Pediatric C-spine Clearance by CT: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric cervical spinal injury (CSI) remains a significant concern following blunt trauma, with mortality rates as high as 48%. Current protocols involve cervical immobilization and clearance through multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans, followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or clinical examination. However, prolonged collar use poses risks, necessitating timely clearance. This study assessed the efficacy of MDCT in pediatric CSI clearance. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study, spanning January 2019 to January 2023, included pediatric patients under 18 undergoing cervical CT scans. RESULTS: MDCT sensitivity was evaluated, with 13.8% positive scans, detecting clinically significant injuries. MRI identified no additional injuries, affirming MDCT reliability. The average clearance time was 24.9 hours, impacting hospitalization durations. Mortality unrelated to CSI was excluded. CONCLUSION: These results align with recent studies advocating cervical collar removal based on negative MDCT, emphasizing its potential to decrease the time that patients remain in C-collars and expedite hospital courses, including therapy and discharge. The study encourages consideration of MDCT-based protocols for timely pediatric CSI clearance, promoting patient care efficiency and informed medical decision-making.

Delayed neurological deficit due to a medially misplaced thoracic pedicle screw during adolescent idiopathic scoliosis correction: a complication 6 years in the making.

PURPOSE: Neurological deficits developing years after pedicle screw misplacement is a rare phenomenon. Here, we report level IV evidence of a previously asymptomatic medial thoracic pedicle screw resulting in paraparesis after a motor vehicle accident. METHODS: A 21-year-old male presented with acute onset of paraparesis following a motor vehicle collision. Six years prior this incident, the patient underwent a thoracolumbar fusion T4-L4 for AIS performed by an outside orthopedic surgeon. CT scan and CT myelogram illustrated decreased spinal canal diameter and cord compression from a medial T8 pedicle screw. RESULTS: Surgical removal of the misplaced pedicle screw resulted in a gradual complete recovery sustained over a period of 2 years. This case is compared to those reported in the literature review between 1981 and 2019 concerning delayed neurological deterioration related to misplaced pedicle screw. CONCLUSION: This case reports a delayed neurological deficit implicating a misplaced pedicle screw. This phenomenon remains rare since 5 cases were reported in the literature over the last 4 decades. It calls into focus the need for confirmation of safe instrumentation during the intraoperative period. It also illustrates the potential difficult decision-making in regard to asymptomatic misplaced instrumentation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Surgical and Medical Management of Pediatric Spine Trauma.

Pediatric spine trauma is rare but presents unique challenges to clinical management. Special considerations include but are not limited to the need to minimize ionizing radiation in this patient population, anatomic immaturity, physiologic variants, and injuries seen only in the pediatric population. Here we review the epidemiology of pediatric spine trauma, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common injuries and discuss specific medical and surgical strategies for treatment.

The Impact of Spine Injuries on Amateur Athletes: An Exploratory Analysis of Sport-Related Patient-Reported Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: There is a lack of information on return to sport and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in amateur athletes after isolated spine injuries. METHODS: A single-center cohort study in amateur athletes aged 18 to 60 with isolated spine injuries; clinical data collection and follow-up via telephone interview and standardized PROMs (Short-Form 36, Oswestry and Neck Disability Index, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pain Visual Analog Scale). Bivariate analyses of potential influencing factors on PROMs were conducted using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Out of the 80 included participants, 78% (n = 62) were active in sport at follow-up. PROMs were slightly worse than those described for the age-adjusted general population. There were consistent associations of better PROMs with having reached the subjective preinjury level of performance in sport, while injury severity and surgical or conservative therapy did not show consistent associations with PROMs. CONCLUSION: Most amateur athletes resume their sports activity after a spine injury. Better outcomes are associated with individuals' resumption of sport and subjective level of performance, while injury severity and surgical or conservative therapy do not show consistent associations with PROMs, highlighting the importance of patient education, rehabilitation, and encouragement.

Accuracy and Safety of Freehand Placement of Upper Thoracic Pedicle Screws Supported Solely by Anteroposterior, i.e., Frontal, X-Ray Fluoroscopy (C-Arm): Technical Note Including 23 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Biomechanical resistance and surgical morbidity of spinal posterior pedicle screw fixation depend on the intraosseous position of the implants. Upper thoracic pedicle screws are particularly demanding given their convergence and thin character. We present our experience as military surgeons of freehand placement of upper thoracic pedicle screws supported solely by anteroposterior, i.e., frontal x-ray fluoroscopy. METHODS: A single-center retrospective analysis was performed at Sainte-Anne Military Teaching Hospital between 2017 and 2024 of patients in whom upper thoracic pedicle screw (T1-T5) were placed with anteroposterior fluoroscopy guidance only. RESULTS: Analysis included 23 patients (mean age 59; male/female ratio 3.6; 16 traumatic lesions and 7 neoplastic lesions) in whom 15 cervicothoracic junction fixation and 8 upper thoracic spine surgeries were performed. Of 124 screws inserted (T1-T5), 85% (106/124) were graded 0 (Gertzbein-Robbins scale), whereas 14.5% (18/124) displayed some degree of misplacement (grades 1-3). All T1 screws (22/22) were accurately placed compared with 83% (20/24) of T2 screws, 88% (30/34) of T3 screws, 85% (17/20) of T4 screws, and 71% (17/24) of T5 screws, with no clinical complications. There were 3 surgical revisions (1 asymptomatic misplaced screw, 2 mechanical failures in trauma). Finally, 92.7% (51/55) of the screws inserted during working hours were accurately placed compared with 79.7% (55/69) inserted during after-hours surgeries (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Clinically, placement of upper thoracic pedicle screws supported solely by anteroposterior fluoroscopy appears to be safe. The surgical technique is simple enough to be used in settings with limited resources, such as a mobile field surgical team.

Preoperative Opioid Use Increases Postoperative Opioid Demand, but Not Length of Stay After Spine Trauma Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative opioid use has been well-studied in elective spinal surgery and correlated with numerous postoperative complications including increases in immediate postoperative opioid demand (POD), continued opioid use postoperatively, prolonged length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and disability. There is a paucity of data available on the use of preoperative opioids in surgery for spine trauma, possibly because there are minimal options for opioid reduction prior to emergent spinal surgery. Nevertheless, patients with traumatic spinal injuries are at a high risk for adverse postoperative outcomes. This study investigated the effects of preoperative opioid use on POD and LOS in spine trauma patients. METHODS: 130 patients were grouped into two groups for primary comparison: Group 1 (preoperative opioid use, N = 16) and Group 2 (no opioid use, N = 114). Two subgroups of Group 2 were used for secondary analysis against Group 1: Group 3 (no substance abuse, N = 95) and Group 4 (other substance abuse, N = 19). Multivariable analysis was used to determine if there were significant differences in POD and LOS. RESULTS: Primary analysis demonstrated that preoperative opioid users required an estimated 97.5 mg/day more opioid medications compared to non-opioid users (P < 0.001). Neither primary nor secondary analysis showed a difference in LOS in any of the comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative opioid users had increased POD compared to non-opioid users and patients abusing other substances, but there was no difference in LOS. We theorize the lack of difference in LOS may be due to the enhanced perioperative recovery protocol used, which has been demonstrated to reduce LOS.

Open Versus Percutaneous Stabilization of Thoracolumbar Fractures: A Large Retrospective Analysis of Safety and Reoperation Rates.

BACKGROUND: Thoracolumbar fractures (TLF) requiring surgical intervention can be treated with either open or percutaneous stabilization, each with some distinct risks and benefits. There is insufficient evidence available to support one approach as superior. METHODS: Patients who underwent spinal fixation for TLF between 2008 and 2020 were reviewed. Patients with one or two levels of fracture treated with either open or percutaneous stabilization were included. Exclusion criteria were more than two levels of fracture, patients requiring corpectomy, stabilization constructs that crossed the cervicothoracic or lumbosacral junction, history of previous thoracolumbar fusion at the same level, spinal neoplasm, anterior or lateral fixation, and spinal infection. Demographic, operative, and clinical data were collected for all patients. RESULTS: 691 patients (377 open, 314 percutaneous) met the inclusion criteria. Patients in the percutaneous cohort sustained lower estimated blood loss (73 vs 334 ml; p< 0.001) and shorter length of surgery (114 vs. 151 minutes; p< 0.001). No differences were observed in the length of hospital stay or overall reoperation rates. Asymptomatic (7.0% vs 0.8%) and symptomatic (3.5% vs 0.5%) hardware removal was more common with the percutaneous cohort, while the incidence of revision surgery due to hardware failure requiring the extension of the construct (1.9% vs 5.8%) and infection (1.9% vs 6.4%) was greater in the open group. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous stabilization for TLF was associated with shorter operative time, less blood loss, lower infection rate, higher rates of elective hardware removal, and lower rates of hardware failure requiring extension of the construct compared to open stabilization.

Inter-observational analysis of computed tomography parameters to predict nonobvious posterior ligament complex injury in neurologically intact patients with thoracolumbar trauma.

Introduction: Assessing the integrity of the posterior ligament complex (PLC), as a key element in the characterization of an unstable Thoracolumbar fracture (TLF), is challenging, but crucial in the choice of treatment. Research question: How to create a reproducible score using combined parameters of Computed Tomography (CT) to predict nonobvious PLC injury. How CT parameters relate with PLC status. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of neurologically intact patients with an acute traumatic TLF, who underwent CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) within 72 h, in the Emergency Department of a single institution between January 2016 and 2022. Four investigators rated independently 11 parameters on CT and PLC integrity on MRI. The interrater reliability of the CT parameters was evaluated, and two risk scores were created to predict PLC injury on CT using the coefficients of the multivariate logistic regression. Results: 154 patients were included, of which 62 with PLC injury. All CT measurements had excellent or good interrater reliability. Patients with Horizontal Fracture of the lamina or pedicle (HLPF), Spinous process fracture (SPF) and Interspinous Distance Widening (IDW) were positively associated with PLC injury (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.045, respectively). Risk Score 2 (RS2), which included only statistically significant variables, had a total of 75.9% of correct classifications (p < 0.001), with a sensitivity of 71.0% and specificity of 78.3% to estimate PLC injury detected in the MRI. Discussion and conclusion: Standardized procedures pre-established in the CT measurement protocol were effective. Identically to early findings, those three CT measurements showed a positive relation to PLC injury, thus enhancing the conclusions of previous studies. Comparing to the reliability of the CT findings above mentioned, the score was less precise.

Conversion of T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images of Cervical Spine Trauma to Short T1 Inversion Recovery (STIR) Images by Generative Adversarial Network.

INTRODUCTION: The short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) sequence is advantageous for visualizing ligamentous injuries, but the STIR sequence may be missing in some cases. The purpose of this study was to generate synthetic STIR images from MRI T2-weighted images (T2WI) of patients with cervical spine trauma using a generative adversarial network (GAN).  Methods: A total of 969 pairs of T2WI and STIR images were extracted from 79 patients with cervical spine trauma. The synthetic model was trained 100 times, and the performance of the model was evaluated with five-fold cross-validation.  Results: As for quantitative validation, the structural similarity score was 0.519±0.1 and the peak signal-to-noise ratio score was 19.37±1.9 dB. As for qualitative validation, the incorporation of synthetic STIR images generated by a GAN alongside T2WI substantially enhances sensitivity in the detection of interspinous ligament injuries, outperforming assessments reliant solely on T2WI. CONCLUSION: The GAN model can generate synthetic STIRs from T2 images of cervical spine trauma using image-to-image conversion techniques. The use of a combination of synthetic STIR images generated by a GAN and T2WI improves sensitivity in detecting interspinous ligament injuries compared to assessments that use only T2WI.

Isolated unilateral alar ligamentous injury: illustrative cases.

BACKGROUND: Isolated unilateral alar ligament injury (IUALI) is a rare and likely underreported occurrence after upper cervical trauma, with only 16 cases documented in the literature to date. Patients generally present with neck pain, and definitive diagnosis is typically made by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Unfortunately, likely due in part to its rarity, there are no formal guidelines for the treatment of an IUALI. Furthermore, there is a limited understanding of the long-term consequences associated with its inadequate treatment. OBSERVATIONS: Here, the authors report on three pediatric patients, each found to have an IUALI after significant trauma. All patients presented with neck tenderness, and two of the three had associated pain-limited range of neck motion. Imaging revealed either a laterally deviated odontoid process on cervical radiographs and/or MRI evidence of ligamentous strain or discontinuity. Each patient was placed in a hard cervical collar for 1 to 2 months with excellent resolution of symptoms. A comprehensive review of the literature showed that all patients with IUALI who had undergone external immobilization with either rigid cervical collar or halo fixation had favorable outcomes at follow-up. LESSONS: For patients with IUALI, a moderate course of nonsurgical management with rigid external immobilization appears to be an adequate first-line treatment.

Comparison of iCT-based navigation and fluoroscopic-guidance for atlantoaxial screw placement in 78 patients with traumatic cervical spine injuries.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Studies have shown biomechanical superiority of cervical pedicle screw placement over other techniques. However, accurate placement is challenging due to the inherent risk of neurovascular complications. Navigation technology based on intraoperative 3D imaging allows highly accurate screw placement, yet studies specifically investigating screw placement in patients with traumatic atlantoaxial injuries are scarce. The aim of this study was to compare atlantoaxial screw placement as treatment of traumatic instabilities using iCT-based navigation or fluoroscopic-guidance with intraoperative 3D control scans. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients with traumatic atlantoaxial injuries treated operatively with dorsal stabilization of C1 and C2. Patients were either assigned to the intraoperative navigation or fluoroscopic-guidance group. Screw accuracy, procedure time, and revisions were compared. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were included in this study with 51 patients in the navigation group and 27 patients in the fluoroscopic-guidance group. In total, 312 screws were placed in C1 and C2. Screw accuracy was high in both groups; however, pedicle perforations > 1 mm occurred significantly more often in the fluoroscopic-guidance group (P = 0.02). Procedure time was on average 23 min shorter in the navigation group (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the available data showing that navigated atlantoaxial screw placement proves to be feasible as well as highly accurate compared to the fluoroscopic-guidance technique without prolonging the time needed for surgery. When comparing these data with other studies, the application of different classification systems for assessment of screw accuracy should be considered.

C1-C2 sublaminar taping for displaced odontoid synchondrosis fracture in an infant: A case report and novel surgical technique.

Pediatric cervical spine injuries are rare, and the diagnosis and management can be challenging. Surgical intervention has been recommended in unstable odontoid synchondrosis injuries or those that have failed nonoperative measures. However, the literature remains sparse on the operative management of severe injuries due to the low incidence. An 18-month-old female sustained an unstable odontoid synchondrosis fracture from a motor vehicle accident. Due to ongoing instability after initial immobilization in a halo, the decision was made to proceed with surgical management. With the patient positioned prone and neural monitoring throughout, a posterior approach was utilized. Subperiosteal exposure of the C1 posterior arch was performed bilaterally. A spinal fixation band was passed under the right C1 posterior arch, around the C2 spinous process, under the left C1 posterior arch, and finally back under the C2 spinous process. The C1-C2 distraction was reduced using intraoperative imaging, and the sublaminar tape construct was secured and reinforced. The halo was then reattached. Postoperative recovery was complicated by a halo pin-site infection which was treated with oral antibiotics. The halo was removed after 3 months, following a computerized tomography that demonstrated union. X-rays at 6 months revealed anatomical alignment with the union. Surgery is recommended in pediatric odontoid synchondrosis fractures refractory to nonoperative management. Sublaminar taping of C1-C2 with a spinal fixation band has been demonstrated to be an effective surgical technique in the management of an unstable odontoid synchondrosis fracture.

A 13-Year Long-Term Follow-Up of a Case Report With Continued Improvement in Severe Chronic Neck and Head Pain Alleviated With Chiropractic BioPhysics® Spinal Rehabilitation Protocols.

Alleviation of headaches (HAs), neck pain (NP), and disability is a desirable clinical outcome for the billions globally who suffer from these conditions. Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP®) methods may provide an option for head and neck-injured patients. A 62-year-old female historically injured multiple times including two motor vehicle collisions (MVC), and a strike to the face with a hockey puck; all resulting in chronic pain and suffering. The subject sought and received successful treatment in 2016 using this conservative protocol at a facility in the USA. The resolution of symptoms following 36 treatments was previously reported. Following 13 years without treatment beyond home exercises, the subject was re-evaluated and found to be stable in the long term for pain, structural and functional assessment. Thirty-six treatments over 12 weeks in 2016 led to an improvement in numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) for NP (5/10 to 1/10), and HA (9+/10 to 0/10), resolution of NP disability (6/100 to 0/100) as well as normalization of ROM without pain and resumption of all activities of daily living including high-level athletics without pain and disability. A 13-year follow-up found continued stability objectively and subjectively. We provide a case of successful conservative treatment using specific traction, exercises, and spine manipulation procedures. CBP® provides an option to treat pain and this case adds to growing evidence.

Rigid spine injuries - A comprehensive review on diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Injuries to the rigid spine have a distinguished position in the broad spectrum of spinal injuries due to altered biomechanical properties. The rigid spine is more prone to fractures. Two ossification bone disorders that are of particular interest are Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH). DISH is a non-inflammatory condition that leads to an anterolateral ossification of the spine. AS on the other hand is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to cortical bone erosions and spinal ossifications. Both diseases gradually induce stiffening of the spine. The prevalence of DISH is age-related and is therefore higher in the older population. Although the prevalence of AS is not age-related the occurrence of spinal ossification is higher with increasing age. This association with age and the aging demographics in industrialized nations illustrate the need for medical professionals to be adequately informed and prepared. The aim of this narrating review is to give an overview on the diagnostic and therapeutic measures of the ankylosed spine. Because of highly unstable fracture configurations, injuries to the rigid spine are highly susceptible to neurological deficits. Diagnosing a fracture of the ankylosed spine on plain radiographs can be challenging. Moreover, since 8% of patients with ankylosing spine disorders (ASD) have multiple non-contagious fractures, a CT scan of the entire spine is highly recommended as the primary diagnostic tool. There are no consensus-based guidelines for the treatment of spinal fractures in ASD. The presence of neurological deficit or unstable fractures are absolute indications for surgical intervention. If conservative therapy is chosen, patients should be monitored closely to ensure that secondary neurologic deterioration does not occur. For the fractures that have to be treated surgically, stabilization of at least three segments above and below the fracture zone is recommended. These fractures mostly are treated via the posterior approach. Patients with AS or DISH share a significant risk for complications after a traumatic spine injury. The most frequent complications for patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures are respiratory failure, pseudoarthrosis, pneumonia, and implant failure.

Term and definition of a deformity after a spine trauma: Results of an international Delphi study.

Introduction: Deformity of the spinal column after trauma could lead to pain, impaired function, and may sometimes necessitate extensive and high-risk surgery. This 'condition' has multiple terms and definitions that are used in research and clinics. A specific term and definition of this condition however is still lacking. A uniform and internationally accepted term and definition are necessary to compare cases and treatments in the future. Research question: Reach consensus on the term and definition of this deformity after spine trauma using a Delphi approach. Material and methods: An 'all-rounds invitation' Delphi process was used in this study among a group of international experts. The first round consisted of an online survey using input from preparatory studies, a typical clinical case and ICD-11 codes. The second round showed the results in-person and discussion was encouraged. Participants voted for rejection of certain terms. In the third round the final vote took place. When >80 % of the votes was for or against a term the term was rejected or accepted. Results: Response rate was high (≥84 %). The 3 Delphi rounds were completed. Unanimous voting led to the acceptance of the term and abbreviation as PSD. Deformity in any plane, pain, impaired function, and neurological deficit, were deemed important to include in the definition of PSD. Discussion and conclusion: Unanimous consensus was reached on 'Posttraumatic spinal deformity: Condition where a trauma to the spine results in a deformity in any plane and results in pain and an impaired function with or without a neurological deficit.'

A Novel Radiological Scoring System for Anterior Longitudinal Ligament Injuries.

Background and Aim: Cervical hyperextension injury is very frequent with anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL) injury, and the ligament damage has a remarkable effect on whether and what type of operation should be performed. This study aims to establish a new scoring system for the accurate diagnosis of ALL damage. Methods: The imaging data of the consecutive patients was measured and scored by four radiologists. Intraoperative exploration was performed by three surgeons. The crude and adjusted odds ratios (cOR and aOR) and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were constructed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the scoring system. Results: A total of 255 patients with cervical spine trauma were included in this study. There was no statistical difference in the relationship between demographics and ALL injuries (P > 0.05). Thickness of prevertebral soft tissue (aOR = 11.922, P = 0.004), intervertebral disk angle (aOR = 13.21, P = 0.002), avulsion fracture of the anterior edge of the vertebral body (aOR = 13.844, P = 0.029), ALL disrupted in T1-weighted sequence (aOR = 18.349, P < 0.001), and high signal area in T2-weighted sequence (aOR = 20.898, P = 0.002) had significantly higher diagnostic accuracy. The scoring system's sensitivity and specificity were 94.0% and 88.1%, respectively, and the accuracy was 90.8%. Conclusion: The study established a new scoring system for ALL injuries based on the analysis of a series of clinical data and statistics. A total of five scoring items, a total score of 7 points, and an ALL injury may be diagnosed when the score is not less than 3 points. This scoring system enables an efficient and accurate diagnosis of all injuries.

MicroRNA-133b Dysregulation in a Mouse Model of Cervical Contusion Injury.

Our previous research studies have demonstrated the role of microRNA133b (miR133b) in healing the contused spinal cord when administered either intranasally or intravenously 24 h following an injury. While our data showed beneficial effects of exogenous miR133b delivered within hours of a spinal cord injury (SCI), the kinetics of endogenous miR133b levels in the contused spinal cord and rostral/caudal segments of the injury were not fully investigated. In this study, we examined the miR133b dysregulation in a mouse model of moderate unilateral contusion injury at the fifth cervical (C5) level. Between 30 min and 7 days post-injury, mice were euthanized and tissues were collected from different areas of the spinal cord, ipsilateral and contralateral prefrontal motor cortices, and off-targets such as lung and spleen. The endogenous level of miR133b was determined by RT-qPCR. We found that after SCI, (a) most changes in miR133b level were restricted to the injured area with very limited alterations in the rostral and caudal parts relative to the injury site, (b) acute changes in the endogenous levels were predominantly specific to the lesion site with delayed miR133b changes in the motor cortex, and (c) ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres responded differently to unilateral SCI. Our results suggest that the therapeutic window for exogenous miR133b therapy begins earlier than 24 h post-injury and potentially lasts longer than 7 days.

Penetrating head and spine injuries due to artisanal Sahelian metal arrows: experience from a tertiary hospital in Niger.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Metal arrows are medieval weapons typically used for hunting and war. The incidence of metal arrow wounds has declined considerably since the 16th century. Different metal arrowheads exist, and the traditional Sahelian arrowhead is barbed. Extraction of this type of metal arrow is challenging because of the risk of extensive damage to surrounding structures. To the best of our knowledge, there are no guidelines in the literature for intracranial and spinal penetrating Sahelian arrow injuries and their surgical extraction. Most authors referred to the principles of common trauma injury. In this study, we aimed to share our experience with the surgical extraction of intracranial and spinal artisanal Sahelian arrows leading to penetrating injuries, and to propose some guidelines for such lesions. METHODS: We present a consecutive case series of 8 patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of the National Hospital of Zinder for metal arrow injuries of the head and spine between November 2015 and June 2023. RESULTS: Eight patients with penetrating head and spine barbed-arrow injuries were admitted to our department. Mean age was 19.37 years (range, 15 to 25 years). Patients were all male, from a rural area. Trauma circumstances involved fighting between farmers and herders. All patients received antibiotics, analgesics and tetanus prophylaxis at admission before undergoing surgical extraction under general anesthesia. Successful extraction was achieved in all cases. CONCLUSION: Extraction of intracranial or spinal artisanal Sahelian arrows is a challenge, particularly in limited facility structures. The proposed guidelines may lead to good extraction outcomes.

Presentation, Management, and Outcomes of Thoracic, Thoracolumbar, and Lumbar Spine Trauma in East Africa: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Trauma to the thoracic, thoracolumbar (TL), and lumbar spine is common and can cause disability and neurological deficits. Using a cohort of patients suffering from thoracic, TL, and lumbar spine trauma in a tertiary hospital in East Africa, the current study sought to: (1) describe demographics and operative treatment patterns, (2) assess neurologic outcomes, and (3) report predictors associated with undergoing surgery, neurologic improvement, and mortality. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patient records from September 2016 to December 2020 was conducted at a prominent East Africa referral center. The study collected data on demographics, injury, and operative characteristics. Surgical indications were assessed using the AO (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen) TL fracture classification system and neurological function. Logistic regression analysis identified predictors for operative treatment, neurologic improvement, and mortality. RESULTS: The study showed that 64.9% of the 257 TL spine trauma patients underwent surgery with a median postadmission day of 17.0. The mortality rate was 1.2%. Road traffic accidents caused 43.6% of the injuries. The most common fracture pattern was AO Type A fractures (78.6%). Laminectomy and posterolateral fusion were performed in 97.6% of the surgical cases. Patients without neurological deficits (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13-0.54, P < 0.001) and those with longer delays from injury to admission were less likely to have surgery (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.99, P = 0.007). The neurologic improvement rate was 11.1%. Univariate analysis showed a significant association between surgery and neurologic improvement (OR: 3.83, 95% CI: 1.27-16.61, P < 0.001). However, this finding was lost in multivariate regression. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights various themes surrounding the management of TL spine trauma in a low-resource environment, including lower surgery rates, delays from admission to surgery, safe surgery with low mortality, and the potential for surgery to lead to neurologic improvement. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Despite challenges such as surgical delays and limited resources in East Africa, there is potential for surgical intervention to improve neurologic outcomes in thoracic, TL, and lumbar spine trauma patients.

Utilization of Augmented Reality Head-Mounted Display for the Surgical Management of Thoracolumbar Spinal Trauma.

Background and Objectives: Augmented reality head-mounted display (AR-HMD) is a novel technology that provides surgeons with a real-time CT-guided 3-dimensional recapitulation of a patient's spinal anatomy. In this case series, we explore the use of AR-HMD alongside more traditional robotic assistance in surgical spine trauma cases to determine their effect on operative costs and perioperative outcomes. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed trauma patients who underwent pedicle screw placement surgery guided by AR-HMD or robotic-assisted platforms at an academic tertiary care center between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022. Outcome distributions were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The AR cohort (n = 9) had a mean age of 66 years, BMI of 29.4 kg/m2, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) of 4.1, and Surgical Invasiveness Index (SII) of 8.8. In total, 77 pedicle screws were placed in this cohort. Intra-operatively, there was a mean blood loss of 378 mL, 0.78 units transfused, 398 min spent in the operating room, and a 20-day LOS. The robotic cohort (n = 13) had a mean age of 56 years, BMI of 27.1 kg/m2, CCI of 3.8, and SII of 14.2. In total, 128 pedicle screws were placed in this cohort. Intra-operatively, there was a mean blood loss of 432 mL, 0.46 units transfused units used, 331 min spent in the operating room, and a 10.4-day LOS. No significant difference was found between the two cohorts in any outcome metrics. Conclusions: Although the need to address urgent spinal conditions poses a significant challenge to the implementation of innovative technologies in spine surgery, this study represents an initial effort to show that AR-HMD can yield comparable outcomes to traditional robotic surgical techniques. Moreover, it highlights the potential for AR-HMD to be readily integrated into Level 1 trauma centers without requiring extensive modifications or adjustments.