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Although several studies have suggested that minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) may be especially beneficial in the elderly population due to lower operative morbidity and faster postoperative recovery, there are limited studies investigating the functional outcomes, quality of life, and satisfaction in elderly patients after MIS-TLIF. Furthermore, existing studies had substantial clinical, diagnostic, and surgical heterogeneity.We asked if elderly patients could experience comparable (1) patient-reported pain, disability and quality of life, (2) perioperative complications, and (3) radiological fusion rates as their younger counterparts after MIS-TLIF.Prospectively collected registry data of patients undergoing primary, single-level, MIS-TLIF for degenerative spondylolisthesis between 2012 and 2014 were reviewed. We included 168 patients, 39 of whom were at least 70 years old. Of the 129 patients younger than 70 years old, propensity-score matching was used to select 39 younger controls with adjustment for sex, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, and baseline clinical outcomes. Perioperative complications and radiologic data were compared.There was no difference in back pain (mean difference -0.3 [95% confidence interval -1.0 to 0.5]; p = 0.52); leg pain (mean difference -0.1 [95% CI to 0.6-0.5]; p = 0.85); Oswestry Disability Index (mean difference -2.9 [95% CI -8.0 to 2.2]; p = 0.26); and SF-36 physical (mean difference 3.0 [95% CI -0.7 to 6.8]; p = 0.107); and mental component summary (mean difference 1.9 [95% CI -4.5 to 8.2]; p = 0.56); up to 2 years postoperatively; 85% of younger patients and 85% of elderly patients were satisfied (p0.99) while 87% and 80%, respectively, had fulfilled expectations (p = 0.36). Four perioperative adverse events occurred in each group. There was also no difference in the rate of fusion (87% in younger patients and 90% in elderly patients; p = 0.135).When clinical and surgical heterogeneity were minimized, elderly patients undergoing minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion not only had comparable rates of perioperative complications but also experienced similar improvements in pain, function, and quality of life. A high rate of satisfaction was achieved.Level II, prognostic study.

Spinal deformities can result in increasing thoracic kyphosis or loss of lumbar lordosis, leading to imbalance in the sagittal plane. Such deformities can be functionally and psychologically debilitating. The Smith-Petersen osteotomy can achieve approximately 10 degrees of correction in the sagittal plane at each spinal level at which it is performed. This osteotomy is beneficial for patients who have a degenerative imbalance in the sagittal plane. The pedicle subtraction osteotomy can achieve approximately 30 degrees to 40 degrees of correction in the sagittal plane at each spinal level at which it is performed. It is the preferred osteotomy for patients with ankylosing spondylitis who have an imbalance of the spine in the sagittal plane. The cervical extension osteotomy is performed in the cervical spine, at the cervicothoracic junction, in patients who have a cervical flexion deformity that impedes their ability to look straight ahead while walking or who have difficulty swallowing. The vertebral column resection is used when the imbalance is severe enough that the other osteotomies cannot correct the deformity, especially in patients who have a combined sagittal and coronal spinal imbalance. Neurologic problems, whether transient or permanent, are the most commonly encountered complications following these procedures. Recent results have shown a high patient satisfaction rate and good functional outcomes after spinal osteotomies done to treat a variety of disorders.

Background: Antifibrinolytic agents have been shown to decrease the blood loss associated with major orthopaedic surgical procedures. Spine surgery, particularly procedures performed for deformity correction and procedures involving long arthrodesis constructs, can be associated with a large amount of blood loss requiring blood transfusions. The purpose of the present study was to determine if antifibrinolytic agents reduced blood transfusions in patients managed with spine surgery and to see if one agent had a greater effect than another. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the available literature were performed to investigate the efficacy of aprotinin, tranexamic acid, and epsilon-aminocaproic acid in terms of reducing blood loss and blood transfusions in patients undergoing spine surgery. This meta-analysis was focused on the role of these agents in major spine operations as reported in eighteen clinical trials that included information on the drug dosage, the age of the patient, blood loss, blood transfusions, surgery complexity, and complications. Results: Compared with control groups, the treatment groups for all three antifibrinolytic agents maintained lower levels of total blood loss and transfusions associated with spine surgery. The effect size ( d) of the differences in total blood loss between the treatment and control groups ranged from −0.668 (95% confidence interval, −0.971 to −0.365) to −0.936 (95% confidence interval, −1.240 to −0.632) across all three agents. The effect size ( d) of the differences in total blood transfusions between the treatment and control groups ranged from −0.466 (95% confidence interval, −0.764 to −0.167) to −0.749 (95% confidence interval, −1.046 to −0.453) across all three agents. Conclusions: Aprotinin, tranexamic acid, and epsilon-aminocaproic acid are effective for reducing blood loss and transfusions in patients managed with spine surgery. With the exception of aprotinin, the side-effect profiles of these agents have not been shown to cause any substantial morbidity or to increase the rate of thromboembolic events. Epsilon-aminocaproic acid had a greater effect on reducing blood transfusions as the complexity of surgery increased. The surgeon and/or the anesthesiologist should consider the use of antifibrinolytic agents for patients undergoing spinal procedures in which a large amount of blood loss can be expected; however, at the present time, this is not a United States Food and Drug Administration-approved indication for these agents. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Isolated distal fibular fractures most commonly result from a supination-external rotation injury of the ankle. Deltoid ligament ruptures can also be associated with these injuries, resulting in an unstable ankle fracture due to incompetent lateral and medial restraints. We hypothesized that a gravity stress radiograph is equivalent to a manual stress radiograph for the detection of deltoid ligament injury in association with an isolated fibular fracture.All patients presenting to a level-1 trauma hospital emergency department with an isolated fibular fracture were screened. Ankle stability was determined on the basis of radiographic measurements of the medial clear space and talar shift. A manual stress radiograph and a gravity stress radiograph of the injured ankle were made for each patient. The manual stress radiograph was used to determine whether the ankle was stable or unstable.A total of twenty-five patients (thirteen with a supination-external rotation type-II fracture and twelve with a supination-external rotation type-IV-equivalent injury) were enrolled in the study. In the type-II group, the average medial clear space was 4.15 and 4.26 mm on the manual and gravity stress radiographs, respectively (p = 0.50). In the type-IV group, the average medial clear space was 5.21 and 5.00 mm on the manual and gravity stress radiographs, respectively (p = 0.69).The gravity stress radiograph is equivalent to the manual stress radiograph for determining deltoid ligament injury in association with an isolated distal fibular fracture, and thus it can be used to determine ankle stability in patients who present with an isolated distal fibular fracture.