The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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The fear-avoidance model offers a promising framework for understanding the development of chronic postoperative pain and disability. However, limited research has examined this model in patients undergoing spinal surgery. ⋯ Results provide support for the fear-avoidance model in a postsurgical spine population. Early postoperative screening for fear of movement and depressive symptoms that do not acutely improve following surgical intervention appears warranted. Cognitive and behavioral strategies may be beneficial for postsurgical patients with high fear of movement and/or depressive symptoms.
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Despite the frequency with which surgeons perform posterior spinal surgery and the precautions against wrong-site surgery, operations on incorrect levels still occur. Wrong-level exposure is documented in 0.32% to 15% of cases. Additionally, there is little consensus as to what is the most accurate method for localizing the correct spinal level. ⋯ Despite the variety of localization modalities, most surgeons use only a few. Whereas wrong-level localization is relatively rare, the ideal frequency is never. There is no standard approach that will entirely eliminate these mistakes; however, using a localization time out and increasing awareness of common sources of error may help decrease the incidence of wrong-level spine surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Prevention of low back pain in the military cluster randomized trial: effects of brief psychosocial education on total and low back pain-related health care costs.
Effective strategies for preventing low back pain (LBP) have remained elusive, despite annual direct health care costs exceeding $85 billion dollars annually. In our recently completed Prevention of Low Back Pain in the Military (POLM) trial, a brief psychosocial education program (PSEP) that reduced fear and threat of LBP reduced the incidence of health care-seeking for LBP. ⋯ The results of this study will help to inform policy- and decision-making regarding the feasibility of implementing psychosocial education in military training environments across the services. It would be interesting to explore in future research whether cost savings from psychosocial education could be enhanced given a more individualized delivery method tailored to an individual's specific psychosocial risk factors.
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C2 pedicle screws provide stable fixation for posterior cervical fusion. Placing C2 pedicle screws is fraught with risks, and a misplaced screw can result in cortical breach of the pedicle, resulting in injury to the vertebral artery or spinal cord. ⋯ It is possible to determine an ideal trajectory through the C2 pedicle. These measurements may facilitate C2 pedicle screw fixation decreasing the risk of injury to the vertebral artery, spinal cord, or nerve roots. Delineating the individual anatomy in each case with imaging before surgery is recommended.