Risks and Benefits of Ceasing or Continuing Anticoagulant Medication for Image-Guided Procedures for Spine Pain: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To determine the risks of continuing or ceasing anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications prior to image-guided procedures for spine pain. Design: Systematic review of the literature with comprehensive analysis of the published data. Interventions: Following a search of the literature for studies pertaining to spine pain interventions in patients on anticoagulant medication, seven reviewers appraised the studies identified and assessed the quality of evidence presented. Outcome Measures: Evidence was sought regarding risks associated with either continuing or ceasing anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication in patients having image-guided interventional spine procedures. The evidence was evaluated in accordance with the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. Results: From a source of 120 potentially relevant articles, 14 provided applicable evidence. Procedures involving interlaminar access carry a nonzero risk of hemorrhagic complications, regardless of whether anticoagulants are ceased or continued. For other procedures, hemorrhagic complications have not been reported, and case series indicate that they are safe when performed in patients who continue anticoagulants. Three articles reported the adverse effects of ceasing anticoagulants, with serious consequences, including death. Conclusions: Other than for interlaminar procedures, the evidence does not support the view that anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication must be ceased before image-guided spine pain procedures. Meanwhile, the evidence shows that ceasing anticoagulants carries a risk of serious consequences, including death. Guidelines on the use of anticoagulants should reflect these opposing bodies of evidence.

Mathematical Validation and Credibility of Diagnostic Blocks for Spinal Pain.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic blocks are used in different ways for the diagnosis of spinal pain, but their validity has not been fully evaluated. METHODS: Four clinical protocols were analyzed mathematically to determine the probability of correct responses arising by chance. The complement of this probability was adopted as a measure of the credibility of correct responses. RESULTS: The credibility of responses varied from 50% to 95%, and was determined less by the agents used but more by what information was given to patients and if the agents were fully randomized for each block. CONCLUSIONS: Randomized, comparative local anesthetic blocks offer a credibility of 75%, but randomized, placebo-controlled blocks provide a credibility of 95%, and are thereby suitable as a criterion standard for diagnostic blocks.

An Expedited Diagnostic Algorithm for Lumbosacral Pain: "The Best Likelihood Scenario Approach".

INTRODUCTION: The logic behind diagnostic blocks is very straightforward. What has not been determined is the way diagnostic blocks can be best used. STUDY DESIGN: Philosophical essay. DISCUSSION: The interventional pain management physician would serve as the diagnostic expert by efficiently determining the source of the patient's pain. CONCLUSION: "The Best Likelihood Scenario" might improve diagnostic accuracy while decreasing societal costs.

Primary and secondary restraints of human and ovine knees for simulated in vivo gait kinematics.

Knee soft tissue structures are frequently injured, leading to the development of osteoarthritis even with treatment. Understanding how these structures contribute to knee function during activities of daily living (ADLs) is crucial in creating more effective treatments. This study was designed to determine the role of different knee structures during a simulated ADL in both human knees and ovine stifle joints. A six degree-of-freedom robot was used to reproduce each species' in vivo gait while measuring three-dimensional joint forces and torques. Using a semi-randomized selective cutting method, we determined the primary and secondary structures contributing to the forces and torques along and about each anatomical axis. In both species, the bony interaction, ACL, and medial meniscus provided most of the force contributions during stance, whereas the ovine MCL, human bone, and ACLs of both species were the key contributors during swing. This study contributes to our overarching goal of establishing functional tissue engineering parameters for knee structures by further validating biomechanical similarities between the ovine model and the human to provide a platform for measuring biomechanics during an in vivo ADL. These parameters will be used to develop more effective treatments for knee injuries to reduce or eliminate the incidence of osteoarthritis.

Utility of intercostal nerve conventional thermal radiofrequency ablations in the injured worker after blunt trauma.

BACKGROUND: Intercostal nerve blocks offer short-term therapeutic relief and serve as a diagnostic test for intercostal neuralgia. This original case report demonstrates the efficacy of radiofrequency ablations for long-term pain relief of intercostal neuralgia. To date, there have been no studies that demonstrate the efficacy of thermal conventional intercostal nerve radiofrequency ablations for intercostal neuralgia. OBJECTIVE: Describe the use of conventional thermal radiofrequency ablations of the intercostal nerves to treat blunt chest wall trauma. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Clinical practice. METHODS: Six patients suffering from work-related injuries to the chest wall whose treatment focused on conventional thermal radiofrequency ablations of the intercostal nerves. RESULTS: Four of the 6 patients were pain free by their final visit. The remaining 2 patients experienced pain relief until one began wearing a brace after an L5-S1 fusion; the other required repeat treatment after 5.5 months. LIMITATIONS: Case series. There was limited follow-up as patients were either discharged after receiving potentially curative care or were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Following conventional thermal radiofrequency ablations of the intercostal nerves, 5 of the 6 patients experienced either long-term pain relief or required no additional care. The treatment has potential efficacy for injuries, including rib fractures or intercostal neuralgia, stemming from blunt trauma to the chest wall. In addition, there may be a potential for this treatment to help patients suffering from postthoracotomy pain.