Search

Introduction: Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) undergoing posterior spinal instrumented fusion (PSIF). However, there are relatively few studies investigating the effect of regular multidisciplinary team meetings on level selection, surgical performance parameters, and patient outcomes after PSIF for AIS. The aim of this study was to assess changes in intra- and postoperative outcomes following multidisciplinary team meeting implementation for patients undergoing PSIF for AIS., Methods: The medical records of 96 adolescents (10 to 18 years old) diagnosed with AIS and undergoing PSIF at a major academic institution from 2017 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. A quality improvement (QI) initiative was implemented in February 2020, including institution of monthly multidisciplinary conferences focusing on preoperative indications, level selection, postoperative review of surgical performance parameters for previous cases, and discussion and optimization of postoperative ambulation and pain control protocols. Patients were placed into "Pre-QI" (treated pre-February 2020) and "Post-QI" (treated post-February 2020) cohorts. Patient demographics, comorbidities, deformity characteristics, intraoperative variables, ambulation status, postoperative complications, length of stay (LOS), and unplanned readmission rates were assessed., Results: Of the 96 study patients, 44 (45.8%) were in the Pre-QI cohort, and 52 (54.2%) were in the Post-QI cohort. Mean major curve was not significantly different between the two cohorts (Pre-QI: 58.0 ± 7.3° vs Post-QI: 57.9 ± 14.5°, p = 0.169). The Pre-QI cohort had a greater mean minor curve degree (Pre-QI: 42.7 ± 11.8° vs Post-QI: 36.8 ± 12.4, p = 0.008). The Pre-QI cohort had significantly greater mean spinal levels fused (Pre-QI: 11.7 ± 1.7 vs Post-QI: 10.4 ± 2.6, p = 0.009), significantly greater mean estimated blood loss (Pre-QI: 1063.6 ± 631.5 ml vs. Post-QI: 415.8 ± 189.9 ml, p < 0.001), significantly greater mean operative time normalized to levels fused (Pre-QI: 0.6 ± 0.1 h/level fused vs Post-QI: 0.4 ± 0.1 h/level fused, p < 0.001), and a significantly greater proportion of patients with intraoperative drain placement (Pre-QI: 93.2% vs Post-QI: 5.8%, p < 0.001). The Post-QI cohort had significantly shorter time to postoperative ambulation (Pre-QI: 2.1 ± 0.9 days vs Post-QI: 1.3 ± 0.5 days, p < 0.001). A significantly greater proportion of patients in the Pre-QI cohort developed any postoperative complication (Pre-QI: 72.7% vs Post-QI: 34.6%, p < 0.001), and mean LOS was significantly greater among Pre-QI patients (Pre-QI: 4.5 ± 1.1 days vs Post-QI: 3.2 ± 0.8 days, p < 0.001). Discharge disposition (p = 0.758) and 30-day unplanned readmissions (p = 0.207) were similar between the cohorts., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that monthly multidisciplinary pediatric spine team meetings may improve patient care. Further studies exploring the incorporation of QI implementation with frequent multidisciplinary team meetings into existing ERAS protocols are merited., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.)

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a commonly encountered condition often diagnosed on screening examination. Underlying, asymptomatic neural axis abnormalities may be present at the time of diagnosis. At certain institutions, total spine MRI is obtained preoperatively to identify these abnormalities. We provide a framework for the radiologist to follow while interpreting these studies. In part 1, we discuss Arnold Chiari malformations, syringomyelia, and the tethered cord. In part 2, we focus on spinal cord tumors, dysraphisms, to include diastematomyelia, and vertebral anomalies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a commonly encountered condition often diagnosed on screening examination. Underlying, asymptomatic neural axis abnormalities may be present at the time of diagnosis. At certain institutions, total spine MRI is obtained preoperatively to identify these abnormalities. We provide a framework for the radiologist to follow while interpreting these studies. In part 1, we discuss Arnold Chiari malformations, syringomyelia, and the tethered cord. In part 2, we focus on spinal cord tumors, dysraphisms, to include diastematomyelia, and vertebral anomalies., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Follow-up scoliosis radiographs are performed to assess the degree of spinal curvature and skeletal maturity, which can be done at lower radiation exposures than those in standard-dose radiography., Objective: Describe and evaluate a protocol that reduced the radiation in follow-up frontal-view scoliosis radiographs., Materials and Methods: We implemented a postero-anterior lower dose modified-technique for scoliosis radiography with task-based definition of adequate image quality and use of technique charts based on target exposure index and patient's height and weight. We subsequently retrospectively evaluated 40 consecutive patients who underwent a follow-up radiograph using the modified-technique after an initial standard-technique radiograph. We evaluated comparisons of proportions for subjective assessment with chi-squared tests, and agreements of reader's scores with intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots. We determined incident air kerma, exposure index, deviation index/standard deviation, dose-area product (DAP), and effective dose for each radiograph. We set statistical significance at P<0.05., Results: Forty patients (65% female), aged 4-17 years. Median effective dose was reduced from 39 to 10 µSv (P<0.001), incident air kerma from 139 to 29 µSv (P<0.001), and DAP from 266 to 55 mGy*cm 2 (P<0.001). All modified-technique parameters were rated with a mean score of acceptable or above. All modified-technique measurements obtained inter- and intra-observer correlation coefficient agreements of 0.86 ("Good") or greater., Conclusion: Substantial dose reduction on follow-up scoliosis imaging with existing radiography units is achievable through task-based definition of adequate image quality and tailoring of radiation to each patient's height and weight, while still allowing for reliable assessment and reproducible measurements., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background Context: Pedicle screw fixation has become common in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Malpositioned pedicle screws have significant complications and identifying surgical techniques to optimize screw placement accuracy is imperative., Purpose: To compare the rate of intraoperative revision, replacement, or removal of pedicle screws placed utilizing 3D printed guides compared with pedicle screws placed utilizing a freehand technique., Study Design/setting: Retrospective cohort study/single academic center., Patient Sample: Thirty-two patients aged 10 to 18 with AIS., Outcome Measures: Revision rate of pedicle screws and operative time between groups., Methods: A retrospective study was performed on patients 10 to 18 years of age who underwent posterior spinal instrumented fusion for AIS from February 2021 to July 2022. The study received an IRB exemption. Patient demographics, intraoperative measures, and outcome variables were recorded. Intraoperatively, all patients underwent a 3-dimensional fluoroscopic "check scan," which included axial, sagittal, and coronal images, to assess for screw accuracy. A secondary outcome of operative time was compared between groups. The p-values <.05 were considered significant., Results: A total of 32 patients were included in this study. There were 17 cases in the 3D guided and 15 cases in fluoroscopy-guided freehand cohort. There was a total of 254 pedicle screws using 3D guides and 402 screws using freehand technique. Between cohorts, there were no significant differences in a number of levels fused (p=.54) or length of surgery (p=.36). The total revision rate of 3D guided screw placement was 5.5% and that of the freehand technique was 8.5%. The freehand screw placement group had significantly higher revision rates per vertebral level compared with 3D guided (p=.0096). Notably, 3D printed guides had fewer screws that were removed/revised for being too anterior (7.1%) compared with freehand (23.5%). Surgical time was not significantly different between the 3D guided and freehand cohort (p=.35)., Conclusions: 3D printed guides reduce intraoperative revision rate compared with freehand techniques. Total operative time is comparable to freehand technique., Competing Interests: Declarations of Competing Interests One or more of the authors declare financial or professional relationships on ICMJE-TSJ disclosure forms., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a devastating complication in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) undergoing posterior spinal instrumented fusion (PSIF) for progressive scoliosis. Incisional negative pressure wound therapy (INPWT) has been used in other surgical fields to reduce SSI. Our purpose was to examine the prophylactic use of INPWT after NMS surgery to decrease SSI. At a single institution, 71 consecutive patients with NMS underwent PSIF from 2015 to 2019. Starting in 2017, all patients with NMS received INPWT postoperatively until discharge. Rates of deep SSI were compared between the two cohorts of patients. Additionally, patient demographic and operative factors such as American Society of Anesthesiologists score, number of levels instrumented, need for an anterior spinal release, need for spinal fusion to pelvis, blood loss, operative time, fluoroscopy time, length of stay, and transfusion requirement were analyzed for potential influence on deep SSI. There was no significant difference in deep SSI rates between patients who received INPWT (2 of 41) and those treated with a standard postoperative dressing (2 of 30; P =1.0). Although INPWT theoretically can stabilize the wound environment and prevent deep SSI, our findings do not support this. More research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of INPWT after PSIF for NMS. [ Orthopedics . 2023;46(6):373-378.].

Objective: Mobilizing out of bed and ambulation are key components of recovery following posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, there remains a paucity of studies identifying risk factors associated with delayed ambulation and its impact on postoperative outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate patient- and surgical-level risk factors associated with delayed ambulation and the ramifications of delayed ambulation on healthcare utilization for patients undergoing PSF for AIS., Methods: The medical records of 129 adolescent (10-18 years) patients diagnosed with AIS undergoing posterior spinal fusion at a major academic institution between 2013 and 2020 were reviewed. Patients were categorized based on days from surgery to ambulation: early (≤ 1 day), intermediate (2 days), or late (≥ 3 days). Patient demographics, comorbidities, spinal deformity characteristics, intraoperative variables, postoperative complications, LOS, and unplanned readmissions were assessed. The odds ratios for risk-adjusted delayed ambulation and extended LOS were determined via multivariate stepwise logistic regressions., Results: One Hundred and Twenty Nine patients were included in this study, of which 10.8% (n = 14) were classified as Early ambulators, 41.9% (n = 54) Intermediate ambulators, and 47.3% (n = 61) were Late ambulators. Late ambulators were significantly younger than early and intermediate ambulators (Early: 15.7 ± 1.9 years vs. Intermediate: 14.8 ± 1.7 years vs. Late: 14.1 ± 1.9 years, p = 0.010). The primary and secondary spinal curves were significantly worse among Late ambulators (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002 respectively). Fusion levels (p < 0.01), EBL (p = 0.014), and the rate of RBC transfusions (p < 0.001) increased as time to ambulation increased. Transition time from IV to oral pain medications (Early: 1.6 ± 0.8 days vs. Intermediate: 2.2 ± 0.6 days vs. Late: 2.4 ± 0.6 days, p < 0.001) and total hospital length of stay (Early: 3.9 ± 1.4 days vs. Intermediate: 4.7 ± 0.9 days vs. Late: 5.1 ± 1.2 days, p < 0.001) were longer in Late ambulators. On multivariate analysis, significant predictors of delayed ambulation included primary curve degree ≥ 70° [aOR: 5.67 (1.29‒31.97), p = 0.030] and procedure time [aOR: 1.66 (1.1‒2.59), p = 0.019]., Conclusions: Our study suggests that there may be patient- and surgical-level factors that are independently associated with late ambulation following PSF for AIS, including extent of major curve and length of operative time. Additionally, delayed ambulation has implications to length of hospital stay and postoperative complications., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the outpatient narcotic intake of patients following posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to introduce a safe and effective method of disposing of unused narcotics., Methods: Following Institutional Review Board approval, retrospective review of prospectively collected data from patients undergoing PSF for AIS took place. Pain scores, narcotic use, patient demographic data, pre-, intra-, and postoperative parameters, and discharge data were gathered via chart review. Patients were divided into two groups according to home narcotic use, high use (top 25th percentiles) and low use (bottom 75th percentiles), and multivariate statistical analysis was conducted. Narcotic surplus was collected during postoperative clinic visits and disposed of using biodegradable bags., Results: Statistical analysis of 27 patients included in the study showed that patients with a higher home narcotic use correlated with increased length of hospitalization with an average of 3.4 days compared to the lower-use group of 2.8 day (p = 0.03). Higher-use group also showed increased inpatient morphine milligram equivalent than the lower-use group. There was no significant difference of home narcotic use when looking at patient age, height, weight, BMI, levels fused, intraoperative blood loss, or length of surgery. A total of 502 narcotic doses were disposed of in the clinic., Conclusion: Our study suggests that there are not a significant number of patient- or surgical-level factors predisposing patients to increased home narcotic usage following spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis., Level of Evidence: Level I, prospective study., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Scoliosis Research Society.)

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex 3-dimensional deformity. Previous studies have suggested a learning curve in the successful execution of this technically demanding procedure. A 2-surgeon model may be helpful for less experienced surgeons by facilitating greater consistency in surgical metrics. The objective of this study was to show no significant difference in the parameters examined for surgeries done by inexperienced primary surgeons with a 2-surgeon model compared with those done by their more experienced cohorts. All surgeries with a primary diagnosis of AIS that were performed from January 2012 to December 2015 and had a minimum of 2-year follow-up were included for analysis. Three groups were created based on surgeon experience: inexperienced surgeons (IS) group, experienced surgeons (ES) group, and a third group where the primary surgeon was in the experienced group and the assistant surgeon was in the inexperienced group (EIS). Variables included for analysis were age, Lenke classification, number of levels fused, length of surgery, length of stay, percent curve correction, ratio of estimated blood loss to levels fused, surgical blood loss, and complications. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of operative time, blood loss, number of levels fused, lower estimated blood loss ratio to the number of levels fused, or percent curve correction ( P >.05). The IS group was found to have a significant shorter length of stay ( P =.004). The 2-surgeon model is an effective tool for inexperienced surgeons to achieve consistent and reproducible operative performance that is comparable with their more experienced peers. [ Orthopedics . 2021;44(3):e347-e352.].

Purpose: The use of image-guided stereotactic navigation is increasing in use in treating AIS; however, no studies have investigated perioperative outcomes and short-term adverse events compared with non-navigated procedures. The aim of the present study is to use a large national pediatric database to assess the rate of utilization of intraoperative navigation in pediatric patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to compare thirty-day outcomes of navigated vs. non-navigated surgery., Methods: The NSQIP-Pediatric database was queried for cases of posterior fusion for AIS. Patients were stratified by whether or not a concurrent code for stereotactic navigation was used (CPT 61,783). Year of procedure, demographics, comorbidities, operative variables and perioperative adverse outcomes were abstracted and assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis., Results: Overall, 12,739 non-navigated patients and 340 navigated patients were identified. The use of navigation increased from 0.5% of cases in 2012 to 5.2% of cases in 2018. Demographics, comorbidities, and number of levels fused did not differ between navigated and non-navigated patients. Navigated cases were on average 41 min longer than non-navigated cases (268.6 vs. 309.6 min p < 0.001), with 9.84% more cases requiring transfusion (65.0% vs 75.6%, p < 0.001). Hospital stay for navigated cases was an average of 0.4 days shorter (3.9 days vs 4.3 days, p = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, navigated cases had higher odds of prolonged surgery (OR = 2.13, p < 0.001) and lower odds of prolonged length of stay (OR = 0.28, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Although the use of navigation for AIS posterior fusion was associated with longer operative time, post-operative hospital stay was shorter and other perioperative adverse outcomes were not significantly different between groups.

Background: Surgical site infection is a serious complication of posterior spinal fusion for neuromuscular scoliosis, with a reported prevalence of 6% to 24%. A single-institution experience over a thirty-year period was reviewed to determine the prevalence of surgical site infection after posterior spinal fusion for neuromuscular scoliosis, and to identify patient and treatment-related risk factors., Methods: Our retrospective review included all patients treated with posterior spinal fusion (alone or in combination with an anterior procedure) for neuromuscular scoliosis from 1980 to 2009 and followed for a minimum of two years. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis was performed to identify significant risk factors for occurrence of deep surgical site infection (p < 0.05)., Results: The study included 428 patients with an average duration of follow-up of 4.9 years. The mean Cobb angle was 74.3°. Most (74%) were treated with posterior spinal fusion alone. Deep infection developed in forty-four patients (10.3%); 57% of the infections occurred within three months after the surgery and 73%, within twelve months. Nearly half (45%) of the infections were polymicrobial; 59% of the organisms were gram-positive and 41% were gram-negative. Implant removal was required in 58% of the patients. Surgical site infection was more frequent from 1980 to 1989 (20.3%) than it was from 1990 to 2009 (8.4%) (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8, p = 0.01 in univariate analysis). Surgical site infection was more common in patients with spina bifida (21.5%) than in those with other diagnoses (8.3%) (OR = 3.0, p = 0.001). Other patient factors associated with surgical site infection were a body mass index (BMI) of >25 kg/m(2) (OR = 2.4, p = 0.04) and incontinence (OR = 2.4, p = 0.009). Treatment factors associated with surgical site infection were inadequate prophylactic antibiotic dosing (cefazolin ≤ 20 mg/kg) (OR = 3.3, p = 0.0002), length of fusion (p = 0.002), pelvic fixation (OR = 2.4, p = 0.04), length of hospital stay (p = 0.005), and other complications (OR = 3.2, p = 0.0003). Drain output (p = 0.04) and lower hemoglobin levels (p = 0.008) were significantly associated with surgical site infection in patients with spina bifida, and drain use (superficial to the fascia) was protective in those without spina bifida (OR = 0.5, p = 0.046)., Conclusions: This study identified modifiable factors, especially antibiotic dosing and drain use, associated with surgical site infection in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis., (Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)