Trans-Tubular Translaminar Microscopic-Assisted Nucleotomy for Lumbar Disc Herniations in the Hidden Zone.

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cohort study in a high-flow spine center in Germany. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes and complications of the trans-tubular translaminar microscopic-assisted percutaneous nucleotomy in cases of cranially migrated lumbar disc herniations (LDH). METHODS: Between January 2013 and January 2018, 66 consecutive patients with cranio-laterally migrated LDH were operated upon. The following outcome measures were evaluated: (1) Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for leg and back pain; (2) Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Macnab´s criteria. All patients were operated upon with trans-tubular Translaminar Microscopic-assisted Percutaneous Nucleotomy (TL-MAPN). Perioperative radiographic and clinical evaluations were reported. The mean follow-up period was 32 months. RESULTS: The mean age was 59 years. L4/L5 was the commonest affected level (27 patients). The mean preoperative VAS for leg pain was 6.44 (±2.06), improved to 0,35 (±0.59) postoperatively. Dural injury occurred in 1 patient, treated with dural patch. Improved neurological function was reported in 41/44 Patients (neurological improvement rate of 93%) at the final follow up. There was a significant improvement in the mean ODI values, from 50.19 ± 4.92 preoperatively to 10.14 ± 2.22 postoperatively (P < 0.001). Sixty four out of 66 patients (96%) showed an excellent or good functional outcome according to Macnab´s criteria. No recurrent herniations were observed. CONCLUSION: The translaminar approach is a viable minimal invasive technique for cranially migrated LDH. The preservation of the flavum ligament is one of the main advantages of this technique. It is an effective, safe and reproducible minimally invasive surgical alternative in treatment of cranially migrated LDHs.

Radiofrequency ablation and balloon kyphoplasty for palliation of painful spinal metastases.

PURPOSE: This study was designed with an aim to assess the safety and early postoperative outcomes of the combined Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and Balloon Kyphoplasty (BKP) used for the treatment of painful neoplastic spinal lesions palliatively. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between December 2015 and December 2018, 60 patients (35 men and 25 women) with spinal metastases were operated using RFA and BKP at our institution. Transpedicular biopsy was performed in all cases. Patients' demographics, lesion characteristics, concurrent palliative therapies and complications were recorded. All patients were clinically (Pain score VAS 0-10) and radiologically evaluated pre- and postoperatively. Retrospective analysis of data for this cohort was performed. RESULTS: Seventy-five painful spinal metastases (46 in the lumbar spine and 29 in the thoracic region) in 60 patients were operated [transpedicular RFA alone in 5 lesions, and in combination with BKP in 70 lesions (93%)]. The mean pre-procedure and post-procedure VAS for back pain was 7.2/10 and 2.7/10, respectively (p value = 0.0001). No neurological complications related to RFA were found and no cement extravasation into the spinal canal was observed. In two patients, asymptomatic leaks into the needle track, in two patients into draining veins and in one patient into the disk space were detected. CONCLUSION: Combined RFA and BKP appears to be a safe, practical, effective and reproducible palliative treatment for painful spinal osteolytic metastasis. In carefully indicated cases, it relieves pain and maintains stability in a minimal invasive way without adding significant surgical trauma or complications.

Posterior only approach for fifth lumbar corpectomy: indications and technical notes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a posterior-only approach for L5 corpectomy, with lumbopelvic fixation for treatment of secondaries, infections, or burst fractures. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2013, 17 patients with L5 pathology had corpectomy through a posterior-only approach, with reconstruction of the anterior column using titanium cages filled with bone graft. The indication for surgery was presence of secondaries in nine patients, spondylitis and spondylodiscitis in five patients and burst fractures due to high energy trauma in three patients. All patients underwent detailed neurological examination as well as plain radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging studies. RESULTS: This study included 17 patients (8 males and 9 females) with a mean age of 48.3 years. The mean operative time was 186.1 minutes with mean blood loss of 744 ml. No intra-operative or immediate post-operative complications were encountered. Three patients died during follow-up due to advanced malignancy. The remaining 14 patients were followed-up for a mean of 24.9 months. One patient had cut through of L3 screws two years after surgery requiring metal removal. One patient had asymptomatic broken screw, with no need for further intervention. CONCLUSIONS: L5 corpectomy is a challenging procedure indicated for treatment of various cases of metastasis, infections, or comminuted fractures. The posterior approach is safe, efficient, and allows both rigid posterior stabilization and anterior reconstruction after L5 corpectomy without the need for an anterior approach and its possible related morbidity.

Infection after vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. A series of nine cases and review of literature.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Percutaneous augmentation with bone cement is a widely accepted modality of treatment for thoracic and lumbar vertebral osteoporotic fractures. Infection after vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty is a serious, yet, rarely reported complication. PURPOSE: To present a case series with a long-term follow-up of spinal infection after vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty with analysis of preoperative condition, risk factors, diagnostic findings, time before reoperation, causative organism, treatment, and outcome. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective, uncontrolled clinical case series in a single institution. PATIENT SAMPLE: Between January 1997 and June 2012, 1,307 patients underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. Six cases had postoperative infection (0.46%) and three additional cases were referred from other institutions for salvage treatment. OUTCOME MEASURES: Perioperative assessment included visual analog scale, clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings, and activities of daily living at the end of the follow-up. METHODS: Nine patients were included: six females and three males (mean age 73.8 years). Comorbidities were found in all patients. Kyphoplasty had been done in five patients and vertebroplasty in four. RESULTS: The interval between augmentation and revision surgery ranged from 10 to 395 days with a mean of 118.4 days. Three cases with early infection presented within 1 month. Infection parameters were high in all patients at readmission. All patients were treated surgically except one case who died before the planned revision surgery. In all cases, debridement and corpectomy were done through anterior approaches combined with posterior instrumentation. The most common causative organism was Staphylococcus aureus in three cases. Mean follow-up period after the revision surgery was 26.68 months, excluding two patients who died early in the follow-up (within 4 months). This amounts to a mortality rate of 33.3% perioperatively. At the end of follow-up, two patients had unrestricted activities and one patient required a walker. Of three paraparetic patients, two improved functionally and could walk unassisted and one improved but still used a wheelchair. CONCLUSIONS: Although vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are minimally invasive interventions, postoperative infection can develop into life-threatening complications. This should be accounted for, in decision making in the elderly age group most commonly affected by osteoporotic fractures and especially in suspicious and high-risk immune-compromised patients.