World Neurosurg
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Among the interbody fusions, lateral lumbar interbody fusion allows access to the lumbar spine through the major psoas muscle, which offers several advantages to the spine surgeon. However, some of its drawbacks cause surgeons to avoid using it as a daily practice. Therefore, to address some of these challenges, we propose the prone transpsoas technique, differing mainly from the traditional technique on patient position-moving from lateral to prone decubitus, theoretically enhancing the lordosis and impacting the psoas morphology. ⋯ The prone position resulted in a significantly increased lumbar lordosis, both distal and proximal, which may enable the spine surgeon to achieve significant sagittal restoration just by positioning. The prone position also produced a posterior retraction of the psoas muscle. However, it did not significantly affect the position of the plexus concerning the vertebral body.
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Review Meta Analysis
Association Between Bone Cement Augmentation and New Vertebral Fractures in Patients with Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
To investigate the association between bone cement augmentation and new vertebral fractures (VF) in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). ⋯ Although the use of bone cement augmentation in OVCFs significantly increased the risk of new AVF compared with non-bone cement treatments, it was not significantly associated with a higher clinical incidence of new VF.
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Review
Publication Trends of Non-Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury Research: A Bibliometric Analysis.
To evaluate publication trends in nonobstetric brachial plexus injury research. ⋯ While high-income countries still represent the majority of publications, the contribution of researchers from middle-income countries is increasing. The most common destiny journals are field specific, with a relatively low IF. Although most articles are primary research, a representative portion have a shallow level of evidence (case reports and narrative reviews).
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The burden of pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is unknown. To fill this gap, we conducted a review that aimed to characterize the causes of pTBI in LMICs, and their reported associated mortality and morbidity. ⋯ Less than a quarter (n = 32) of all LMICs have published high-quality data on the volume and burden of pTBI. From the limited data available, young male children are at a high risk of pTBIs in LMICs, particularly after road traffic accidents.
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Surgical conditions account for as much as one third of the global burden of disease, yet 5 billion people worldwide do not have access to timely, affordable surgical care. These disparities in access to timely surgical care are most pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, where the availability of specialty surgical services such as neurosurgery are severely limited or completely absent. The African autonomous region of Somaliland, in the Horn of Africa, is one such region. ⋯ This article provides the first-ever assessment of current neurosurgery-related activity in Somaliland. The article provides recommendations to guide the international neurosurgery community in future contributions.