The modified Frailty Index does not correlate with survival in surgically-treated patients with metastatic spine disease.

With the increasing burden of metastatic spinal disease there is ever-more pressure on the health system to provide optimal management. Multiple treatment modalities, including surgical intervention, are available. Multiple prognostic scoring systems have been developed to aid both clinician and patient in making the best decision for each individual. The modified Frailty Index (mFI) has not been assessed for its correlation with survival in patients treated for metastatic spine disease. A retrospective review of a patients undergoing surgery for metastatic spine disease at a tertiary referral centre was performed and a comparison was made between the mFI and previously established disease-specific prognostic scores (revised Tokuhashi, modified Bauer and Tomita scores and the Oswestry Spine Risk Index). 41 patients were included over a 5-year period. 38 deceased by the end of the study period with a 30-day mortality of 14.6% and a 1-year mortality of 73.2%. The mFI poorly correlated with survival. Out of the four established scoring system, the OSRI had the best correlation. The mFI did not correlate with survival in this cohort of surgically treated patients with metastatic spinal disease and is best used as a selection tool for surgery. Dedicated prognostic tools can be selected appropriate to the institution experience and set-up.

C2 Fractures in the Elderly: Single-Center Evaluation of Risk Factors for Mortality.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify features associated with increased mortality risk in traumatic C2 fractures in the elderly, including measures of comorbidity and frailty. Overview of Literature: C2 fractures in the elderly are of increasing relevance in the setting of an aging global population and have a high mortality rate. Previous analyzes of risk factors for mortality have not included the measures of comorbidity and/or frailty, and no local data have been reported to date. Methods: This study comprises a retrospective review of 70 patients of age >65 years at Waikato Hospital, New Zealand with traumatic C2 fractures identified on computed tomography between 2010 and 2016. Demographic details, medical history, laboratory results on admission, mechanism of injury, and neurological status on presentation were recorded. Medical comorbidities were also detailed allowing calculation of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and the modified Frailty Index (mFI). Results: The most common mechanism of injury was a fall from standing height (n=52, 74.3%). Mortality rates were 14.3% (n=10) at day 30, and 35.7% (n=25) at 1 year. Bivariate analysis showed that both CCI and mFI correlated with 1-year mortality rates. Reduced albumin and hemoglobin levels were also associated with 30-day and 1-year mortality rates. Forward stepwise logistic regression models determined CCI and low hemoglobin as predictors of mortality within 30 days, whereas CCI, low albumin, increased age, and female gender predicted mortality at 1 year. Conclusions: The CCI was a useful tool for predicting mortality at 1 year in the patient cohort. Other variables, including common laboratory markers, can also be used for risk stratification, to initiate timely multidisciplinary management, and prognostic counseling for patients and family members.

Detecting Facet Joint and Lateral Mass Injuries of the Subaxial Cervical Spine in Major Trauma Patients.

STUDY DESIGN: Radiologic imaging measurement study. PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of detecting lateral mass and facet joint injuries of the subaxial cervical spine on plain radiographs using computed tomography (CT) scan images as a reference standard; and the integrity of morphological landmarks of the lateral mass and facet joints of the subaxial cervical spine. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Injuries of lateral mass and facet joints potentially lead to an unstable subaxial cervical spine and concomitant neurological sequelae. However, no study has evaluated the accuracy of detecting specific facet joint injuries. METHODS: Eight spinal surgeons scored four sets of the same, randomly re-ordered, 30 cases with and without facet joint injuries of the subaxial cervical spine. Two surveys included conventional plain radiographs series (test) and another two surveys included CT scan images (reference). Facet joint injury characteristics were assessed for accuracy and reliability. Raw agreement, Fleiss kappa, Cohen's kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient statistics were used for reliability analysis. Majority rules were used for accuracy analysis. RESULTS: Of the 21 facet joint injuries discerned on CT scan images, 10 were detected in both plain radiograph surveys (sensitivity, 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26-0.70). There were no false positive facet joint injuries in either of the first two X-ray surveys (specificity, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.63-1.0). Five of the 11 cases with missed injuries had an injury below the lowest visible articulating level on radiographs. CT scan images resulted in superior inter- and intra-rater agreement values for assessing morphologic injury characteristics of facet joint injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Plain radiographs are not accurate, nor reliable for the assessment of facet joint injuries of the subaxial cervical spine. CT scans offer reliable diagnostic information required for the detection and treatment planning of facet joint injuries.

The Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System: an external agreement validation study.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: In 2007, the Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification (SLIC) system was introduced demonstrating moderate reliability in an internal validation study. PURPOSE: To assess the agreement on the SLIC system using clinical data from a spinal trauma population and whether the SLIC treatment algorithm outcome improved agreement on treatment decisions among surgeons. STUDY DESIGN: An external classification validation study. PATIENT SAMPLE: Twelve spinal surgeons (five consultants and seven fellows) assessed 51 randomly selected cases. OUTCOME MEASURES: Raw agreement, Fleiss kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficient statistics were used for reliability analysis. Majority rules and latent class modeling were used for accuracy analysis. METHODS: Fifty-one randomly selected cases with significant injuries of the cervical spine from a prospective consecutive series of trauma patients were assessed using the SLIC system. Neurologic details, plain radiographs, and computed tomography scans were available for all cases as well as magnetic resonance imaging in 21 cases (41%). No funds were received in support of this study. The authors have no conflict of interest in the subject of this article. RESULTS: The inter-rater agreement on the most severely affected level of injury was strong (κ=0.76). The agreement on the morphologic injury characteristics was poor (κ=0.29) and agreement on the integrity of the discoligamentous complex was average (κ=0.46). The inter-rater agreement on the treatment verdict after the total SLIC injury severity score was slightly lower than the surgeons' agreement on personal treatment preference (κ=0.55 vs. κ=0.63). Latent class analysis was not converging and did not present accurate estimations of the true classification categories. Based on these findings, no second survey for testing intrarater agreement was performed. CONCLUSIONS: We found poor agreement on the morphologic injury characteristics of the SLIC system, and its treatment algorithm showed no improved agreement on treatment decisions among surgeons. The authors discuss that the reproducibility of the SLIC system is likely to improve when unambiguous true morphologic injury characteristics are being implemented.

Strategy in the surgical treatment of primary spinal tumors.

Primary spine tumors are rare, accounting for only 4% of all tumors of the spine. A minority of the more common primary benign lesions will require surgical treatment, and most amenable malignant lesions will proceed to attempted resection. The rarity of malignant primary lesions has resulted in a paucity of historical data regarding optimal surgical and adjuvant treatment and, although we now derive benefit from standardized guidelines of overall care, management of each neoplasm often proceeds on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the individual characteristics of patient operability, tumor resectability, and biological potential. This article aims to provide an overview of diagnostic techniques, staging algorithms and the authors' experience of surgical treatment alternatives that have been employed in the care of selected benign and malignant lesions. Although broadly a review of contemporary management, it is hoped that the case illustrations given will serve as additional "arrows in the quiver" of the treating surgeon.