Brown, Nolan J.

BACKGROUND Minimally invasive surgical techniques are changing the landscape in adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery, enabling surgical correction to be achievable in increasingly medically complex patients. Spinal robotics are one technology that have helped facilitate this. Here the authors present an illustrative case of the utility of robotics planning workflow for minimally invasive correction of ASD. OBSERVATIONS A 60-year-old female presented with persistent and debilitating low back and leg pain limiting her function and quality of life. Standing scoliosis radiographs demonstrated adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS), with a lumbar scoliosis of 53°, a pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis mismatch of 44°, and pelvic tilt of 39°. Robotics planning software was utilized for preoperative planning of the multiple rod and 4-point pelvic fixation in the posterior construct. LESSONS To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report detailing the use of spinal robotics for complex 11-level minimally invasive correction of ADS. Although additional experiences adapting spinal robotics to complex spinal deformities are necessary, the present case represents a proof-of-concept demonstrating the feasibility of applying this technology to minimally invasive correction of ASD.

Abstract Introduction Meningiomas—the most common extra-axial tumors—are benign, slow-growing dural-based lesions that can involve multiple cranial fossae and can progress insidiously for years until coming to clinical attention secondary to compression of adjacent neurovascular structures. For complex, multicompartmental lesions, multistaged surgeries have been increasingly shown to enhance maximal safe resection while minimizing adverse sequela. Here, we systematically review the extant literature to highlight the merits of staged resection. Methods PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were queried to identify articles reporting resections of intracranial meningiomas using a multistaged approach, and articles were screened for possible inclusion in a systematic process performed by two authors. Results Of 118 identified studies, 36 describing 169 patients (mean age 42.6 ± 21.3 years) met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Petroclival lesions comprised 57% of cases, with the most common indications for a multistaged approach being large size, close approximation of critical neurovascular structures, minimization of brain retraction, identification and ligation of deep vessels feeding the tumor, and resection of residual tumor found on postoperative imaging. Most second-stage surgeries occurred within 3 months of the index surgery. Few complications were reported and multistaged resections appeared to be well tolerated overall. Conclusions Current literature suggests multistaged approaches for meningioma resection are well-tolerated. However, there is insufficient comparative evidence to draw definitive conclusions about its advantages over an unstaged approach. There are similarly insufficient data to generate an evidence-based decision-making framework for when a staged approach should be employed. This highlights the need for collaborative efforts among skull base surgeons to establish an evidentiary to support the use of staged approaches and to outline those indications that merit such an approach.

Abstract Frailty is a clinical state of increased vulnerability due to age-associated decline and has been well established as a perioperative risk factor. Yet, literature describing the effects of frailty on short- and long-term complications in geriatric patients is limited. In this study, the authors evaluate the effects of frailty in geriatric patients receiving cranial neurosurgery for a primary CNS neoplasm. For this purpose, we conducted a retrospective cohort study between 2010 and 2017 by using the Nationwide Readmission Database. Demographics and frailty were queried at primary admission, and readmissions were analyzed at 30-, 90-, and 180-day intervals. Nearest-neighbor propensity score matching for demographics was implemented to identify nonfrail control patients with similar diagnoses and procedures. The analysis used Welch two-sample t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square test with odds ratios. A total of 6713 frail patients and 6629 nonfrail patients were identified at primary admission. At primary admission, frail geriatric patients undergoing cranial neurosurgery had increased odds of developing acute posthemorrhagic anemia (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.23-1.98; p = 0.00020); acute infection (OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.70-6.36; p = 0.00022); acute kidney injury (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.07-1.62; p = 0.0088); urinary tract infection prior to discharge (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.71-2.29; p < 0.0001); acute postoperative cerebral infarction (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.17-2.11; p = 0.0026); and mortality (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.22-2.24; p = 0.0012) compared to nonfrail geriatric patients receiving the same procedure. In addition, frail patients had a significantly increased inpatient length of stay (p < 0.0001) and all-payer hospital cost (p < 0.0001) compared to nonfrail patients at primary admission. Frailty may significantly increase the risks of short-term acute complications in geriatric patients receiving cranial neurosurgery for a primary CNS neoplasm. Long-term analysis revealed no significant difference in complications between frail and nonfrail patients.

Abstract B-cell lymphoma is a potential cause of spinal cord compression that presents with nonspecific symptoms and inconsistent imaging findings. Surgical decompression is a mainstay for both diagnosis and management especially in patients with acute neurologic deficits; however, the long-term efficacy of intervention is still unclear. We perform a systematic review of the clinical symptoms, radiographic findings, and outcome after spinal decompression in B-cell lymphoma. The databases of Medline, PubMed, and the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews were queried for all articles reporting spinal B-cell lymphoma. Data on presenting symptoms, histological markers, treatment and survival outcomes were extracted. Bivariate and Multivariate Cox survival regression models and Kaplan-Meier curves were generated using R software survival package. In total, 57 studies were included with 72 patients diagnosed with spinal B-cell lymphoma. Mean age was 56.22 (IQR: 45.00-70.25) with 68% of patients being male and 4.2% of patients being immunocompromised. Back pain was the most common symptom (74%) with B symptoms and cauda equina symptoms present in only 6% and 29% respectively. Mean length of symptoms before presentation was 3.81 months (IQR: 0.45-3.25). The most common location was the thoracic spine (53%), with a majority of the lesions being hyperintense (28%) on T2 MRI. Surgical resection was performed in 83% of patients. Symptoms improved in 88% of patients after surgery and 80% of patients treated nonoperatively. OS at one- and five-years was 85% (95% CI: 0.749-0.953; n=72) and 66% (95% CI: 0.512-0.847; n=72), respectively. Age > 70 was associated with poorer OS in bivariate (HR 4.07 [95% CI: 1.328-12.46], p < 0.01; n=72) and multivariate analysis (HR 3.829 [95% CI: 1.158-12.662], p < 0.03; n=72). Primary spinal B-cell lymphoma can have a variety of presentations. Both surgery and nonoperative management may have similar improvement in symptoms. Age > 70 appears to confer poorer OS.

Abstract Due to its anti-fibrinolytic action, tranexamic acid (TXA) can be utilized to help maintain hemostasis during surgical operations. With respect to surgery for intracranial tumors, we hypothesize that TXA could help mitigate blood loss during resection of highly vascular tumors such as meningiomas. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis to analyze the effects of TXA administration in patients undergoing surgical resection of intracranial meningioma. Study inclusion criteria were (1) primary data articles describing use of TXA in surgical resection of meningioma. In this meta-analysis, which included four primary comparative studies, outcome measurements between TXA and non-TXA groups were compared. Primary outcomes included operative length, complications, transfusion requirements, estimated blood loss, and postoperative Hb for TXA versus non-TXA (control) groups. Pooled-comparative analysis was conducted for each of these perioperative variables and formal meta-analysis was applied toward statistically significant parameters. A total of 221 patients were analyzed (110 TXA, 111 non-TXA). Patient age (p = 0.1632), gender (p = 0.8317), and tumor location (p = -.8334) were similar for TXA and control groups. TXA was associated with decreased complication rate (logRR: -0.85; CI95% = -1.49 to -0.22; p = 0.0087), decreased transfusion requirement (logRR: -0.50; CI95% = -0.92 to -0.08; p = 0.0039), reduced blood loss (SMD: -1.76; CI95% = -3.21 to -0.31; p < 0.0001), and increased postoperative Hb (SMD: 0.46; CI95% = -0.15 to 1.07; p < 0.0001). In three trials, TXA was administered intravenously as a loading dose of 20 mg/kg for 20 minutes preoperatively with an intraoperative maintenance rate of 1mg/kg/hr; in one trial, administration design was identical except that infusion rate of the 20 mg/kg preoperative loading dose was unspecified. TXA may be associated with reduced complications, transfusion requirements, perioperative estimated blood loss, and increasedpostoperative Hb when administered perioperatively for surgical resection of intracranial meningiomas.

Abstract Recent literature has primarily focused on the factors influencing postoperative seizures following resection of meningioma, but many patients also suffer seizures preoperatively. This meta-analysis examined patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and preoperative symptoms to determine which factors are most associated with preoperative seizures. A literature search of Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted. All randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, and cohort studies reporting on preoperative seizure in patients with meningioma were included for analysis. The initial search yielded 4129 total studies, 33 of which were included for quantitative analysis. A total of 8221 patients were analyzed and the rate of preoperative seizure was 26%. Patients were classified as adult vs pediatric and male vs female for analysis. Meningiomas were classified as midline/bilateral vs left-sided vs right-sided, WHO grade 1 vs grade 2-3, greater than 4 cm3 vs less than 4 cm3, and skull base vs non-skull base location. The preoperative signs and symptoms analyzed included presence of headaches, tumor-related edematous change, and neurological deficits. Preoperative seizures were more common in pediatric patients (p< .02) and males (p< .0001). Patients with tumors classified as midline (p< .0001), WHO grade 2-3 (p< .0001), larger than 4 cm3 (p< .0001), and skull base location (p< .0001) were more likely to experience preoperative seizures. Preoperative headaches (p< .0001) were less common in patients with preoperative seizures. Edematous change (p< .0001) and neurological deficits (P< .0001) were more common in patients with pre-operative seizures. On assessment of risk for study bias, no publication bias was detected. This meta-analysis displayed that over 20% of meningioma patients suffer from preoperative seizures. Notably, pediatric patients, patients with midline and skull base meningiomas, and males of all ages were more likely to experience preoperative seizure. Interestingly, patients with preoperative seizures were less likely to experience headaches.

Background: The first instance of a robotic-assisted surgery occurred in neurosurgery; however, it is now more common in other fields such as urology and gynecology. This study aims to characterize the prevalence of robotic surgery among current neurosurgery programs as well as identify trends in clinical trials pertaining to robotic neurosurgery. Methods: Each institution’s website was analyzed for the mention of a robotic neurosurgery program and procedures. The future potential of robotics in neurosurgery was assessed by searching for current clinical trials pertaining to neurosurgical robotic surgery. Results: Of the top 100 programs, 30 offer robotic cranial and 40 offer robotic spinal surgery. No significant differences were observed with robotic surgical offerings between geographic regions in the US. Larger programs (faculty size 16 or over) had 20 of the 30 robotic cranial programs (66.6%), whereas 21 of the 40 robotic spinal programs (52.5%) were at larger programs. An initial search of clinical trials revealed 223 studies, of which only 13 pertained to robotic neurosurgery. Spinal fixation was the most common intervention (six studies), followed by Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS, two studies), Cochlear implants (two studies), laser ablation (LITT, one study), and endovascular embolization (one study). Most studies had industry sponsors (9/13 studies), while only five studies had hospital sponsors. Conclusion: Robotic neurosurgery is still in its infancy with less than half of the top programs offering robotic procedures. Future directions for robotics in neurosurgery appear to be focused on increased automation of stereotactic procedures such as DBS and LITT and robot-assisted spinal surgery.

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory disease of the spine and SI joints. Diagnostic criteria and treatments have continued to evolve, necessitating a historical compendium of AS and its management. This paper aims to review the historical context underlying the discovery of AS, as well as the major diagnostic and therapeutic discoveries in the last two centuries. Methods: A scoping review of the literature pertaining to AS was performed via the Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Future directions of AS treatments were assessed by querying the clinicaltrials.gov website. Results: The history of AS can be traced as far back as ancient Egypt (as evidenced by the discovery of its presence in ancient Egyptian mummies) to the late 20th century, when the inherited nature of AS was linked to a genetic factor, HLA-B27. Each discovery made throughout the years led to further investigations into the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of AS. The criteria to differentiate AS from rheumatoid arthritis were first reported in 1893. Since then, diagnostic criteria for AS have undergone a series of changes before the present-day diagnostic criteria for AS were ultimately determined in 2009 by the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society. Conclusion: As the pathophysiology of AS is better understood, healthcare providers are able to diagnose and treat the condition more effectively. In particular, earlier diagnosis and multiple treatment options have facilitated efficient and more effective treatment.

Although hypothermia has shown to protect against ischemic and traumatic neuronal death, its potential role in neurologic recovery following traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) remains incompletely understood. Herein, we systematically review the safety and efficacy of hypothermia therapy for TSCI. The English medical literature was reviewed using PRISMA guidelines to identify preclinical and clinical studies examining the safety and efficacy of hypothermia following TSCI. Fifty-seven articles met full-text review criteria, of which twenty-eight were included. The main outcomes of interest were neurological recovery and postoperative complications. Among the 24 preclinical studies, both systemic and local hypothermia significantly improved neurologic recovery. In aggregate, the 4 clinical studies enrolled 60 patients for treatment, with 35 receiving systemic hypothermia and 25 local hypothermia. The most frequent complications were respiratory in nature. No patients suffered neurologic deterioration because of hypothermia treatment. Rates of American Spinal Injury Association (AIS) grade conversion after systemic hypothermia (35.5%) were higher when compared to multiple SCI database control studies (26.1%). However, no statistical conclusions could be drawn regarding the efficacy of hypothermia in humans. These limited clinical trials show promise and suggest therapeutic hypothermia to be safe in TSCI patients, though its effect on neurological recovery remains unclear. The preclinical literature supports the efficacy of hypothermia after TSCI. Further clinical trials are warranted to conclusively determine the effects of hypothermia on neurological recovery as well as the ideal means of administration necessary for achieving efficacy in TSCI.