Intradiscal Autologous Biologics for the Treatment of Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate the efficacy of the most commonly studied intradiscal biologics used for the treatment and alleviation of chronic intractable discogenic low back pain. Additionally, it explores the therapeutic potential and durability of these novel treatment options. RECENT FINDINGS: Recently published literature highlights the therapeutic potential of intradiscal biologics, such as mesenchymal stem cells, platelet-rich plasma, and alpha-2-macroglobulin, in promoting chondrogenesis within the lumbar intervertebral discs to treat discogenic low back pain. Studies demonstrate significant improvements in pain relief, physical function, and quality of life post-treatment. A comprehensive review of the literature evaluating the efficacy of intradiscal biologics suggests some evidence supporting its efficacy in treating discogenic low back pain. However, more rigorous studies into mechanistic modulation and large-scale randomized trials as well as a more thorough understanding of adverse events will be instrumental for including these therapies into clinical practice paradigms.

Myxoma Involving the Pulmonary Valve - A Case Report of an Atypical Cardiac Tumor, Treated Using an Unusual Approach.

Background: Atypical myxoma has been reported in various locations in the heart, however, myxoma involving the pulmonary valve is rare. Here we present a case of pulmonic valve myxoma which was resected via a percutaneous approach. Case Report: A 66-year-old female with known metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presented with acute onset shortness of breath for two days. The patient experienced respiratory arrest en-route to the hospital and required intubation. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the chest revealed a new 1.4 × 1.6 cm intracardiac mass along the pulmonary valve. Further evaluation with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed it to be a large vascular tumor on the ventricular side of the pulmonary valve, attached with a narrow stalk. Due to high surgical risk, the patient underwent transesophageal echocardiographic guided percutaneous removal of the mass. Pathology confirmed the mass to be a myxoma. Conclusion: Atypical myxoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of valvular masses. Percutaneous resection of valvular masses may be feasible in high-risk surgical patients. LEARNING POINTS: Pulmonary valve myxoma is a rare condition and the literature on the characteristics and treatment options for pulmonary valve myxoma is limited.Our patient was treated with a minimally invasive treatment approach: removal of a tumor with intra operative transesophageal echocardiographic guidance using AngioVac and Flow Triever catheters.Percutaneous resection of valvular masses may be feasible in high surgical risk patients.

Parachute Mitral Valve and Mid-Aortic Syndrome - Unusual Associations of Alagille Syndrome.

Background: Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a multisystem disorder involving at least three systems among the liver, heart, skeleton, face, and eyes. Common cardiac associations include pulmonary artery stenosis/atresia, atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD) and tetralogy of fallot (ToF). Coarctation of aorta (CoA), renal and intracranial arteries are commonly involved vessels in Alagille syndrome. We present two cases with rare cardiovascular manifestations of Alagille syndrome. Case description. Case 1: A 25-year-old female with a history of Alagille syndrome presented to the cardiologist office for progressive exertional dyspnoea, orthopnoea, and palpitations. She was tachycardiac on examination and had an apical diastolic rumble. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) showed a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 60% and parachute mitral valve (PMV) with severe mitral stenosis. A transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) showed insertion of chordae into the anterolateral papillary muscle, severe mitral stenosis with a valve area of 0.7 cm. She was referred to a congenital heart disease specialist and underwent robotic mitral valve replacement with improvement in her symptoms. Case 2: A 27-year-old female with known Alagille syndrome and resistant hypertension presented to the cardiologist office due to progressive exertional dyspnoea for a year. She was hypertensive and had a new 2/6 systolic ejection murmur along the left upper sternal border. TTE revealed an LVEF of 60% and pulmonary artery pressure of 19 mmHg. A CoA was suspected distal to the left subclavian artery due to a peak gradient of 38 mmHg. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging ruled out CoA, and diffuse narrowing of the descending thoracic aorta measuring 13-14 mm in diameter was noted. The patient was referred to a congenital heart disease specialist for further management. Conclusion: PMV presenting as mitral stenosis and mid-aortic syndrome are not commonly described anomalies in association with Alagille syndrome. TTE, TOE and CMR played a key role in diagnosis and management of these patients. LEARNING POINTS: Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a complex multisystem disorder involving the liver, heart, skeleton, face, and eyes. Cardiovascular involvement occurs in up to 95% of the patients.Common cardiac associations include pulmonary artery stenosis/atresia, atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD) and tetralogy of fallot (ToF).A parachute mitral valve (PMV) presenting as mitral stenosis and mid-aortic syndrome is not commonly described anomalies in association with ALGS. Here, we present such rare cases.

Left Anterior Descending Coronary T-wave Inversion Pattern (Wellens' Syndrome) Associated with Myopericarditis and a Normal Left Coronary Artery.

Background: Wellens' syndrome is characterised by a history of chest pain with an abnormal electrocardiogram (EKG), demonstrating biphasic or deeply inverted T waves in leads V2-3 (may extend to involve all precordial and lateral limb leads - the type B Wellens' pattern). A Wellens' EKG pattern is considered highly specific for critical stenosis involving the ostial/proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD). However, there are no reported cases of an association of a Wellens' EKG pattern with myopericarditis. Here, we present such a rare case. Case description: A thirty-one-year-old female with known essential hypertension and psoriatic arthritis presented with a constant, central chest pain radiating to the shoulders and back. The patient's physical examination was unremarkable at presentation other than elevated blood pressure at 170/68 mmHg. An EKG at presentation demonstrated deep symmetric T-wave inversions in anterolateral leads with elevated high-sensitivity troponin, and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The patient was referred to the cardiac catheterisation laboratory for concerns of a Wellens' EKG pattern; however, invasive angiography demonstrated only obtuse marginal branch disease - no LAD disease was noted. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging confirmed the diagnosis of myopericarditis and absence of myocardial infarction. The patient was medically managed and discharged home in a stable condition. Conclusion: In literature and established clinical practice, the Wellens' EKG pattern is considered highly concerning for critical ostial/proximal LAD stenosis. However, we now propose that myopericarditis may be considered in a differential diagnosis for this EKG pattern. LEARNING POINTS: Wellens' syndrome is characterised by a history of chest pain with an abnormal electrocardiogram (EKG), demonstrating biphasic or deeply inverted T waves in leads V2-3.A Wellens' EKG pattern is considered highly specific for critical stenosis involving the ostial/proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD).Association of Wellens' pattern EKG has been described in association with various other pathologies; however, its association with acute myopericarditis has not been well described.

Emotional and psychosocial function after dorsal column spinal cord stimulator implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in chronic pain studies is traditionally assessed by pain scores, which do not reflect the multidimensional nature of pain perception. Despite the evidence of SCS's influence on emotional functioning comprehensive assessments of its effect remain lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in emotional and psychosocial functioning in patients who underwent SCS implantation for chronic pain. EVIDENCE REVIEW: Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL and Scopus databases were searched for original peer-reviewed publications reporting emotional functioning after SCS. The primary outcomes were a pooled mean difference (MD) in anxiety, depression, global functioning, mental well-being and pain catastrophizing at 12 months. The Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to determine the quality of evidence. FINDINGS: Thirty-two studies were included in the primary analysis. Statistically significant improvements were observed in anxiety (MD -2.16; 95% CI -2.84 to -1.49; p<0.001), depression (MD -4.66; 95% CI -6.26 to -3.06; p<0.001), global functioning (MD 20.30; 95% CI 14.69 to 25.90; p<0.001), mental well-being (MD 4.95; 95% CI 3.60 to 6.31; p<0.001), and pain catastrophizing (MD -12.09; 95% CI -14.94 to -9.23; p<0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed differences in Global Assessment of Functioning and mental well-being based on study design and in depression based on waveform paradigm. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the statistically and clinically significant improvements in emotional and psychosocial outcomes in patients with chronic pain undergoing SCS therapy. However, these results need to be interpreted with caution due to the very low certainty of evidence per the GRADE criteria. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42023446326.

Protocol for the development of a core outcome set for clinical trials in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

BACKGROUND: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a progressive immune-mediated liver disease, for which no medical therapy has been shown to slow disease progression. However, the horizon for new therapies is encouraging, with several innovative clinical trials in progress. Despite these advancements, there is considerable heterogeneity in the outcomes studied, with lack of consensus as to what outcomes to measure, when to measure and how to measure. Furthermore, there has been a paradigm shift in PSC treatment targets over recent years, moving from biochemistry-based endpoints to histological assessment of liver fibrosis, imaging-based biomarkers and patient-reported outcome measures. The abundance of new interventional trials and evolving endpoints pose opportunities for all stakeholders involved in evaluating novel therapies. To this effect, there is a need to harmonise measures used in clinical trials through the development of a core outcome set (COS). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Synthesis of a PSC-specific COS will be conducted in four stages. Initially, a systematic literature review will be performed to identify outcomes previously used in PSC trials, followed by semistructured qualitative interviews conducted with key stakeholders. The latter may include patients, clinicians, researchers, pharmaceutical industry representatives and healthcare payers and regulatory agencies, to identify additional outcomes of importance. Using the outcomes generated from the literature review and stakeholder interviews, an international two-round Delphi survey will be conducted to prioritise outcomes for inclusion in the COS. Finally, a consensus meeting will be convened to ratify the COS and disseminate findings for application in future PSC trials. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been granted by the East Midlands-Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 24/EM/0126) for this study. The COS from this study will be widely disseminated including publication in peer-reviewed journals, international conferences, promotion through patient-support groups and made available on the Core Outcomes Measurement in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) database. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1239.

American Society of Pain and Neuroscience Best Practice (ASPN) Guideline for the Treatment of Sacroiliac Disorders.

Clinical management of sacroiliac disease has proven challenging from both diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives. Although it is widely regarded as a common source of low back pain, little consensus exists on the appropriate clinical management of sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction. Understanding the biomechanics, innervation, and function of this complex load bearing joint is critical to formulating appropriate treatment algorithms for SI joint disorders. ASPN has developed this comprehensive practice guideline to serve as a foundational reference on the appropriate management of SI joint disorders utilizing the best available evidence and serve as a foundational guide for the treatment of adult patients in the United States and globally.

Analgesic Effectiveness of Liposomal Bupivacaine versus Plain Local Anesthetics for Abdominal Fascial Plane Blocks: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Trials.

BACKGROUND: Liposomal bupivacaine is reported to prolong the duration of analgesia when used for abdominal fascial plane blocks compared to plain local anesthetics; however, evidence from randomized trials is mixed. This meta-analysis aims to compare the analgesic effectiveness of liposomal bupivacaine to plain local anesthetics in adults receiving abdominal fascial plane blocks. METHODS: Randomized trials comparing liposomal bupivacaine and plain (nonliposomal) local anesthetics in abdominal fascial plane blocks were sought. The primary outcome was area under the curve rest pain between 24 to 72 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included rest pain at individual timepoints (1, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h); analgesic consumption at 0 to 24, 25 to 48, and 49 to 72 h; time to analgesic request; hospital stay duration; and opioid-related side effects. Data were pooled using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects method. RESULTS: Sixteen trials encompassing 1,287 patients (liposomal bupivacaine, 667; plain local anesthetics, 620) were included. The liposomal bupivacaine group received liposomal bupivacaine mixed with plain bupivacaine in 10 studies, liposomal bupivacaine alone in 5 studies, and both preparations in 1 three-armed study. No difference was observed between the two groups for area under the curve pain scores, with a standardized mean difference (95% CI) of -0.21 cm.h (-0.43 to 0.01; P = 0.058; I2 = 48%). Results were robust to subgroup analysis based on (1) potential conflict of interest and (2) mixing of plain local anesthetics with liposomal bupivacaine. The two groups were not different for any of the day 2 or day 3 secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests similar analgesic effectiveness between liposomal bupivacaine and plain local anesthetics when used for fascial plane block of the abdominal wall. The authors' analysis does not support an evidence-based preference for liposomal bupivacaine compared to plain local anesthetics for abdominal fascial plane blocks.

Misinformation Persists in Complementary Health: Evaluating the Reliability and Quality of YouTube-Based Information on the Use of Acupuncture for Chronic Pain.

Introduction: Acupuncture is commonly used to treat chronic pain. Patients often access public social media platforms for healthcare information when querying acupuncture. Our study aims to appraise the utility, accuracy, and quality of information available on YouTube, a popular social media platform, on acupuncture for chronic pain treatment. Methods: Using search terms such as "acupuncture for chronic pain" and "acupuncture pain relief", the top 54 videos by view count were selected. Included videos were >1 minute duration, contained audio in English, had >7000 views, and was related to acupuncture. One primary outcome of interest was categorizing each video's usefulness as useful, misleading, or neither. Another primary outcome of interest was the quality and reliability of each video using validated instruments, including the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) tool and the Global Quality Scale (GQS). The means were calculated for the video production characteristics, production sources, and mDISCERN and GQS scores. Continuous and categorical outcomes were compared using Student's t-test and chi-square test, respectively. Results: Of the 54 videos, 57.4% were categorized as useful, 14.8% were misleading, and 27.8% were neither. Useful videos had a mean GQS and mDISCERN score of 3.77±0.67 and 3.48±0.63, respectively, while misleading videos had mean GQS and mDISCERN score of 2.50±0.53 and 2.38±0.52, respectively. 41.8% of the useful videos were produced by a healthcare institution while none of the misleading videos were produced by a healthcare institution. However, 87.5% of the misleading videos were produced by health media compared to only 25.8% of useful videos from health media. Discussion: As patients increasingly depend on platforms like YouTube for trustworthy information on complementary health practices such as acupuncture, our study emphasizes the critical need for more higher-quality videos from unbiased healthcare institutions and physicians to ensure patients are receiving reliable information regarding this topic.

Methodological and statistical characteristics of meta-analyses on spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of meta-analyses (MA) have investigated the use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) as a treatment modality for chronic pain. The quality of these MAs has not been assessed by validated appraisal tools. OBJECTIVE: To examine the methodological characteristics and quality of MAs related to the use of SCS for chronic pain syndromes. EVIDENCE REVIEW: An online literature search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid EMBASE, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus databases (January 1, 2000 through June 30, 2023) to identify MAs that investigated changes in pain intensity, opioid consumption, and/or physical function after SCS for the treatment of chronic pain. MA quality was assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2) critical appraisal tool. FINDINGS: Twenty-five MAs were appraised in the final analysis. Three were considered "high" quality, three "low" quality, and 19 "critically low" quality, per the AMSTAR-2 criteria. There was no association between the publication year and AMSTAR-2 overall quality (ß 0.043; 95% CI -0.008 to 0.095; p=0.097). There was an association between the impact factor and AMSTAR-2 overall quality (ß 0.108; 95% CI 0.044 to 0.172; p=0.002), such that studies published in journals with higher impact factors were associated with higher overall quality. There was no association between the effect size and AMSTAR-2 overall quality (ß -0.168; 95% CI -0.518 to 0.183; p=0.320).According to our power analysis, three studies were adequately powered (>80%) to reject the null hypothesis, while the remaining studies were underpowered (<80%). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates a critically low AMSTAR-2 quality for most MAs published on the use of SCS for treating chronic pain. Future MAs should improve study quality by implementing the AMSTAR-2 checklist items. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023431155.

Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2022 Cases of SCMR case series.

"Cases of SCMR" is a case series on the SCMR website (https://www.scmr.org) for the purpose of education. The cases reflect the clinical presentation, and the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease. The 2022 digital collection of cases are presented in this manuscript.

The analgesic effectiveness of perioperative lidocaine infusions for acute and chronic persistent postsurgical pain in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and tumour resection carries a high prevalence of chronic persistent postsurgical pain (CPSP). Perioperative i.v. lidocaine infusion has been proposed as protective against CPSP; however, evidence of its benefits is conflicting. This review evaluates the effectiveness of perioperative lidocaine infusions for breast cancer surgery. METHODS: Randomised trials comparing perioperative lidocaine infusions with parenteral analgesia in breast cancer surgery patients were sought. The two co-primary outcomes were the odds of CPSP at 3 and 6 months after operation. Secondary outcomes included rest pain at 1, 6, 12, and 24 h; analgesic consumption at 0-24 and 25-48 h; quality of recovery; opioid-related side-effects; and lidocaine infusion side-effects. Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman (HKSJ) random effects modelling was used. RESULTS: Thirteen trials (1039 patients; lidocaine: 518, control: 521) were included. Compared with control, perioperative lidocaine infusion did not decrease the odds of developing CPSP at 3 and 6 months. Lidocaine infusion improved postoperative pain at 1 h by a mean difference (95% confidence interval) of -0.65 cm (-0.73 to -0.57 cm) (P<0.0001); however, this difference was not clinically important (1.1 cm threshold). Similarly, lidocaine infusion reduced oral morphine consumption by 7.06 mg (-13.19 to -0.93) (P=0.029) over the first 24 h only; however, this difference was not clinically important (30 mg threshold). The groups were not different for any of the remaining outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide moderate-quality evidence that perioperative lidocaine infusion does not reduce CPSP in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Routine use of lidocaine infusions for perioperative analgesia and CPSP prevention is not supported in this population. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL: PROSPERO CRD42023420888.

Incidence of subsequent surgical decompression following minimally invasive approaches to treat lumbar spinal stenosis: A retrospective review.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Surgical decompression is the definitive treatment for managing symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis; however, select patients are poor surgical candidates. Consequently, minimally invasive procedures have gained popularity, but there exists the potential for failure of therapy necessitating eventual surgical decompression. PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and characteristics of patients who require surgical decompression following minimally invasive procedures to treat lumbar spinal stenosis. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective review. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients who underwent minimally invasive procedures for lumbar spinal stenosis (Percutaneous Image-guided Lumbar Decompression [PILD] or interspinous spacer device [ISD]) and progressed to subsequent surgical decompression within 5 years. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the rate of surgical decompression within 5 years following the minimally invasive approach. Secondary outcomes included demographic and comorbid factors associated with increased odds of requiring subsequent surgery. METHODS: Patient data were collected using the PearlDiver-Mariner database. The rate of subsequent decompression was described as a percentage while univariable and multivariable regression analysis was used for the analysis of predictors. RESULTS: A total of 5278 patients were included, of which 3222 (61.04%) underwent PILD, 1959 (37.12%) underwent ISD placement, and 97 (1.84%) had claims for both procedures. Overall, the incidence of subsequent surgical decompression within 5 years was 6.56% (346 of 5278 patients). Variables associated with a significantly greater odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] of requiring subsequent surgical decompression included male gender and a prior history of surgical decompression by 1.42 ([1.14, 1.77], p = 0.002) and 2.10 times ([1.39, 3.17], p < 0.001), respectively. In contrast, age 65 years and above, a diagnosis of obesity, and a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of three or greater were associated with a significantly reduced OR [95% CI] by 0.64 ([0.50, 0.81], p < 0.001), 0.62 ([0.48, 0.81], p < 0.001), and 0.71 times ([0.56, 0.91], p = 0.007), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive procedures may provide an additional option to treat symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis in patients who are poor surgical candidates or who do not desire open decompression; however, there still exists a subset of patients who will require subsequent surgical decompression. Factors such as gender and prior surgical decompression increase the likelihood of subsequent surgery, while older age, obesity, and a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score reduce it. These findings aid in selecting suitable surgical candidates for better outcomes in the elderly population with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Discrepancy Between Reported and Calculated Pain Reduction in Patients With Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy and Lack of Agreement Between Patient Satisfaction and Degree of Pain Relief.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine agreement between reported percentage pain reduction (RPPR) and calculated percentage pain reduction (CPPR) in patients with percutaneous spinal cord stimulation (SCS) implants, and to correlate RPPR and CPPR with patient satisfaction. We also sought to determine which patient-reported outcome measures are most improved in patients with SCS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with percutaneous spinal cord stimulator implants with a mean follow-up of 51.1 months were interviewed and surveyed to assess their pain level, impression of degree of pain relief, satisfaction with the therapy, and desire to have the device again. Baseline pain level was obtained from their preimplant records. RESULTS: Overall, RPPR was found to be 53.3%, whereas CPPR was 44.4%. Of all patients, 21 reported <50% pain reduction; however, most of these (12/21, 57%) were satisfied with the outcome of therapy. In terms of individual improvement in outcomes, activities of daily life was the most improved measure at 82%, followed by mood, sleep, medication use, and health care utilization at 74%, 62%, 50%, and 48%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: RPPR appears to be a complex outcome measure that may not agree with CPPR. Overall RPPR is greater than the CPPR. On the basis of our data, these independently valid measures should not be used interchangeably. A 50% pain reduction threshold is not a requisite for patient satisfaction and desire to have the device again. Activities of daily living was the most improved measure in this cohort, followed by mood, sleep, medication usage, and decrease in health care utilization.

Medical Cannabis: A Review from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience.

Cannabinoids have recently gained a renewed interest due to their potential applicability to various medical conditions, specifically the management of chronic pain conditions. Unlike many other medications, medical cannabis is not associated with serious adverse events, and no overdose deaths have been reported. However, both safety and efficacy data for medical cannabis treatment of chronic, nonmalignant pain conditions are lacking. Therefore, representatives from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience summarize the evidence, according to level and grade, for medical cannabis treatment of several different pain conditions. Treatment of cancer-related pain has prospective evidentiary support for the use of medical cannabis. Although 3 large and well-designed randomized controlled trials investigated cannabis treatment of cancer-related pain, the evidence yielded only a grade D recommendation. Neuropathic pain has been investigated in prospective studies, but a lack of high-quality evidence renders cannabis treatment for this indication a grade C recommendation. Both safety and efficacy data are lacking for use of medical cannabis to treat chronic nonmalignant pain conditions.