Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
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Open transthoracic approaches, considered the standard in treating thoracic disc herniation (TDH), are associated with significant comorbidities. The authors describe a minimally invasive lateral extracavitary tubular approach for discectomy and fusion (MIECTDF) to treat TDH. ⋯ Compared with transthoracic procedures, MIECTDF effectively decompressed the spinal canal, yielding identical 1-year radiographic and clinical outcomes to those seen in controls, while producing superior clinical scores in the interim. Thus, MIECTDF is the authors' treatment of choice for TDH.
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Lumbar discectomy is the most common surgical procedure performed in the US for patients experiencing back and leg pain from herniated lumbar discs. However, not all patients will benefit from lumbar discectomy. Patients with certain psychological predispositions may be especially vulnerable to poor clinical outcomes. The goal of this study was therefore to determine the role that preoperative depression and somatic anxiety have on long-term back and leg pain, disability, and quality of life (QOL) for patients undergoing single-level lumbar discectomy. ⋯ The Zung Scale and MSPQ are valuable tools for stratifying risk in patients who may not experience clinically relevant improvement in disability and QOL after discectomy. Efforts to address these confounding and underlying contributors of depression and heightened somatic anxiety may improve overall outcomes after lumbar discectomy.
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Thyroid carcinoma generally has a favorable prognosis, and patients rarely present with distant metastases. Authors of several studies have proposed piecemeal resection for spinal metastases in thyroid carcinoma; however, few have analyzed the impact of local curative surgery such as total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) for thyroid carcinoma. The purposes of the present study are to determine the strategy of surgical treatment for spinal metastases of thyroid carcinoma and to evaluate the surgical results of and the prognosis associated with TES. ⋯ Total en bloc spondylectomy with enough of a margin provided favorable local control of spinal metastases of thyroid carcinoma during a patient's lifetime.
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The goal of this study was to demonstrate the incidence of fusion and soft-tissue swelling in multilevel anterior cervical discectomies and fusions (ACDFs) using polyetheretherketone (PEEK) spacers with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) impregnated in a Type I collagen sponge and titanium plates. ⋯ Multilevel ACDF procedures using PEEK grafts and rhBMP-2 can be performed safely in patients with multiple risk factors for pseudarthrosis with excellent fusion outcomes.
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Malignant primary osseous spinal neoplasms are aggressive tumors that remain associated with poor outcomes despite aggressive multidisciplinary treatment measures. To date, prognosis for patients with these tumors is based on results from small single-center patient series and controlled trials. Large population-based observational studies are lacking. To assess national trends in histology-specific survival, the authors reviewed patient survival data spanning 30 years (1973-2003) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry, a US population-based cancer registry. ⋯ In this analysis of a 30-year, US population-based cancer registry (SEER), the authors provide nationally representative prognosis and survival data for patients with malignant primary spinal osseous neoplasms. Overall patient survival has improved for isolated spine tumors with advancements in care over the past 4 decades. These results may be helpful in providing historical controls for understanding the efficacy of new treatment paradigms, patient education, and guiding level of aggressiveness in treatment strategies.