Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Five-year clinical results of cervical total disc replacement compared with anterior discectomy and fusion for treatment of 2-level symptomatic degenerative disc disease: a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter investigational device exemption clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to report the outcome of a study of 2-level cervical total disc replacement (Mobi-C) versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Although the long-term outcome of single-level disc replacement has been extensively described, there have not been previous reports of the 5-year outcome of 2-level cervical disc replacement. METHODS This study reports the 5-year results of a prospective, randomized US FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) study conducted at 24 centers in patients with 2-level, contiguous, cervical spondylosis. ⋯ However, there was significantly greater improvement in general and disease-specific outcome measures and a lower rate of reoperation in the 2-level disc replacement patients versus ACDF control patients. Clinical trial registration no. NCT00389597 ( clinicaltrials.gov ).
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OBJECTIVE The accuracy of public reporting in health care is an issue of debate. The authors investigated the association of patient satisfaction measures from a public reporting platform with objective outcomes for patients undergoing spine surgery. METHODS The authors performed a cohort study involving patients undergoing elective spine surgery from 2009 to 2013 who were registered in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. ⋯ Similar associations were identified for hospitals with a higher percentage of patients who claimed they would recommend these institutions to others. CONCLUSIONS Merging a comprehensive all-payer cohort of spine surgery patients in New York state with data from the CMS Hospital Compare website, the authors were not able to demonstrate an association of improved performance in patient satisfaction measures with decreased mortality, rate of discharge to rehabilitation, and hospitalization charges. Increased patient satisfaction was associated with decreased LOS.
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OBJECTIVE There have been no reports on the long-term radiographic outcomes of posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR) in patients with congenital scoliosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes and complications after PVCR and its long-term effects on correcting this deformity in children with congenital scoliosis. METHODS The authors retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 45 patients with congenital scoliosis who were younger than 18 years at the time of surgery and who underwent PVCR and fusion with pedicle screw fixation (PSF). ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Posterior vertebral column resection is an effective procedure for managing congenital scoliosis in patients younger than 18 years. Use of PVCR and fusion with PSF for congenital scoliosis achieved rigid fixation and satisfactory deformity correction that was maintained over the long term. However, the authors note that PVCR is a technically demanding procedure and entails risks for major complications and excessive blood loss.
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OBJECTIVE Beginning in 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) determined that certain hospital-acquired adverse events such as surgical site infection (SSI) following spine surgery should never occur. The following year, they expanded the ruling to include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) following total joint arthroplasty. Due to their ruling that "never events" are not the payers' responsibility, CMS insists that the costs of managing these complications be borne by hospitals and health care providers, rather than billings to health care payers for additional care required in their management. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Although incidence rates are low, adverse events of spinal procedures substantially increase the cost of care. Charges for patients experiencing DVT, PE, and SSI increased in this study by factors ranging from 1.8 to 4.3 times those for patients without such complications across 5 common spinal and orthopedic procedures. Cost projections by health care providers will need to incorporate expected costs of added care for patients experiencing such complications, assuming that the cost burden of such events continues to shift from payers to providers.
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OBJECTIVE This study aims to quantify the impact of vancomycin powder application on new bone formation and spine fusion rates in a rat posterolateral arthrodesis model. METHODS Thirty-six female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion (PLF) at the L-4 and L-5 vertebrae. Fusion was elicited via implantation of an absorbable collagen sponge containing 3 µg rhBMP-2. ⋯ Our results demonstrate that vancomycin powder does not inhibit fusion rates at a dose that is the weight-percentage equivalent of what is routinely used by surgeons. Moreover, bone formation and fusion rates were not reduced even after administration of a vancomycin dose that is 10-fold higher than that which is typically administered clinically. Our findings suggest that if there is a critical threshold above which vancomycin inhibits bone healing, such a dose is out of the range which might be considered reasonable for clinical use.