Occipitocervical fusion and dysphagia. The role of head neck alignment: A case report.

Dysphagia is a less reported but serious adverse outcome post occipitocervical fusion. Any patient suffering from dysphagia and or nasal regurgitation post fusion in flexion should be offered early revision. The right position for occipitocervical fusion is neutral alignment.

Steroid-induced stress fracture of medial tibial condyle: a case report.

Corticosteroid-induced stress fractures have been described, but such a presentation is rare in tibial condyle where osteonecrosis secondary to steroid use is more common. In this report we describe a case of stress fracture of medial tibial condyle secondary to corticosteroid (glucocorticoid) intake in a 47-year-old man. We discuss in detail the pathogenesis of this condition, and highlight the importance of various diagnostic modalities to avoid misdiagnosis of the condition. We also reiterate the importance of early diagnosis and prompt immobilization to prevent long-term morbidity in such cases.

Posterior approach in thoracolumbar tuberculosis: a clinical and radiological review of 67 operated cases.

(1) To present the indications of single stage all posterior surgery in thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis. (2) To evaluate the results of single stage all posterior surgery. We analysed 67 patients who underwent single stage all posterior surgery with follow-up of 31.37 months. We performed the following operative procedures depending upon level and case requirements. (Group A) Instrumentation alone for instability. (Group B) Transpedicular decompression and instrumentation for neurological compression in thoracic and thoracolumbar spine. (Group C) Transforaminal approach for access to anterior column in lumbar spine in addition to posterior instrumentation. (Group D) Pedicle subtraction osteotomy and instrumentation for deformity correction. (Group E) Posterior decompression alone for isolated posterior epidural compression. (Group F) Reconstruction of anterior column by all posterior approach. Thirty-eight had neurological deficit whereas 29 were Frankel E. In 12 cases, anterior reconstruction was done. In the remaining 55 cases, we relied on vertebral reconstitution under chemotherapy. Operative time was 150.5 min and blood loss was 514.18 ml. Of 38 patients with deficit, 34 improved. There was radiological fusion in all patients. Pre- and post-operative Cobb's measurements were 9.95 and 8.1, respectively, in thoracic and thoracolumbar spine and -9.39 and -11.42, respectively, in lumbar spine. Of 55 cases where anterior reconstruction was not done, only 3 had progression of Cobb's >10°. Posterior approach can achieve adequate decompression of offending middle column and if required, even anterior reconstruction. Posterior approach is versatile, with many surgical options depending on the level and case requirements.

Drug resistance patterns in 111 cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis spine.

PURPOSE: We report the largest study conducted till date of drug resistant tuberculosis in spine analyzing the drug susceptibility patterns in 111 cases of proven drug resistance. METHODS: An observed cross-sectional study was conducted. Six-hundred and eighty-six patients with positive cultures underwent sensitivity testing to 13 commonly used anti-tubercular drugs using BACTEC MGIT-960 system. RESULTS: Females (60.3%) outnumbered males (39.6%). Only three patients (2.7%) were found HIV positive, and none of these had AIDS. Forty-four (39.6%) patients had taken AKT in the past for some form of tuberculosis. Eight (7.2%) patients had history of treatment default. The drug sensitivity testing revealed 87 (78.3%) cases of multi drug resistance (resistance to both isoniazid and rifampicin) and 3 (2.7%) cases of XDR-TB spine. Of the individual drugs, widespread resistance was present to both isoniazid (92.7%) and rifampicin (81.9%), followed by streptomycin (69.3%). Least resistance was found to kanamycin, amikacin and capreomycin. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to do routine biopsy, culture and drug sensitivity testing in all patients of tuberculosis spine to guide selection of appropriate second-line drugs when required. In cases of non availability of drug susceptibility testing despite repeated attempts, it is suggested to use data from large series such as this to plan best empirical chemotherapy protocol.

Surgical patterns in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

PURPOSE: To report morphological patterns of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) presenting for surgery. To describe surgical options based on fracture pattern. To evaluate clinical and radiological outcome. METHODS: Forty consecutively operated OVCFs nonunion patients were retrospectively studied. We define four patterns of OVCFs that needed surgical intervention. Group 1 mini open vertebroplasty (N = 10) no neurologic deficits and kyphotic deformity, but with intravertebral instability and significant radiological spinal canal compromise. Group 2 with neurologic deficits (N = 24) (2A)-transpedicular decompression (TPD) with instrumentation (N = 14). Fracture morphology similar to (1) and localized kyphosis <30° (2B)-pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) with instrumentation (N = 10). Fracture morphology similar to (1) and local kyphosis >30°. Group 3 posterolateral decompression with interbody reconstruction (N = 06) endplate(s) destroyed, with instability at discovertebral junction, with neurologic deficit. Average follow-up was 34 months. VAS, ODI and Cobb angle were recorded at 3, 6, 12 months and yearly. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in the clinical (VAS and ODI) scores and radiologic outcome in each group at last follow-up. 30 patients out of 40, had neurologic deficits (Frankel's grade C = 16, Frankel's grade D = 14). The motor power gradually improved to Frankel's grade E. Average duration of surgery was 97 min. Average blood loss was 610 ml. CONCLUSION: Different surgical techniques were used to suit different fracture patterns, with good clinical and radiological results. This could be a step forward in devising an algorithm to surgical treatment of OVCF nonunions.

Primary malignant melanoma of proximal tibia.

Primary malignant melanoma (clear cell sarcoma) of bone is a very rare neoplasm. Although metastatic melanoma to bone is not uncommon, primary malignant melanoma of bone is extremely uncommon. To date, only nine cases have been reported in the English literature. In this report, we present a case of primary malignant melanoma arising from the medial aspect of the proximal tibia in a 26-year-old woman. We treated the patient with above-knee amputation without any chemotherapy or radiotherapy. At final follow-up of 18 months, the patient was free of disease.

A 12-year-old Child with Trichinellosis, Pyomyositis and Secondary Osteomyelitis.

Trichinellosis is a parasitic infestation affecting the skeletal muscles. Cases of trichinellosis in humans have been reported from most regions of the world. However, a review of literature revealed only two reported cases of human trichinellosis in India. Further, a diagnosis of superimposed pyomyositis in trichinellosis with secondary osteomyelitis has not been reported to our knowledge. This article reports this rare case presentation in a 12-year-old child. Timely intervention helped prevent long-term morbidity in our patient. In our case report, we also discuss in detail the pathogenesis of such a condition and discuss the role of imaging modalities and an early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose the condition and start an early treatment.

Visual loss after spine surgery.

Incidence of perioperative visual loss ranges from 0.06% to 0.2% with the most common cause as ischemic optic neuropathy. We report one-year follow up of a 50-years-old hypertensive housewife who underwent lumbar decompression and fusion for degenerative scoliosis, but woke up with painless unilateral visual loss. Fundus examination was normal. Her visual acuity improved from initial finger counting close to face to finger counting at 3 m at 1 year. Identification of high risk patients may help in appropriate preoperative counselling, prevention and early recognition of this devastating complication.

Postvertebroplasty instability.

Vertebroplasty provides excellent pain relief and functional restoration for osteoporotic fractures. Short-term complications such as cement leak and embolism are well described. Incident fractures are the only well-reported long-term complications. The authors describe the cases of 5 patients who presented with back pain caused by instability or worsening neurological status 13 months (range 8-17 months) after vertebroplasty. They further classify this postvertebroplasty instability into intervertebral instability and intravertebral instability, depending on the apex of abnormal mobility. One patient presented with cement migration and progressive collapse of the augmented vertebral body. Another patient presented with an additional fracture. Both cases were classified as intravertebral instability. The cases of 3 other patients presenting with adjacent endplate erosion, vacuum disc phenomenon, and bridging osteophyte formation were classified as having intervertebral instability. Long-term effect of cements on the augmented vertebral body and adjacent endplates and discs is a cause for concern. Vertebroplasty acts as a mechanical stabilizer and provides structural support but does not bring about union. Micromotion has been shown to persist for years after vertebroplasty. This study describes persistent instability after vertebroplasty in a series of 5 cases. The authors propose that postvertebroplasty instability occurs due to collapse of soft osteoporotic bone and endplates around cement. All 3 cases of intervertebral instability were associated with an intradiscal cement leak. With increased longevity and higher functional demands of the geriatric population, the durability of this "rock (cement) between cushions (of osteoporotic bone)" arrangement (as seen in vertebroplasty) will be increasingly challenged.

A rare case of metaphyseodiaphyseal chondroblastoma of proximal femur presenting with constitutional symptoms in a six-year-old child.

Primary metaphyseodiaphyseal chondroblastoma is rare. To our knowledge, very few such cases have been reported in the English literature. Insidious onset of pain is the most common complaint in patients with chondroblastoma. A clinical presentation of constitutional symptoms along with a metaphyseodiaphyseal lesion on radiographs in a young child usually points toward a diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma or infection. Here, we document a case of metaphyseodiaphyseal chondroblastoma of femur in a 6-year-old child presenting with chief local complaints of an intermediate onset pain and swelling along with systemic complaints of fever and malaise. The patient was operated by excision of the tumor and reconstruction using autogenous-free fibular graft.

Displaced femoral neck fractures in the young: significance of posterior comminution and raised intracapsular pressure.

BACKGROUND: Osteosynthesis in fracture neck of femur (NOF) in young is a universally acceptable procedure. Various factors affect the outcome; with AVN (avascular necrosis) and non-union primarily contributing to adverse results in such patients. To identify factors affecting outcome of displaced fracture NOF, a prospective cohort study was carried out in the setting of a tertiary care centre in developing country. METHODS: 27 consecutive patients with displaced fracture NOF suitable for osteosynthesis underwent closed reduction and fixation with three 6.5 mm cancellous cannulated screws. A record of posterior comminution and its extent (as seen on CT scan) and the intracapsular pressure difference between the fractured and the opposite side was kept in all the patients. The patients were followed-up for 1 year. The main outcomes measured at 1 year were non-union (as identified by CT scan) and AVN (as identified by bone scan). RESULTS: Cases with pressure difference >30 mm were found to have a higher rate of AVN and this result was found to be statistically significant (p value 0.034). The patients with significant posterior comminution were found to have higher non-union rates and this result was also found to be statistically significant (p value 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Prognosis of displaced fracture NOF is significantly associated significant with posterior comminution and intracapsular pressure difference between fractured and normal side.

Outcome of single level instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion using corticocancellous laminectomy bone chips.

BACKGROUND: Interbody fusion surgery has been considered by many to be a treatment of choice for instability in lumbar degenerative disc disease. A posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) has the advantages of spinal canal decompression, anterior column reconstruction, and reduction of the sagittal slips from a single posterior approach. The PLIF using double cage was a standard practice till many studies reported comparable results and lesser complications with single cage. Iliac crest was considered as an appropriate source of bone graft until comparable spinal fusion rates using local bone graft and cage emerged. Till date, there has been no report of corticocancellous laminectomy bone chips alone being used for spinal fusion. In this paper, we present radiologic results of single level instrumented PLIF, where in only corticocancellous laminectomy bone chips were used as a fusion device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a retrospective cohort study of 35 consecutive patients, who underwent single level instrumented PLIF surgery, wherein only locally obtained bone chips was used for spinal fusion. The average follow-up was 26 months. The indications for the surgery were as follows: 19 patients had disc herniations, with back pain of instability type, normal disc height on radiology. Ten patients had grade 1 spondylolisthesis, with significant back pain and translational instability on radiography. Three patients were redo spine surgeries, and three patients had healed spondylodiscitis with significant back pain and instability. All patients were regularly followed up and decision of spinal fusion or no fusion was taken at 2 years using modified criteria of Lee. RESULTS: Of total 35 patients, there were 24 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 41 years. There were 16 patients with definitive fusion, 15 patients with probable fusion, 04 patients with possible pseudoarthrosis, and no patient had definitive pseudoarthrosis. The mean time for fusion to occur was 18 months. The average loss of disc height, over 2 year follow up, was only 3 mm in 8 patients. Three patients had a localized kyphosis of more than 3° at the fusion level. The average blood loss was 356 ml and average operating time was 150 min. CONCLUSION: Corticocancellous laminectomy bone chips alone can be used as a means of spinal fusion in patients with single level instrumented PLIF. This has got a good fusion rate.

A rare case of bicondylar Hoffa fracture associated with ipsilateral tibial spine avulsion and extensor mechanism disruption.

Intra-articular coronal fractures (Hoffas fractures) of distal femur are rare. Although bicondylar involvement in these fractures has been reported in the literature in association with high velocity traumata, the occurrence of these fractures involving extensor mechanism rupture and avulsion of ipsilateral tibial spine is extremely rare. To our acquaintance, such a fracture pattern has not yet been reported in the literature so far. In this article, we report one such case and discuss the importance of early diagnosis and prompt internal fixation in the management of such cases.We believe that these rare combinations of injuries should be treated aggressively by early open reduction and anatomic rigid internal fixation in order to achieve good recovery of function.

Closed posterior subtalar dislocation without any associated fracture: a case report and review of the literature.

Pure posterior subtalar dislocation without any medial or lateral displacement of foot is extremely rare and hardly reported in the literature. Such an injury is more likely to be open and associated with fractures of the surrounding bones of the foot. Here we report a rare case of closed pure posterior subtalar dislocation without any associated fracture. We discuss in detail the mechanism of such an injury and highlight the importance of prompt closed reduction and early mobilization to ensure a satisfactory long term outcome.

Role of 'low cost Indian implants' in our practice: our experience with 1,572 pedicle screws.

PURPOSE: As Indian spine surgeons, we have to choose between 'foreign implants' and 'Indian implants'. An Indian four pedicle screw rod construct costs 330 US dollars (one-third that of a similar foreign construct). About 60% of patients cannot afford expensive foreign implants. There is little written data evaluating how these Indian implants fare. The purpose of our study was to evaluate implant failure rate with Indian implants and compare it to foreign implants. METHODS: We analysed results of 1,572 titanium pedicle screws used in 239 patients with a minimum 1-year follow-up. Patients were divided into Indian and foreign implant groups. Radiological failures were classified as (1) surgery and disease failure, (2) bone failure and (3) implant failure. The null hypothesis was that there is no difference between implant failure rate for Indian and foreign implants. RESULTS: A total of 128 (53.56%) of patients could not afford foreign implants. We used 679 foreign and 893 Indian pedicle screws. In foreign implant group, there was a single incident of implant failure (0.15%). In Indian implant group, there were five such incidents (0.56%). CONCLUSIONS: (1) Rate of failure for 'low cost' Indian implants is very low (approximately 1 implant complication for every 200 screws). (2) There is no statistically significant difference in failure rates for Indian implants and foreign implants (P-value = 0.2438). We recommend that Indian implants are a safe and viable option to make spine surgery cost effective in the Indian scenario.

Multiple lumbar transverse process stress fractures as a cause of chronic low back ache in a young fast bowler - a case report.

A rare case of multilevel transverse process stress fractures as a cause of low back ache in a professional cricket player has been presented. The report discusses the possible mechanism of such an injury in a cricket player and also highlights the preventive and therapeutic aspects of management in such patients. The report also stresses upon the need for early identification of such sports related injuries to prevent long term morbidity in the athletes.