Surgeon-driven neurophysiologic monitoring in a spinal surgery population.

BACKGROUND: This is a prospective observational study examining the use of a surgeon-driven intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring system. Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring is becoming the standard of care for spinal surgeries with potential post-operative neurologic deficits. This standard applies to both adult and pediatric spinal surgery, but a shortage of appropriately trained and certified technologists and physiologists can compromise monitoring capabilities in some centers. A surgeon-driven, intra-operative monitoring system in the absence of a technologist or physiologist was examined for safety and efficacy. METHODS: One hundred thirty-five patients undergoing a variety of spinal procedures were monitored intra-operatively using a surgeon-driven neuro-monitoring system over a period of 80 months. Intraoperative monitoring included serial motor evoked potentials via an automated system that provided visual and audible feedback directly to the operative surgeon. Changes in monitoring and any corresponding surgical responses were evaluated and compared with postoperative neurological status. RESULTS: Of the 135 patients studied, intraoperative adjustments based on neuro-monitoring took place in four patients (3.0%): following reduction in spondylolisthesis, during instrumentation and fusion for a large kyphoscoliosis deformity, due to low hemoglobin, and because of traction. In all cases, surgical and/or anaesthetic modification restored MEPs toward baseline values. The accuracy of the neuro-monitoring results was sensitive to narcotics, benzodiazepines and changes in haemoglobin concentrations. No new postoperative deficits were observed in any patients in the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that surgeon-driven neuro-monitoring was a safe and effective means of intraoperative neuro-monitoring during spinal surgery. It reliably detected intraoperative insults, which could potentially have resulted in postoperative neurologic compromise, and was not associated with any false-negative results in this cohort. Utility of surgeon-driven monitoring, using validated algorithms, may provide an option for this added safety measure even in cases where monitoring personnel are unavailable.

The outcome of modified extended trochanteric osteotomy in revision THA for Vancouver B2/B3 periprosthetic fractures of the femur.

We hypothesised that a modified ETO in patients undergoing revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) for treatment of Vancouver B2/B3 peri-prosthetic fractures would be associated with good clinical outcomes. A retrospective review was conducted of 34 patients (mean age 73 years). At mean follow-up of 57 months, the ETO had healed in all patients. Two patients had subsidence of the femoral stem at two and three years postoperatively requiring revision, and one patient had a dislocation 3 months after surgery. The mean Harris Hip Score at the time of the final follow-up was 76.9 (range, 46-95); 23/34 patients had an excellent result, 7/34 a good result, and 4/34 a poor result. We conclude that satisfactory outcomes can be obtained using this technique.

Acetabular cup revision combined with tensor facia lata reconstruction for management of massive abductor avulsion after failed total hip arthroplasty.

We report on 17 patients with massive abductor avulsions after total hip arthroplasty (THA) treated with medialization of the acetabular component and tensor fascia lata (TFL) reconstruction. All patients had severe limp, positive Trendelenburg sign, and avulsion of the abductor insertion confirmed on MRI. Mean age was 69 years (range, 50-83 years), and mean follow-up period was 36 months (range, 18-78 months). After surgery, 9 patients had no limp (47%), 8 patients had a mild limp, and abductor power improved from mean 2.5/5 to mean 3.8 (P < 0.0001). At latest follow-up, the Harris Hip Score was excellent in 6 hips (37%), good in 7 (43%) hips, and fair or poor in 3 (23%). Two patients with mild limp were not satisfied with their procedure.

Nineteen year results of THA using modular 9 mm S-ROM femoral component in patients with small femoral canals.

A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 30 consecutive THA performed in 25 patients with hypoplastic proximal femurs, who had received a 9-mm uncemented modular S-ROM stem. The mean patient age was 42 years (17-69 years), mean height was 152.5 cm (130-170.5 cm), mean weight was 63 kg (39-90 kg), and mean follow-up period was 19 years (range, 12-23 years). Subsidence was seen in 2 hips, with asymptomatic femoral osteolysis present in 11 hips; overall survival of the femoral stem was 93.3%, with two revisions of the femoral component required for aseptic loosening. After a mean follow-up of 19 years, the use of the S-ROM 9 mm femoral stem in the patient with the small femur was associated with a low revision rate due to aseptic loosening of the stem.

The Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH): the use of a checklist to evaluate hip fracture healing improves agreement between radiologists and orthopedic surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: The assessment of fracture healing following intertrochanteric fracture fixation is highly variable with no validated standards. Agreement with respect to fracture healing following surgery is important for optimal patient management. The purpose of this study was to (1) assess reliability of intertrochanteric fracture healing assessment and (2) determine if a novel radiographic scoring system for hip fractures improves agreement between radiologists and orthopedic surgeons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A panel of three radiologists and three orthopedic surgeons assessed fracture healing in 150 cases of intertrochanteric fractures at two separate time points to determine inter-rater and intra-rater agreement. Reviewers, blinded to the time after injury, first subjectively assessed overall healing using frontal and lateral radiographs for each patient at a single time point. Reviewers then scored each fracture using a Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) form to determine whether this improves agreement regarding hip fracture healing. RESULTS: Inter-rater agreement for the overall subjective impression of fracture healing between reviewer groups was only fair (intraclass coefficient [ICC] = 0.34, 95 % CI: 0.11-0.52. Use of the RUSH score improved overall agreement between groups to substantial (ICC = 0.66, 95 % CI: 0.53-0.75). Across reviewers, healing of the medial cortex and overall RUSH score itself demonstrated high correlations with overall perceptions of healing (r = 0.53 and r = 0.72, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The RUSH score improves agreement of fracture healing assessment between orthopedic surgeons and radiologists, offers a systematic approach to evaluating intertrochanteric hip fracture radiographs, and may ultimately provide prognostic information that could predict healing outcomes in patients with femoral neck fractures.

Radiographic union score for hip substantially improves agreement between surgeons and radiologists.

BACKGROUND: Despite the prominence of hip fractures in orthopedic trauma, the assessment of fracture healing using radiographs remains subjective. The variability in the assessment of fracture healing has important implications for both clinical research and patient care. With little existing literature regarding reliable consensus on hip fracture healing, this study was conducted to determine inter-rater reliability between orthopedic surgeons and radiologists on healing assessments using sequential radiographs in patients with hip fractures. Secondary objectives included evaluating a checklist designed to assess hip fracture healing and determining whether agreement improved when reviewers were aware of the timing of the x-rays in relation to the patients' surgery. METHODS: A panel of six reviewers (three orthopedic surgeons and three radiologists) independently assessed fracture healing using sequential radiographs from 100 patients with femoral neck fractures and 100 patients with intertrochanteric fractures. During their independent review they also completed a previously developed radiographic checklist (Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH)). Inter and intra-rater reliability scores were calculated. Data from the current study was compared to the findings from a previously conducted study where the same reviewers, unaware of the timing of the x-rays, completed the RUSH score. RESULTS: The agreement between surgeons and radiologists for fracture healing was moderate for "general impression of fracture healing" in both femoral neck (ICC = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.71) and intertrochanteric fractures (0.50, 95% CI: 0.33-0.62). Using a standardized checklist (RUSH), agreement was almost perfect in both femoral neck (ICC = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.82-0.87) and intertrochanteric fractures (0.88, 95% CI: 0.86-0.90). We also found a high degree of correlation between healing and the total RUSH score using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, there was an area under the curve of 0.993 for femoral neck cases and 0.989 for intertrochanteric cases. Agreement within the radiologist group and within the surgeon group did not significantly differ in our analyses. In all cases, radiographs in which the time from surgery was known resulted in higher agreement scores compared to those from the previous study in which reviewers were unaware of the time the radiograph was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement in hip fracture radiographic healing may be improved with the use of a standardized checklist and appears highly influenced by the timing of the radiograph. These findings should be considered when evaluating patient outcomes and in clinical studies involving patients with hip fractures. Future research initiatives are required to further evaluate the RUSH checklist.