Time-Dependent Bacterial Contamination of a Surgical Suction Tip.

Background: No in vitro surgical study has evaluated the time-dependent contamination of surgical suction tips compared with controls. Our purpose was to determine the difference in suction tip bacterial contamination rates between suction-positive and suction-negative tips. Materials and Methods: A matched-pair analysis of the contamination of surgical suction tips over a six-hour period was performed in two clean operating rooms. One suction tip was connected to standard wall suction (suction-positive group), with a matched control tip not connected to wall suction (suction-negative group). At time zero and then at hourly intervals for six hours, the distal 3 cm of suction tips were removed, placed in nutrient broth for 48 hours, then plate cultured. One hundred tips were collected for each time interval. Results: Eighty-two of 700 (11.7%) suction tips had bacterial contamination. Sixty-three (18.0%) of 350 suction-positive tips were contaminated, with 19 (5.4%) of the 350 suction-negative tips contaminated (χ2 = 26.7, p < 0.001). Suction tip contamination was time-dependent with the first significant difference between groups occurring after two hours of continuous suction (χ2 = 4.0, p = 0.04). Contamination rate in the suction-positive group increased significantly after one hour compared with time-zero controls (χ2 = 7.1, p = 0.008). There was no significant difference in frequency of positive cultures over time in the suction-negative group compared with time-zero controls. Conclusions: This is the first controlled laboratory study suggesting a time-dependent increase in positive suction tip cultures. From our data, operating room staff should have an awareness that suction tips represent a potential source of bacterial concentration. We recommend that when not in use, suction tip valves be closed if this feature is available, that hosing be manipulated to cease suction when not needed, that suckers be disconnected from tubing, or that suckers be exchanged at frequent intervals. Doing so may reduce bacterial contamination on the suction tip.

Instagram and Spine Fusion: An Analysis of Social Media and Its Relationship to Patient Perception of Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional study. OBJECTIVES: To analyze posts shared on Instagram referencing spinal fusion for tone, gender, activities of daily living (ADLs), rehabilitation, incision, pain, neurological injury, and content of post. METHODS: Public instragram posts, which were isolated and evaluated using the hashtags "#spinefusion" and "#spinalfusion." All posts were analyzed by the authors for the variables previously listed. In total, 264 posts were included for investigation and analysis of patient perception of spine fusion through social media. RESULTS: Of all included posts, approximately 86% of posts had a positive tone. There was statistical significance between positive tone and activities of daily living (ADLs) (P = 0.047), as well as negative tone and persistent pain (P = 0.008). Adequate return to activities of daily living is perceived by patients as a positive outcome after surgery: odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) of 2.11 (1.01-4.39). Persistent post operative pain results negatively on perceived outcomes after surgery OR = 0.38 (0.18-0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Reported outcomes after spine fusion has not been evaluated through social media avenues. This analysis of patients sharing their experience on social media after spinal fusion demonstrates that returning to activities of daily living is of the utmost importance to patients. Additionally, post-operative pain is a strong metric utilized by patients with their satisfaction after surgery.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion in Professional Athletes: Allograft Versus Autograft.

STUDY DESIGN: Level III-retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the effect method of bone grafting and contract status have on outcomes in a cohort of professional athletes treated with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The choice of graft-type in ACDF is controversial, with current reports limited to smaller cohorts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 54 professional athletes treated with single level ACDF for cervical disc herniation, cervical fracture, or transient paraparetic event. RESULTS: A case series of professional athletes with ACDF by the senior surgeon were evaluated, 39 with structural iliac crest autograft and 15 with allograft. All autograft patients had confirmed bony fusion, whereas 13/15 allograft patients had a confirmed bony fusion. Each of these players (2/15, 13.3%) was delayed for clearance for return to play by 1 season. In total, 43/50 players (88%) returned to professional play; 25/27 (92.6%) of them "self-employed" and 18/23 (78.2%) "league-contracted." CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of cervical pathology in the professional athlete with structural iliac crest autograft results in high union and return to play rates. Use of allograft resulted in a 13.3% increased rate of missing an additional season. Self-employed athletes returned to play 1 season earlier than league-contracted athletes on average.

Triaging Spine Surgery and Treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To utilize evidence-based medicine to help determine guidelines for spinal surgery during the Covid-19 era. METHODS: A literature review was performed of peer-reviewed articles focused on indications for common procedures in spine surgery. Based on these indications, we sub-categorized these procedures into elective, urgent and emergent categories. Case examples provided. RESULTS: Indications for spinal surgery were reviewed based on current literature and categorized. This manuscript presents a decision-making algorithm to help provide a guideline for determining the appropriateness of proceeding with spinal surgery during this COVID-19 time period. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic is an intricate challenging decision-making process, involving clinical, sociologic and economic factors.

Prognostic factors in patients with spinal metastasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Incidence of symptomatic spinal metastasis has increased owing to improvement in treatment of the disease. One of the key factors that influences decision-making is expected patient survival. To our knowledge, no systematic reviews or meta-analysis have been conducted that review independent prognostic factors in spinal metastases. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine independent prognostic factors that affect outcome in patients with metastatic spine disease. STUDY DESIGN: This is a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of publications for prognostic factors in spinal metastatic disease. PATIENT SAMPLE: Pooled patient results from cohort and observational studies. OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Meta-analysis for poor prognostic factors as determined by hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidential interval (95% CI). METHODS: We systematically searched relevant publications in PubMed and Embase. The following search terms were used: ("'spinal metastases'" OR "'vertebral metastases'" OR ""spinal metastasis" OR 'vertebral metastases') AND ('"prognostic factors"' OR "'survival'"). Inclusion criteria were prospective and retrospective cohort series that report HR and 95% CI of independent prognostic factors from multivariate analysis. Two reviewers independently assessed all papers. The quality of included papers was assessed by using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies and publication bias was assessed by using funnel plot, Begg test, and Egger test. The prognostic factors that were mentioned in at least three publications were pooled. Meta-analysis was performed using HR and 95% CI as the primary outcomes of interest. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 method. RESULTS: A total of 3,959 abstracts (1,382 from PubMed and 2,577 from Embase) were identified through database search and 40 publications were identified through review of cited publications. The reviewers selected a total of 51 studies for qualitative synthesis and 43 studies for meta-analysis. Seventeen poor prognostic factors were identified. These included presence of a neurologic deficit before surgery, non-ambulatory status before radiotherapy (RT), non-ambulatory status before surgery, presence of bone metastases, presence of multiple bone metastases (>2 sites), presence of multiple spinal metastases (>3 sites), development of motor deficit in <7 days before initiating RT, development of motor deficit in <14 days before initiating RT, time interval from cancer diagnosis to RT <15 months, Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) 10-40, KPS 50-70, KPS<70, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) grade 3-4, male gender, presence of visceral metastases, moderate growth tumor on Tomita score (TS) classification, and rapid growth tumor on TS classification. CONCLUSIONS: Seventeen independent poor prognostic factors were identified in this study. These can be categorized into cancer-specific and nonspecific prognostic factors. A tumor-based prognostic scoring system that combines all specific and general factors may enhance the accuracy of survival prediction in patients with metastatic spine disease.

Defining the Differences in Transverse Plane Trajectories for Thoracic Pedicle Screw Insertion: Anatomic Versus Medial.

STUDY DESIGN: Comparing thoracic pedicle screw trajectories, screw lengths, and starting points by examining osteologic specimens. OBJECTIVE: Describe a medial screw trajectory (MST) compared to a screw trajectory along the anatomic pedicle angle (APA) in terms of trajectory, screw length, and starting point. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although thoracic pedicle screw insertion is commonly used for posterior fusion and instrumentation, there is little data to quantify an MST that avoids the great vessels and allows for greater screw purchase. METHODS: Thirty adult female skeleton thoracic vertebral columns from the University of New Mexico Maxwell Museum of Anthropology Osteology Collection were photographed from axial and right and left lateral views from T1 to T12. Axial plane measurements included APA and MST (both measured from the midline), screw lengths, and APA/MST intersection on the superior articular facet (SAF). The MST was defined as an insertion angle through the midpoint of the pedicle isthmus intersecting the anterior midpoint of the vertebral body. The intersection of each trajectory with the SAF was measured in relation to the lateral base of the SAF, reported as a percentage of the SAF base width from the lateral SAF border. RESULTS: At every vertebral level, the APA was different from the MST for angle, screw length, and SAF intersection (p < .0001), with the largest difference at T12. The T12 differences were APA versus MST angles (-25.5°, 95% CI -22.7° to -28.4°), screw lengths (11.0 mm, 95% CI 9.2 mm to 12.9 mm), and percentage of SAF width from the lateral border of the SAF base (38.6%, 95% CI 29.1% to 48.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The MST was approximately 8° to 10° greater at T1-T10 (19° at T11 and 25° at T12) than the traditional APA insertion angle. This resulted in a much more lateral starting point on the SAF and longer screw length, greatest at T12.

Impact of tunnels and tenodesis screws on clavicle fracture: a biomechanical study of varying coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction techniques.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the load to fracture of distal clavicles with no tunnels, one tunnel, or 2 tunnels and to evaluate the effect of inserting tenodesis screws in the tunnels on load to fracture of the distal clavicle. METHODS: Fifty right sawbone clavicles were obtained and divided into 5 groups (n = 10): group 1, normal clavicle; group 2, one tunnel, no tenodesis screw; group 3, 2 tunnels, no tenodesis screws; group 4, one tunnel with tenodesis screw; and group 5, 2 tunnels with 2 tenodesis screws. Tunnels were created using a 5-mm-diameter reamer, and 5.5 × 10 mm polyethyl ethyl ketone tenodesis screws were used. A 4-point bending load was applied to the distal clavicles. Load to failure was noted for each specimen. RESULTS: Load to failure in clavicles without tunnels was significantly higher (1,157.18 ± 147.10 N) than in all other groups (P < .0005). No statistical differences were noted between groups 2, 3, 4, and 5. Load to failure was not statistically different in clavicles with one versus 2 tunnels. In addition, the use of tenodesis screws in the tunnels did not affect the load required to fracture. CONCLUSIONS: The use of tunnels in the clavicle for coracoclavicular (CC) ligament reconstruction significantly reduces the load required to fracture the distal clavicle. The addition of tenodesis screws does not appear to significantly increase the strength of the clavicle in this construct. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: CC ligament reconstruction techniques commonly use tunnels in the distal clavicle, which may render the clavicle more susceptible to fracture. This study helps quantify the effect of these tunnels on the strength of the distal clavicle.

The efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after total hip and total knee arthroplasty.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication after total hip and total knee arthroplasty. Currently used methods of VTE prophylaxis after these procedures have important limitations, including parenteral administration, and unpredictable plasma levels requiring frequent monitoring and dose adjustment leading to decreased patient compliance with recommended guidelines. New oral anticoagulants have been demonstrated in clinical trials to be equally efficacious to enoxaparin and allow for fixed dosing without the need for monitoring. Rivaroxaban is one of the new oral anticoagulants and is a direct factor Xa inhibitor that has demonstrated superior efficacy to that of enoxaparin. However, the data also suggest that rivaroxaban has an increased risk of bleeding compared to enoxaparin. This paper reviews the available data on the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban for VTE prophylaxis after total hip and total knee arthroplasty.