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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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Can triggered electromyography monitoring throughout retraction predict postoperative symptomatic neuropraxia after XLIF? Results from a prospective multicenter trial.
This multicenter study aims to evaluate the utility of triggered electromyography (t-EMG) recorded throughout psoas retraction during lateral transpsoas interbody fusion to predict postoperative changes in motor function. ⋯ Prolonged retraction time and coincident increases in t-EMG thresholds are predictors of declining nerve integrity. Increasing t-EMG thresholds, while predictive of injury, were also observed in a large number of patients without iatrogenic injury, with a greater predictive value in cases with extended duration. In addition to a careful approach with minimal muscle retraction and consistent lumbar plexus directional retraction, the incidence of postoperative motor neuropraxia may be reduced by limiting retraction time and utilizing t-EMG throughout retraction, while understanding that the specificity of this monitoring technique is low during initial retraction and increases with longer retraction duration.
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Review
MIS lateral spine surgery: a systematic literature review of complications, outcomes, and economics.
Over the past decade, the minimally disruptive lateral transpsoas approach for lumbar interbody fusion (MI-LIF) is increasingly being used as an alternative to conventional surgical approaches. The purpose of this review was to evaluate four primary questions as they relate to MI-LIF: (1) Is there an anatomical justification for MI-LIF at L4-5? (2) What are the complication and outcome profiles of MI-LIF and are they acceptable with respect to conventional approaches? (3) Given technical and neuromonitoring differences between various MI-LIF procedures, are there any published clinical differences? And, (4) are modern minimally disruptive procedures (e.g., MI-LIF) economically viable? ⋯ There is considerable published evidence to support MI-LIF in spinal fusion and advanced applications, though the results of some reports, especially concerning complications, vary greatly depending on technique and instrumentation used. Additional cost-effectiveness analyses would assist in fully understanding the long-term implications of MI-LIF.
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To investigate the relationship between sagittal spinal alignment and the incidence of vertebral fracture in patients with osteoporosis. ⋯ Osteoporosis patients with low LL, LLI, and PI could be at high risk of lumbar vertebral fracture. In addition to BMD, the abnormal sagittal spinal profile should also be taken into consideration when predicting the incidence of vertebral fracture in such patients.
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Lateral access lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) is a minimally invasive technique that has an increasing popularity. It offers unique advantages and circumvents risk of certain serious complications encountered in other conventional spinal approaches. This study provides a statistical analysis defining the lateral access learning curve in the Asian population. ⋯ During the learning process, there was no compromise of perioperative or clinical outcomes. It should be feasibly incorporated into a spine surgeon's repertoire of procedures for the lumbar spine.