Comparison of an AI-Generated Case Report With a Human-Written Case Report: Practical Considerations for AI-Assisted Medical Writing.

INTRODUCTION:  The utility of ChatGPT has recently caused consternation in the medical world. While it has been utilized to write manuscripts, only a few studies have evaluated the quality of manuscripts generated by AI (artificial intelligence). OBJECTIVE:  We evaluate the ability of ChatGPT to write a case report when provided with a framework. We also provide practical considerations for manuscript writing using AI. METHODS: We compared a manuscript written by a blinded human author (10 years of medical experience) with a manuscript written by ChatGPT on a rare presentation of a common disease. We used multiple iterations of the manuscript generation request to derive the best ChatGPT output. Participants, outcomes, and measures: 22 human reviewers compared the manuscripts using parameters that characterize human writing and relevant standard manuscript assessment criteria, viz., scholarly impact quotient (SIQ). We also compared the manuscripts using the "average perplexity score" (APS), "burstiness score" (BS), and "highest perplexity of a sentence" (GPTZero parameters to detect AI-generated content). RESULTS: The human manuscript had a significantly higher quality of presentation and nuanced writing (p<0.05). Both manuscripts had a logical flow. 12/22 reviewers were able to identify the AI-generated manuscript (p<0.05), but 4/22 reviewers wrongly identified the human-written manuscript as AI-generated. GPTZero software erroneously identified four sentences of the human-written manuscript to be AI-generated. CONCLUSION:  Though AI showed an ability to highlight the novelty of the case report and project a logical flow comparable to the human manuscript, it could not outperform the human writer on all parameters. The human manuscript showed a better quality of presentation and more nuanced writing. The practical considerations we provide for AI-assisted medical writing will help to better utilize AI in manuscript writing.

Pelvic Evaluation in Thoracolumbar Corrective Spine Surgery: How I Do It.

Surgeons and radiologists have traditionally focused on frontal radiographs and the measurement of scoliosis curves as important tools in the management of spinal deformity. It has become evident, however, that the management of spinal deformity should use a multidimensional approach with an increased emphasis on standing lateral radiographs and the sagittal position of the spine. Furthermore, they have come to realize the critical role that the pelvis plays in the maintenance of posture. Failure to recognize pelvic compensation can lead to under-treatment and poor postoperative outcomes.

Multidetector CT of blunt cervical spine trauma in adults.

A number of new developments in cervical spine imaging have transpired since the introduction of 64-section computed tomographic (CT) scanners in 2004. An increasing body of evidence favors the use of multidetector CT as a stand-alone screening test for excluding cervical injuries in polytrauma patients with obtundation. A new grading scale that is based on CT and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings, the cervical spine Subaxial Injury Classification and Scoring (SLIC) system, is gaining acceptance among spine surgeons. Radiographic measurements described for the evaluation of craniocervical distraction injuries are now being reevaluated with the use of multidetector CT. Although most patients with blunt trauma are now treated nonsurgically, evolution in the understanding of spinal stability, as well as the development of new surgical techniques and hardware, has driven management strategies that are increasingly favorable toward surgical intervention. It is therefore essential that radiologists recognize findings that distinguish injuries with ligamentous instability or a high likelihood of nonfusion that require surgical stabilization from those that are classically stable and can be treated with a collar or halo vest alone. The purpose of this article is to review the spectrum of cervical spine injuries, from the craniocervical junction through the subaxial spine, and present the most widely used grading systems for each injury type.

Differences in the surgical treatment of recurrent lumbar disc herniation among spine surgeons in the United States.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: There are often multiple surgical treatment options for a spinal pathology. In addition, there is a lack of data that define differences in surgical treatment among surgeons in the United States. PURPOSE: To assess the surgical treatment patterns among neurologic and orthopedic spine surgeons in the United States for the treatment of one- and two-time recurrent lumbar disc herniation. STUDY DESIGN: Electronic survey. PATIENT SAMPLE: An electronic survey was delivered to 2,560 orthopedic and neurologic surgeons in the United States. OUTCOME MEASURES: The response data were analyzed to assess the differences among respondents over various demographic variables. The probability of disagreement is reported for various surgeon subgroups. METHODS: A survey of clinical and radiographic case scenarios that included a one- and two-time lumbar disc herniation was electronically delivered to 2,560 orthopedic and neurologic surgeons in the United States. The surgical treatment options were revision microdiscectomy, revision microdiscectomy with in situ fusion, revision microdiscectomy with posterolateral fusion using pedicle screws, revision microdiscectomy with posterior lumbar interbody fusion/transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF/TLIF), anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) with percutaneous screws, ALIF with open posterior instrumentation, or none of these. Significance of p=.01 was used to account for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: Four hundred forty-five surgeons (18%) completed the survey. Surgeons in practice for 15+ years were more likely to select revision microdiscectomy compared with surgeons with fewer years in practice who were more likely to select revision microdiscectomy with PLIF/TLIF (p<.001). Similarly, those surgeons performing 200+ surgeries per year were more likely to select revision microdiscectomy with PLIF/TLIF than those performing fewer surgeries (p=.003). No significant differences were identified for region, specialty, fellowship training, or practice type. Overall, there was a 69% and 22% probability that two randomly selected spine surgeons would disagree on the surgical treatment of two- and one-time recurrent disc herniations, respectively. This probability of disagreement was consistent over multiple variables including geographic, practice type, fellowship training, and annual case volume. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences exist among US spine surgeons in the surgical treatment of recurrent lumbar disc herniations. It will become increasingly important to understand the underlying reasons for these differences and to define the most cost-effective surgical strategies for these common lumbar pathologies as the United States moves closer to a value-based health-care system.

Imaging evaluation of adult spinal injuries: emphasis on multidetector CT in cervical spine trauma.

As computed tomography (CT) technology has evolved, multidetector CT has become an integral part of the initial assessment of many injured patients, and the spine is easily included in the total body screening performed in patients with severe blunt polytrauma. Despite all the advantages of multidetector CT, clearing the spine in which injury is suspected continues to be a daily challenge in clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to present the evidence and the controversies surrounding the practice of imaging in patients suspected of having spine injury. The discussion is centered on the increasing reliance on multidetector CT in the work-up of these patients but also considers the important contributions of clinical trials to select patient for appropriate imaging on the basis of risk and probability of injury. Available protocols, injury classification systems, and issues awaiting future research are addressed.

New techniques in lumbar spinal instrumentation: what the radiologist needs to know.

Lumbar spinal fusion is a commonly performed procedure, and, despite changes in cage types and fixation hardware, radiologists have, over the years, become familiar with the imaging features of typical spinal fusion and many of the complications seen in patients after surgery, including pseudoarthrosis, hardware loosening, and recurrent or residual disk herniation. Recently, however, novel approaches and devices have been developed, including advances in minimally invasive surgery, the increasing use of osteoinductive materials, and a wide variety of motion-preserving devices. These new approaches and devices manifest with characteristic imaging features and the potential for unusual and unexpected complications. Several of these devices and approaches are experimental, but many, including those devices used in lateral approaches to fusion, as well as the use of bone morphogenic protein, disk arthroplasty, and interspinous spacers, are seen with increasing frequency in daily clinical practice. Given the recent advances in spinal fusion surgery, it is important that radiologists have a basic understanding of the rationale behind these procedures, the common imaging features of the devices, and the complications associated with their use.

64-MDCT angiography of blunt vascular injuries of the neck.

OBJECTIVE: CT angiography (CTA) using 64-MDCT enables timely evaluation of injuries associated with blunt neck trauma. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the reader with the most frequent CTA signs of blunt vascular injury. CONCLUSION: CTA is a valuable tool to detect blunt vascular injuries, especially using its multiplanar and 3D reconstruction capabilities.

Normal and abnormal imaging findings in lumbar total disk replacement: devices and complications.

Fusion, with or without laminectomy, is the standard treatment for symptomatic lumbar degenerative disk disease when conservative management has failed. Yet even radiographically verified solid fusion may be accompanied by considerable long-term problems, including recurrent low back pain, spinal stenosis, hypertrophic facet disease, pseudarthrosis, and spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis at adjacent levels. Several studies have shown a relationship between solid fusion and the development of adjacent-level disk disease, which is thought to result from increased stress on, or hypermobility of, adjacent segments. Total disk replacement (TDR) was developed as a way to restore normal mobility of the diseased segments and improve clinical outcomes by decreasing the risk of adjacent-level degenerative disease and related complications. However, like fusion, TDR is associated with various complications; some of these (eg, migration, subsidence) may occur regardless of the device used, whereas others (eg, extrusion of the polyethylene inlay, vertical fractures) are device specific. Facet arthrosis, device wear, particle disease, adjacent-level degeneration, and heterotopic ossification also have been observed after TDR, but the frequency and importance of these findings remain uncertain. Given the increasing use of lumbar TDR to treat degenerative disk disease, it is important that radiologists be familiar with the most commonly used devices and the potential complications of their use.

Advances in imaging of spinal cord injury: implications for treatment and patient evaluation.

Close inspection of MR images in all stages of SCI can reveal alterations which are important for our understanding of the changes which occur in SCI and may be crucial for planning surgical intervention. Importantly also, these observations may assist in the evaluation of novel therapies in SCI, such as cellular transplantation. It is hopeful that MR strategies which are currently in routine use in the brain, such as diffusion weighted imaging, perfusion studies, spectroscopy, and magnetization transfer can be adopted for use in the spine (Schwartz et al., 1999b). Because of the small size of the cord, the magnetic suspectability problems caused by surrounding air and bone, and nearby vascular and CSF flow/pulsations, these techniques are currently very difficult to employ in the cord. They will, however, evolve over time and give us greater insights into the in vivo status of the injured cord.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the thalamus in patients with chronic neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a number of consequences; one of the most difficult to manage is chronic neuropathic pain. Thus, defining the potential neural and biochemical changes associated with chronic pain after SCI is important because this may lead to development of new treatment strategies. Prior studies have looked at the thalamus, because it is a major sensory relay station. The purpose of our study was to define alterations in metabolites due to injury-induced functional changes in thalamic nuclei by using single-voxel stimulated echo acquisition mode MR spectroscopy. METHODS: Twenty-six men were recruited: 16 patients with SCI and paraplegia (seven with pain, nine without pain) and 10 healthy control subjects. Pain was evaluated in an interview, which included the collection of information concerning the location, quality, and intensity of pain, carefully identifing the dysesthetic neuropathic pain often seen in SCI. Localized single-voxel (8-cm(3) volume) proton spectra were acquired from the left and right thalami. RESULTS: The concentration of N-acetyl (NA) was negatively correlated with pain intensity (r = -0.678), and the t test showed that NA was significantly different between patients with pain and patients without pain (P =.006). Myo-inositol was positively correlated with pain intensity (r = 0.520); difference between patients with pain and those without pain was almost significant (P =.06). CONCLUSION: The observed differences in metabolites in SCI patients with and pain and in those without pain suggest anatomic, functional, and biochemical changes in the thalamic region.

Detection of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae with MR imaging and contrast-enhanced MR angiography: sensitivity, specificity, and prediction of vertebral level.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging and contrast-enhanced MR angiography have been used to detect evidence of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (AVF); however, the sensitivity and specificity of these techniques have not been shown. The purpose of this study was to establish the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MR imaging alone compared with MR imaging plus MR angiography in determining whether dural AVF are present and to establish the accuracy of MR angiography in predicting fistula level. METHODS: Twenty patients with surgically proven dural AVF (diagnosed with radiographic digital subtraction angiography) and 11 control patients who had normal digital subtraction angiography findings underwent routine MR imaging plus 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography of the spine. Images were reviewed in two stages (stage I, MR images only; stage II, MR images plus MR angiograms) by three neuroradiologists who were blinded to the final diagnoses. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the three reviewers in detecting the presence of fistulae ranged from 85% to 90%, from 82% to 100%, and from 87% to 90%, respectively, for stage I, compared with values of 80% to 100%, 82%, and 81% to 94%, respectively, for stage II. For each reviewer, there was no significant difference between the values for stages I and II; however, among the reviewers, one of the more experienced neuroradiologists had significantly greater sensitivity than a less experienced neuroradiologist for stage II. On average, the percentage of true positive results for which the correct fistula level was predicted increased from 15% for stage I to 50% for stage II, and the correct level +/- one level was predicted in 73% for stage II. MR evidence of increased intradural vascularity was significantly greater in patients with dural AVF. CONCLUSION: The addition of MR angiography to standard MR imaging of the spine may improve sensitivity in the detection of spinal dural fistulae. The principal benefit of MR angiography is in the improved localization of the vertebral level of the fistula, which potentially expedites the subsequent digital subtraction angiography study.

Effects of physiologic human brain motion on proton spectroscopy: quantitative analysis and correction with cardiac gating.

SUMMARY: Proton MR spectroscopy is a powerful noninvasive method that enables measurement of certain brain metabolites in healthy subjects and patients with diseases. A major difficulty with clinical and research applications of in vivo proton MR spectroscopy is the variability of metabolite concentrations, especially in regions with substantial physiologic motion. In our preliminary evaluation, we tested the hypothesis that physiologic brain motion leads to lower mean metabolite concentrations and higher SDs for the measured metabolite concentrations.