren Jonathan H. , Moskovich Ronald , Line Breton , Oh Cheongeun , Bess Shay , LaFage Virginie , Errico Thomas J. 
Published: October 2017

Background:
Congenital abnormalities when present, according to VACTERL theory, occur nonrandomly with other congenital anomalies. This study estimates the prevalence of congenital spinal anomalies, and their concurrence with other systemic anomalies.

Methods:
A retrospective cohort analysis on Health care Cost and Utilization Project’s Kids Inpatient Database (KID), years 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009 was performed. ICD-9 coding identified congenital anomalies of the spine and other body systems. Outcome Measures: Overall incidence of congenital spinal abnormalities in pediatric patients, and the concurrence of spinal anomaly diagnoses with other organ system anomalies. Frequencies of congenital spine anomalies were estimated using KID hospital-and-year-adjusted weights. Poisson distribution in contingency tables tabulated concurrence of other congenital anomalies, grouped by body system.

Results:
Of 12,039,432 patients, rates per 100,000 cases were: 9.1 hemivertebra, 4.3 Klippel-Fiel, 56.3 Chiari malformation, 52.6 tethered cord, 83.4 spina bifida, 1.2 absence of vertebra, and 6.2 diastematomyelia. Diastematomyelia had the highest concurrence of other anomalies: 70.1% of diastematomyelia patients had at least one other congenital anomaly. Next, 63.2% of hemivertebra, and 35.2% of Klippel-Fiel patients had concurrent anomalies. Of the other systems deformities cooccuring, cardiac system had the highest concurrent incidence (6.5% overall). In light of VACTERL’s definition of a patient being diagnosed with at least 3 VACTERL anomalies, hemivertebra patients had the highest cooccurrence of ≥3 anomalies (31.3%). With detailed analysis of hemivertebra patients, secundum ASD (14.49%), atresia of large intestine (10.2%), renal agenesis (7.43%) frequently cooccured.

Conclusions:
Congenital abnormalities of the spine are associated with serious systemic anomalies that may have delayed presentations. These patients continue to be at a very high, and maybe higher than previously thought, risk for comorbidities that can cause devastating perioperative complications if not detected preoperatively, and full MRI workups should be considered in all patients with spinal abnormalities.

Level of Evidence:
Level III.
Is Routine Spine MRI Necessary in Skeletally Immature Patients With MHE? Identifying Patients at Risk for Spinal Osteochondromas
Authors: Jackson Taylor J. , Shah Apurva S. , Arkader Alexandre 
Published: October 2017

Background:
Multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE) is an autosomal dominant condition leading to development of osteochondromas throughout the body. Although long bones are most often affected, spine involvement may occur and usually requires advanced imaging for diagnosis. However, the high cost of detection, infrequent occurrence, and very low likelihood of spinal cord compression and neurological injury, create a management conundrum. The purpose of our investigation is to identify patients at greatest risk for spinal lesions and refine indications for advanced imaging.

Methods:
All MHE patients in a 24-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Skeletally immature patients with advanced imaging of the spine were further evaluated. The demographic characteristics, family history, clinical presentation, past surgical history, tumor burden, and distribution of patients with spinal lesions were compared with those without.

Results:
In total, 227 MHE patients were identified and 21 underwent advanced spinal imaging. Spinal lesions were found in 8 of the 21 screened patients (38.1%, 3.5% overall), of which 4 were intracanal and 1 was symptomatic (4.8%, 0.4% overall). Only the symptomatic patient underwent excision of the spinal lesion. Patients with spinal lesions had higher tumor burden than those without (median, 28.5 vs. 19 locations; P=0.010). There was a significant association with rib (P=0.018) and pelvic (P=0.007) lesions, which may serve as “harbinger” lesions. The presence of both a rib and a pelvic lesion used as a screening tool for spinal lesions produces a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 69%.

Conclusions:
Symptomatic spinal involvement in children with MHE is rare and tends to occur in patients with higher tumor burden. We recommend limiting advanced spine imaging to children with neurological symptoms or with rib and pelvic “harbinger” lesions. Patients without these findings are unlikely to have spine involvement needing intervention. This approach offers an opportunity to avoid unnecessary testing and substantially reduce costs of diagnostic imaging.

Level of Evidence:
Level III.
Is Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Relevant to Pulmonary Complications and Mortality in Multiply Injured Children?
Authors: Al-Mahdi Waleed , Ibrahim Mazen M. , Spiegel David A. , Arkader Alexandre , Nance Michael , Baldwin Keith 
Published: October 2017

Background:
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a well-recognized phenomenon in adult trauma populations. The “initial hit” of the traumatic event is often coupled with a systemic immune response characterized by changes in vital signs and laboratory indicators. A “second hit” from surgery during this time frame often results in acute lung injury, along with deterioration of the patient’s clinical condition. We hypothesized that children and adolescents would experience SIRS physiology, but would not experience adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or “second hit” related death to the extent seen in the adult populations.

Methods:
We queried the trauma database of our level 1 pediatric trauma center from January 2005 to December 2015 for patients with injury severity scores of >16. We used the electronic medical record to track SIRS criteria in patients days 1 to 4 posttrauma. Trends were examined in patients with an orthopaedic injury (OI) and with no orthopaedic injury. Patients were further subcategorized and analyzed by age group based on the convention for definition of pediatric SIRS. Patients in the orthopaedic cohort were further examined for pulmonary complications and death. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for SIRS physiology in the first 4 days of hospitalization.

Results:
81.4% (OI) and 69.1% no orthopaedic injury reached the threshold for SIRS within their first 4 days of hospitalization. Nine patients died in the hospital. Only 3 OI patients developed the criteria for ARDS, and only 3 patients with orthopaedic injuries died, 2 died within 24 hours of presentation and 1 within 48 hours, all had severe brain trauma. Increasing age groups showed increasing proportion of patients with SIRS. Increasing injury severity score and increasing age were independent predictors of SIRS during days 1 to 4.

Discussion:
SIRS seems to be as common in children as the reported rates for adults, and the proportion of SIRS in children increases with increasing age and injury severity. The high mortality rate and rate of ARDS observed in adults was not observed in our cohort. The presence or absence of major orthopaedic injuries was not a significant predictor. The SIRS response in polytraumatized children is poorly understood. The clinical phenomenon of acute lung injury/ARDS is observed less often in children, but the exact mechanism by which this occurs is unknown.

Level of Evidence:
Level III—case control.
The Epidemiology of Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy in the United States: Declining Incidence and Evolving Risk Factors
Authors: DeFrancesco Christopher J. , Shah Divya K. , Rogers Benjamin H. , Shah Apurva S. 
Published: October 2017

Background:
The epidemiology of brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) in the United States may be changing over time due to population-level changes in obstetric care.

Methods:
The Kids’ Inpatient Database from 1997 to 2012 was analyzed. Annual estimates of BPBP incidence and disease determinant distribution were calculated for the general population and the study population with BPBP. Long-term trends were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to quantify the risk associated with each determinant.

Results:
The database yielded a combined total of 5,564,628 sample births extrapolated to 23,385,597 population births. The population incidence of BPBP dropped 47.1% over the 16-year study period, from 1.7 to 0.9 cases per 1000 live births (P<0.001). Female, black, and Hispanic subgroups had moderately increased risks of BPBP. Among children with BPBP, 55.0% had no identifiable risk factor. Shoulder dystocia was the strongest risk factor for BPBP in the regression model [odds ratio (OR), 113.2; P<0.001], although the risk of sustaining a BPBP in the setting of shoulder dystocia decreased from 10.7% in 1997 to 8.3% in 2012 (P=0.006). Birth hypoxia was independently associated with BPBP (OR, 3.1; P<0.001). Cesarean delivery (OR, 0.16; P<0.001) and multiple gestation birth (OR, 0.45; P<0.001) were associated with lower incidence of BPBP. Notably, the rate of cesarean delivery increased by 62.8% during the study period, from 20.9% in 1997 to 34.0% in 2012 (P<0.001).

Conclusions:
Over a 16-year period, the incidence of BPBP fell dramatically, paralleled by a significant increase in the rate of cesarean delivery. Systemic changes in obstetric practice may have contributed to these trends. As more than half of BPBP cases have no identifiable risk factor, prospective investigation of established risk factors and characterization of new disease determinants are needed to more reliably identify infants at greatest risk. Racial and geographic inequalities in disease burden should be investigated to identify interventional targets.

Level of Evidence:
Level III—case series.
Incidence and Risk Factors of Acute Pancreatitis After Scoliosis Surgery
Authors: Feng Fan , Tan Haining , Li Xingye , Qiao Yi , Chen Chong , Lin Youxi , Li Zheng , Shen Jianxiong 
Published: October 2017

Study Design.
A prospective study.

Objective.
To investigate the incidence and risk factors of acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.

Summary of Background Data.
Pancreatitis has been recognized as a possible complication of extra-abdominal surgeries. However, there were few reports on the incidence and risk factors of acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.

Methods.
A prospective clinical study was performed at our center from September 2014 to October 2015. One hundred seventy-six patients undergoing posterior spinal correction surgery were enrolled. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was based on their clinical manifestations combined with laboratory examination. Demographic, intraoperative, and radiological parameters were evaluated to identify the risk factors of acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.

Results.
Thirteen patients (7.4%) were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Compared with patients without pancreatitis, pancreatitis patients had lower body mass index (BMI) (15.5 vs. 19.5, P = 0.001), larger preoperative Cobb angle of major curve (87.5° vs. 59.2°, P < 0.001), lower correction rate (57.4% vs. 69.0%, P = 0.045), lower intraoperative mean arterial pressure (57.9 mmHg vs. 66.1 mmHg, P < 0.001), and longer fusion levels (13.3 vs. 10.1, P < 0.001). No significant differences were noted with respect to operation time, intraoperative blood loss, or the amount of sagittal profile correction. Furthermore, multivariate logistic analysis revealed that BMI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.542, P = 0.009), lowest intraoperative mean arterial pressure (OR = 1.126, P = 0.039), and segments of fusion (OR = 0.551, P = 0.025) were independent risk factors for postoperative acute pancreatitis. All cases were treated with bowel rest, intravenous fluids, and fasting and completely recovered with 3.3 (2–5) days.

Conclusion.
The incidence of postoperative acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery was 7.4%. The low BMI, lowest intraoperative mean arterial pressure, and long segments of fusion were independent risk factors for acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.

Level of Evidence: 3
A Mouse Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Model by Surgically Induced Instability
Authors: Oichi Takeshi , Taniguchi Yuki , Soma Kazuhito , Chang Song Ho , Yano Fumiko , Tanaka Sakae , Saito Taku 
Published: October 2017

Study Design.
An experimental study to develop a mouse model of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD).

Objective.
The aim of this study was to develop a mouse lumbar IDD model using surgically induced instability and to compare the findings of this model to those in human IDD.

Summary of Background Data.
Previously, various kinds of inducers have been used to reproduce IDD in experimental animals; however, there is yet no standard mouse lumbar IDD model without direct injury to intervertebral disc.

Methods.
A total number of 59 C57BL/6J male mice at 8 weeks old were used. Instability of lumbar spine was induced by surgical resection of posterior elements, including facet joints, supra- and interspinous ligaments. We then analyzed time course changes in radiographical (n = 17) and histological analyses (n = 42), and compared these findings with those in human IDD.

Results.
Radiographical analyses showed that the disc height began to decrease in the first 2 weeks after the surgery, and the decrease continued throughout 12 weeks. Bone spurs at the vertebral rims were observed in the late stage of 8 and 12 weeks after the surgery. Histological analyses showed that the disorder of the anterior anulus fibrosus (AF) was initially obvious, followed by posterior shift and degeneration of the nucleus pulposus (NP). Proteoglycan detected in inner layer of AF and periphery of NP was decreased after 8 weeks. Immunohistochemistry displayed the increase of type I and X collagen, and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in the anterior AF.

Conclusion.
Surgical resection of posterior elements of mouse lumbar spine resulted in reproducible IDD. Because the present procedure does not employ direct injury to intervertebral disc and the radiological and histological findings are compatible with those in human IDD, it may contribute to further understanding of the native pathophysiology of IDD in future.

Level of Evidence: N/A
Comparison of Outcomes for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion With and Without Anterior Plate Fixation
Authors: Oliver Jeremie D. , Goncalves Sandy , Kerezoudis Panagiotis , Alvi Mohammed Ali , Freedman Brett A. , Nassr Ahmad , Bydon Mohamad 
Published: October 2017

Study Design.
Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective.
To compare postoperative surgical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with and without plate fixation.

Summary of Background Data.
ACDF has evolved significantly over the years, including the placement of an anterior plate construct. Although promoting bony osseo-integration at the fusion site, there are a number of plate-related complications that can arise. The non-plating approach is less invasive, however, greater rates of cage subsidence have been associated with this model.

Methods.
We performed an electronic literature search for human studies that directly compared ACDF with and without anterior plate fixation. Outcomes of interest comprised of postoperative dysphagia, fusion success, and cage subsidence as well as patient reported outcomes, including the Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for both neck and arm pain.

Results.
A total of 15 studies (12 observational and 3 randomized controlled trials) and 893 patients (57% males) were included. Overall, ACDF with plate fixation was associated with significantly higher vertebral fusion rates (odds ratio [OR] 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–3.37), lower subsidence rates (odds ratio [OR] 0.31, 95% CI 0.18–0.52), and more favorable VAS-neck pain scores at last follow-up (mean difference [MD] 0.59, 95% CI −0.78 to −0.41). Conversely, ACDF procedures without plate fixation had marginally better long-term VAS-arm pain scores (mean difference [MD] 0.2, 95% CI 0.04–0.36). No difference was found with regards to dysphagia (OR 1.21, 95% CI, 0.57–2.56) and NDI (MD 0.06, 95% C.I −0.54 to 0.42).

Conclusion.
Available evidence, although limited, suggests superior surgical outcomes in ACDF procedures with anterior plate fixation (increased fusion, decreased subsidence) and slightly better VAS-neck pain scores at last follow-up. Future longitudinal, multicenter randomized controlled trials should be completed to validate any associations found in this study.

Level of Evidence: 3
Examining the Ability of Artificial Neural Networks Machine Learning Models to Accurately Predict Complications Following Posterior Lumbar Spine Fusion
Authors: Kim Jun S. , Merrill Robert K. , Arvind Varun , Kaji Deepak , Pasik Sara D. , Nwachukwu Chuma C. , Vargas Luilly , Osman Nebiyu S. , Oermann Eric K. , Caridi John M. , Cho Samuel K. 
Published: October 2017

Study Design.
A cross-sectional database study.

Objective.
The aim of this study was to train and validate machine learning models to identify risk factors for complications following posterior lumbar spine fusion.

Summary of Background Data.
Machine learning models such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) are valuable tools for analyzing and interpreting large and complex datasets. ANNs have yet to be used for risk factor analysis in orthopedic surgery.

Methods.
The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried for patients who underwent posterior lumbar spine fusion. This query returned 22,629 patients, 70% of whom were used to train our models, and 30% were used to evaluate the models. The predictive variables used included sex, age, ethnicity, diabetes, smoking, steroid use, coagulopathy, functional status, American Society for Anesthesiology (ASA) class ≥3, body mass index (BMI), pulmonary comorbidities, and cardiac comorbidities. The models were used to predict cardiac complications, wound complications, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and mortality. Using ASA class as a benchmark for prediction, area under receiver operating curves (AUC) was used to determine the accuracy of our machine learning models.

Results.
On the basis of AUC values, ANN and LR both outperformed ASA class for predicting all four types of complications. ANN was the most accurate for predicting cardiac complications, and LR was most accurate for predicting wound complications, VTE, and mortality, though ANN and LR had comparable AUC values for predicting all types of complications. ANN had greater sensitivity than LR for detecting wound complications and mortality.

Conclusion.
Machine learning in the form of logistic regression and ANNs were more accurate than benchmark ASA scores for identifying risk factors of developing complications following posterior lumbar spine fusion, suggesting they are potentially great tools for risk factor analysis in spine surgery.

Level of Evidence: 3
The Feature of Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes in Elderly Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy
Authors: Machino Masaaki , Ando Kei , Kobayashi Kazuyoshi , Ito Kenyu , Tsushima Mikito , Matsumoto Akiyuki , Morozumi Masayoshi , Tanaka Satoshi , Ito Keigo , Kato Fumihiko , Nishida Yoshihiro , Ishiguro Naoki , Imagama Shiro 
Published: October 2017

Study Design.
A prospective cohort study.

Objective.
The purpose of this study was to compare the surgical outcomes between nonelderly and elderly patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and to characterize the preoperative symptoms and postoperative residual symptoms in elderly patients.

Summary of Background Data.
Age at the time of surgery influences the surgical outcome. However, no report has elucidated residual symptoms after surgery in elderly patients with CSM. We designed a large-scale cohort study examining the surgical outcomes of CSM in elderly patients from a single surgery.

Methods.
A total of 1025 consecutive patients with CSM (642 men and 383 women; mean age, 64.4 yr; range, 23–93 yr) who underwent laminoplasty were included. Patients were divided into three groups based on age: nonelderly (<65 yr), young-old (65–74 yr), and old-old (≥75 yr), and the number of patients in each group was 488, 329, and 208, respectively. The pre- and postoperative neurological statuses were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scoring system for cervical myelopathy. The recovery rate (RR) of each function was compared among the three groups. Radiographic data including alignment and range of motion were also assessed.

Results.
The mean preoperative JOA scores of motor function of the lower extremity in nonelderly, young-old, and old-old groups were 2.8, 2.2, and 1.6, respectively (P < 0.0001). Elderly patients showed significantly lower JOA scores for bladder function than nonelderly patients (2.7, 2.5, and 2.2, P < 0.0001). Cervical lordosis in the neutral position increased gradually with age. Total range of motion decreased with increasing age. After surgery, the mean RRs of motor function of the lower extremity were 57.7%, 38.6%, and 24.0%, respectively. Gait disturbance significantly increased with age (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion.
Postoperative gait disturbance persisted more than other symptoms in elderly patients than in nonelderly patients.

Level of Evidence: 2