The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Review Meta Analysis
What is the predictive value of intraoperative somatosensory evoked potential monitoring for postoperative neurological deficit in cervical spine surgery?-a meta-analysis.
Cervical decompression and fusion surgery remains a mainstay of treatment for a variety of cervical pathologies. Potential intraoperative injury to the spinal cord and nerve roots poses nontrivial risk for consequent postoperative neurologic deficits. Although neuromonitoring with intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) is often used in cervical spine surgery, its therapeutic value remains controversial. ⋯ SSEP monitoring is highly specific but weakly sensitive for postoperative neurological deficit following cervical spine surgery. The analysis found that patients with new postoperative neurological deficits were nearly 27 times more likely to have had significant intraoperative SSEP change. Loss of SSEP signals and irreversible SSEP changes seem to indicate a much higher risk of injury than reversible SSEP changes.
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Review Meta Analysis
Prophylactic postoperative measures to minimize surgical site infections in spine surgery: systematic review and evidence summary.
There are three phases in prophylaxis of surgical site infections (SSI): preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative. There is lack of consensus and paucity of evidence with SSI prophylaxis in the postoperative period. ⋯ Despite the postoperative period being key in SSI prophylaxis, the literature is sparse and without consensus on optimum postoperative care for SSI prevention in spine surgery. The current best evidence is presented with its limitations. High quality studies addressing high risk cohorts such as the elderly, obese, and diabetic populations, and for traumatic and oncological indications are urgently required.
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Review Meta Analysis
Selection pressures of vancomycin powder use in spine surgery: a meta-analysis.
Surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious and costly complication of spine surgery. Many surgeons apply vancomycin powder to the surgical wound to prevent SSIs. While multiple studies have reported reduced rates of SSI, others have suggested that widespread use of intrawound vancomycin may increase the incidence of vancomycin-resistant, gram-negative, or polymicrobial spinal infections. ⋯ Widespread use of prophylactic intrawound vancomycin may increase the incidence of gram-negative and polymicrobial SSIs. Vancomycin powder should likely be restricted to procedures and patients most at risk for infection.
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Epidural steroid injection has been used to treat back or radicular pain from lumbar and lumbosacral disc herniation (LDH). However, the superiority of transforaminal injection (TFESI) to caudal injection (CESI) remains controversial. ⋯ Comprehensive reviews of selected articles revealed better clinical benefits with TFESI than with CESI, possibly because TFESI had the ability to deliver medication directly into the target area. Because of a low level of evidence and no significant results on meta-analysis, TFESI could be weakly recommended over CESI.
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Meta Analysis
Imaging for low back pain: is clinical use consistent with guidelines? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The problem of imaging patients with low back pain (LBP) when it is not indicated is well recognized. The converse is also possible, although rarely considered. The extent of these two problems is presently unclear. ⋯ Inappropriate imaging is common in LBP management, including both overuse in those where imaging is not indicated and underuse of imaging when it is indicated. Appreciating that both underuse and overuse can occur is fundamental to efforts to improve imaging practice to align with current guidelines and best evidence.