European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Osteotomies may be life saving procedures for patients with rigid severe spinal deformity. Several different types of osteotomies have been defined by several authors. To correct and provide a balanced spine with reasonable amount of correction is the ultimate goal in deformity correction by osteotomies. ⋯ VCR provides the greatest amount of correction among other osteotomy types with complete resection of one or more vertebral segments with posterior elements and entire vertebral body including adjacent discs. It is also important to understand sagittal imbalance and the surgeon must consider global spino-pelvic alignment for satisfactory long-term results. Vertebral osteotomies are technically challenging but effective procedures for the correction of severe adult deformity and should be performed by experienced surgeons to prevent catastrophic complications.
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Obtaining a fusion, especially to the sacrum for adult deformity correction remains a challenge. Prior to modern fixation techniques, the reported fusion rates for adult scoliotic deformities were low. However sacropelvic fixation techniques for adult deformity continue to evolve. As a result, modern day pelvic fixation techniques have improved fusion rates at the base of long constructs. The purpose of this article is to discuss the history, indications, and modern fixation techniques for pelvic fixation in the surgical management of adult scoliosis patients. ⋯ There is growing evidence that pelvic fixation may become the standard for obtaining long fusions in adult scoliosis. Although technically challenging, in selected cases the use of four pelvic screws and/or four rods across the lumbosacral pelvis can help address pseudarthroses, implant breakage, and screw pullout secondary to osteoporosis. Ultimately, indications and techniques should be individualized to the patient and based on surgeon preference and experience.
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Lumbar posterior ring apophysis fracture (PRAF) is an uncommon disorder frequently accompanied by lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Over the years, there have constantly been published studies concerning this disorder. Due to its rarity, there is lack of an agreed treatment strategy, and lots of different opinions exist, including the choice of decompressive modalities, whether removal of apophyseal fragments or/and disc material, and the necessity of additional spinal fusion. The purpose of this review is to provide a collective opinion on the treatment of PRAF with LDH. ⋯ The diverse features of apophyseal fracture lead to various modalities of classifications and operation options. Prior to operation, the surgeons should carefully make a plan to consider decompressive scope, removal of apophyseal fragment or/and disc and fusion or not. Because of methodological shortcomings in publications, it is not possible to definitively conclude what treatment modality is the best for the treatment of PRAF. More high-quality clinical studies are needed to draw more confirmable conclusions.
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This review summarizes the experience with the vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) device, which enables five new procedures to treat complex spine and chest wall abnormalities in pediatric patients, which cause thoracic insufficiency syndrome, the inability of the thorax to support normal respiration or lung growth. ⋯ VEPTR and its principles of use have become an important first step toward improving the quality of life and longevity of children with thoracic insufficiency syndrome, but much work remains to advance both its design and its use.
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The revised Tokuhashi score has been widely used to evaluate indications for surgery and predict survival in patients with metastatic spinal disease. Our aim was to analyse the actual survival time of patients treated for metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) in comparison with the predicted survival based on the revised Tokuhashi score. This would thereby allow us to determine the overall predictive value of this scoring system. ⋯ We would conclude that although the predictive value of the Tokuhashi score in terms of survival time is at best modest (66 %), the fact that there were statistically significant differences in survival between the groups looked at in this paper indicates that the scoring system, and the components which it consists of, are important in the evaluation of these patients when considering surgery.