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Study Design: Retrospective Cohort Objective: Antiresorptive drugs are often given to minimize fracture risk for bone metastases, but data regarding optimal time or ability to reduce stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)-induced fracture risk is limited. This study examines the association between antiresorptive use surrounding spinal SBRT and vertebral compression fracture (VCF) incidence to provide information regarding effectiveness and optimal timing of use. Methods: Patients treated with SBRT for spinal metastases at a single institution between 2009-2020 were included. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare cumulative incidence of VCF for those taking antiresorptive drugs pre-SBRT, post-SBRT only, and none at all. Cox proportional hazards and Fine-Gray competing risk models were used to identify additional factors associated with VCF. Results: Of the 234 patients (410 vertebrae) analyzed, 49 (20.9%) were taking bisphosphonates alone, 42 (17.9%) were taking denosumab alone, and 25 (10.7%) were taking both. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a statistically significant lower VCF incidence for patients initiating antiresorptive drugs before SBRT compared to those taking none at all (4% vs 12% at 1 year post-SBRT, P =.045; and 4% vs 23% at 2 years, P =.008). On multivariate analysis, denosumab duration (HR:.87, P =.378) or dose (HR: 1.00, P =.644) as well as bisphosphonate duration (HR:.98, P =.739) or dose (HR:.99, P =.741) did not have statistical significance on VCF incidence. Conclusion: Initiating antiresorptive agents before SBRT may reduce the risk of treatment-induced VCF. Antiresorptive drugs are underutilized in patients with spine metastases and may represent a useful intervention to minimize toxicity and improve long-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relative importance and predicative power of the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) on unplanned 30-day readmission after surgical intervention for metastatic spinal column tumors. Methods: All adult patients undergoing surgery for metastatic spinal column tumor were identified in the Nationwide Readmission Database from the years 2016 to 2018. Patients were categorized into 3 cohorts based on the criteria of the HFRS: Low(<5), Intermediate(5-14.9), and High(≥ 15). Random Forest (RF) classification was used to construct predictive models for 30-day patient readmission. Model performance was examined using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), and the Mean Decrease Gini (MDG) metric was used to quantify and rank features by relative importance. Results: There were 4346 patients included. The proportion of patients who required any readmission were higher among the Intermediate and High frailty cohorts when compared to the Low frailty cohort (Low:33.9% vs. Intermediate:39.3% vs. High:39.2%, P <.001). An RF classifier was trained to predict 30-day readmission on all features (AUC =.60) and architecturally equivalent model trained using only ten features with highest MDG (AUC =.59). Both models found frailty to have the highest importance in predicting risk of readmission. On multivariate regression analysis, Intermediate frailty [ OR:1.32, CI(1.06,1.64), P =.012 ] was found to be an independent predictor of unplanned 30-day readmission. Conclusion: Our study utilizes machine learning approaches and predictive modeling to identify frailty as a significant risk-factor that contributes to unplanned 30-day readmission after spine surgery for metastatic spinal column metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Frailty has been shown to negatively influence patient outcomes across many disease processes, including in the cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) population. The aim of this study was to assess the impact that frailty has on patients with CSM who undergo anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF). Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using the 2016–2019 national inpatient sample. Adult patients (≥18 years old) undergoing ACDF only or PCDF only for CSM were identified using ICD codes. The patients were categorized based on receipt of ACDF or PCDF and pre-operative frailty status using the 11-item modified frailty index (mFI-11): pre-Frail (mFI = 1), frail (mFI = 2), or severely frail (mFI ≥ 3). Patient demographics, comorbidities, operative characteristics, perioperative adverse events (AEs), and healthcare resource utilization were assessed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of extended length of stay (LOS) and non-routine discharge (NRD). Results: A total of 37,990 patients were identified, of which 16,665 (43.9%) were in the pre-frail cohort, 12,985 (34.2%) were in the frail cohort, and 8340 (22.0%) were in the severely frail cohort. The prevalence of many comorbidities varied significantly between frailty cohorts. Across all three frailty cohorts, the incidence of AEs was greater in patients who underwent PCDF, with dysphagia being significantly more common in patients who underwent ACDF. Additionally, the rate of adverse events significantly increased between ACDF and PCDF with respect to increasing frailty (p < 0.001). Regarding healthcare resource utilization, LOS and rate of NRD were significantly greater in patients who underwent PCDF in all three frailty cohorts, with these metrics increasing with frailty in both ACDF and PCDF cohorts (LOS: p < 0.001); NRD: p < 0.001). On a multivariate analysis of patients who underwent ACDF, frailty and severe frailty were found to be independent predictors of extended LOS [(frail) OR: 1.39, p < 0.001; (severely frail) OR: 2.25, p < 0.001] and NRD [(frail) OR: 1.49, p < 0.001; (severely frail) OR: 2.22, p < 0.001]. Similarly, in patients who underwent PCDF, frailty and severe frailty were found to be independent predictors of extended LOS [(frail) OR: 1.58, p < 0.001; (severely frail) OR: 2.45, p < 0.001] and NRD [(frail) OR: 1.55, p < 0.001; (severely frail) OR: 1.63, p < 0.001]. Conclusions: Our study suggests that preoperative frailty may impact outcomes after surgical treatment for CSM, with more frail patients having greater health care utilization and a higher rate of adverse events. The patients undergoing PCDF ensued increased health care utilization, compared to ACDF, whereas severely frail patients undergoing PCDF tended to have the longest length of stay and highest rate of non-routine discharge. Additional prospective studies are necessary to directly compare ACDF and PCDF in frail patients with CSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a response to a letter discussing a study on the use of antiresorptive medications prior to stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for spinal metastasis. The authors address questions raised in the letter, including the higher risk of vertebral compression fracture (VCF) in patients receiving antiresorptive therapy after SBRT. While the difference in VCF incidence was not found to be statistically significant, the authors speculate that patients who develop fractures may be more likely to receive antiresorptive agents. The document also clarifies components of the statistical analysis and emphasizes the need for larger datasets and prospective studies to confirm the findings. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: ChatGPT is a natural language processing chatbot with a significant prevalence in modern media with a clear application in the medical triage workflow. ChatGPT has shown significant capacity for understanding clinical vignettes, radiology reports, and even passing the American Board of Neurological Surgery board exam. There has never been an evaluation of the chatbot in triage and diagnosing spinal vignettes common to primary and urgent care practice., Methods: Fifteen clinical scenarios were created to mimic spinal complaints common to primary and urgent care scenarios. GPT4 was instructed to assess the situation as if it was in a primary care office, and determine diagnosis, imaging recommendations, and if emergency room (ER) or operative referral was necessary. Answers were recorded and the results compared to those of attending and resident respondents., Results: GPT4 provided the most likely diagnosis in each scenario. Additionally, it recommended reasonable clinical management of each scenario which would fall within standard practice guidelines. ChatGPT tended towards over-referral to the ER, though this was not significant. GPT4 was non-inferior in all categories when compared to respondents., Conclusion: ChatGPT is a powerful tool for primary triage of spinal issues. It can rapidly and accurately evaluate clinical scenarios and provide clear diagnostic reasoning. GPT4 is not designed for medical use and will provide a disclaimer as such. It did tend towards over-referring patients to the ER. With specific training, it is likely that artificial intelligence and natural language processing chatbots will become widely used in primary triage of spinal issues., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study investigates the predictive values of the Risk Analysis Index (RAI), the modified 5-item Frailty Index (mFI-5), and advanced age for predicting 30-day extended length of stay (LOS), 30-day complications and readmissions in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adult spinal deformity (ASD)., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using the 2012-2021 ACS NSQIP database. Adults undergoing posterior spinal fusion for ASD were identified using CPT and ICD codes. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and multivariable analyses, we compared the discriminative thresholds and independent associations of RAI, mFI-5, and greater patient age for extended LOS, 30-day complications and readmissions., Results: In this cohort of 3,814 patients, RAI identified 90.7% as Robust, 6.0% as Normal, and 3.3% as Frail/Very Frail, while mFI-5 classified 47.1% as Robust, 37.5% as Normal, and 15.3% as Frail/Very Frail. Multivariate analysis revealed both RAI and mFI-5 as significant predictors of extended LOS for Normal (RAI: p<0.001; mFI-5: p=0.012) and Frail/Very Frail patients (RAI: p<0.001; mFI-5: p=0.002). Additionally, RAI was a significant predictor of 30-day complication risk for Normal patients (p=0.005). Furthermore, mFI-5 was a significant predictor of 30-day readmission among Frail/Very Frail patients (p=0.002)., Conclusion: This study highlights the utility of RAI and mFI-5 in predicting extended LOS patients undergoing PSF for ASD. RAI was found to be superior to mFI-5 for predicting 30-day readmissions, while mF-5 was greater for 30-day complications. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating frailty assessments into preoperative surgical planning., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Intraoperative bulbocavernosus reflex neuromonitoring has been utilized to protect bowel, bladder, and sexual function, providing a continuous functional assessment of the somatic sacral nervous system during surgeries where it is at risk. Bulbocavernosus reflex data may also provide additional functional insight, including an evaluation for spinal shock, distinguishing upper versus lower motor neuron injury (conus vs. cauda syndromes) and prognosis for postoperative bowel and bladder function. Continuous intraoperative bulbocavernosus reflex monitoring has been utilized to provide the surgeon with an ongoing functional assessment of the anatomical elements involved in the S2-S4 mediated reflex arc including the conus, cauda equina and pudendal nerves. Intraoperative bulbocavernosus reflex monitoring typically includes the electrical activation of the dorsal nerves of the genitals to initiate the afferent component of the reflex, followed by recording the resulting muscle response using needle electromyography recordings from the external anal sphincter., Methods: Herein we describe a complementary and novel technique that includes recording electromyography responses from the external urethral sphincter to monitor the external urethral sphincter reflex. Specialized foley catheters embedded with recording electrodes have recently become commercially available that provide the ability to perform intraoperative external urethral sphincter muscle recordings., Results: We describe technical details and the potential utility of incorporating external urethral sphincter reflex recordings into existing sacral neuromonitoring paradigms to provide redundant yet complementary data streams., Conclusions: We present two illustrative neurosurgical oncology cases to demonstrate the utility of the external urethral sphincter reflex technique in the setting of the necessary surgical sacrifice of sacral nerve roots., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.)

Background and Objectives: Spinal chordomas are primary bone tumors where surgery remains the primary treatment. However, their low incidence, lack of evidence, and late disease presentation make them challenging to manage. Here, we report the postoperative outcomes of a large cohort of patients after surgical resection, investigate predictors for overall survival (OS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) times, and trend functional outcomes over multiple time periods., Methods: Retrospective review of all patients followed for spinal chordoma at a quaternary spinal oncology center from 2003 to 2023 was included. Data were collected regarding demographics, preoperative and perioperative management, and follow-up since initial definitive surgery. Primary outcomes were OS and LRFS, whereas secondary outcomes were functional deficits., Results: One hundred one patients had an average follow-up of 6.0 ± 4.2 years. At the time of census, 25/101 (24.8%) had experienced a recurrence and 10/101 (9.9%) had died. After surgery, patients experienced a significant decrease in pain over time, but rates of sensory deficits, weakness, and bowel/bladder dysfunction remained static. Tumors ≥100 cm3 (hazard ratio (HR) = 5.89, 95% CI 1.72-20.18, P = .005) and mobile spine chordomas (HR = 7.73, 95% CI 2.09-28.59, P = .002) are related to worse LRFS, whereas having neoadjuvant radiotherapy is associated with improved LRFS (HR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.88, P = .038). On the other hand, being age ≥65 years was associated with decreased OS (HR = 16.70, 95% CI 1.54-181.28, P = .021)., Conclusion: Surgeons must often weigh the pros and cons of en bloc resection and sacrificing important but affected native tissues. Our findings can provide a benchmark for counseling patients with spinal chordoma. Tumors ≥100 cm3 appear to have a 5.89-times higher risk of recurrence, mobile spine chordomas have a 7.73 times higher risk, and neoadjuvant radiotherapy confers an 11.1 times lower risk for local recurrence. Patients age ≥65 years at surgery have a 16.70 times higher risk of mortality than those <65 years., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2024. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Direct-wave (D-wave) neuromonitoring is a direct measure of corticospinal tract integrity that detects potential injury during spinal cord surgery. Epidural placement of electrodes used for D-wave measurements can result in high electrical impedances resulting in substantial signal noise that can compromise signal interpretation. Subdural electrode placement may offer a solution., Methods: Medical records for consecutive patients with epidural and subdural D-wave monitoring were reviewed. Demographic and clinical information including preoperative and postoperative motor strength were recorded. Neuromonitoring charts were reviewed to characterize impedances and signal amplitudes of D-waves recorded epidurally (before durotomy) and subdurally (following durotomy). Nonparametric statistics were used to compare epidural and subdural D-waves., Results: Ten patients (50% women, median age 50.5 years) were analyzed, of which five patients (50%) were functionally independent (modified McCormick grade ≤ II) preoperatively. D-waves were successfully acquired by subdural electrodes in eight cases and by epidural electrodes in three cases. Subdural electrode placement was associated with lower impedance values ( P = 0.011) and a higher baseline D-wave amplitude ( P = 0.007) relative to epidural placement. No association was observed between D-wave obtainability and functional status, and no adverse events relating to subdural electrode placement were encountered., Conclusions: Subdural electrode placement allows successful D-wave acquisition with accurate monitoring, clearer waveforms, and a more optimal signal-to-noise ratio relative to epidural placement. For spinal surgeries where access to the subdural compartment is technically safe and feasible, surgeons should consider subdural placement when monitoring D-waves to optimize clinical interpretation., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.)