Citations

Study Design. Subanalysis of a prospective, multicenter, observational study at 72 US adult, pediatric, and mixed trauma centers. Objective. We investigated trauma-related risk factors and patient-level factors associated with multiregional spinal column injury, defined as cervical spine injury (CSI) requiring treatment and thoracolumbar injury (TLI). Summary of Background Data. Traumatic spinal injury causes morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients. Injuries to multiple spinal column regions require early identification and thoughtful management. Methods. All children <18 years undergoing cervical spine evaluation after blunt multisystem trauma were prospectively identified and enrolled. Clinically significant CSI was defined by cervical spine surgery or halo placement. TLI incidence and management was recorded. The primary outcome was multiregional spinal column injury (CSI+TLI). Results. Of 19,651 enrolled patients, 1484 children (7.5%) experienced a TLI, 159 (0.81%) had CSI requiring treatment, and 30 (0.15%) had CSI+TLI. Multivariate analysis revealed that the trauma-related factors mechanism of injury ( P <0.001), rib fractures (odds ratio (OR) 2.8 [2.3-3.4]), hemothorax/pneumothorax (OR 2.0 [1.7-2.4]), bowel injury (OR 4.0 [2.9-5.4]), pelvic fracture (OR 1.5 [1.2-1.9]), and clinically significant CSI (OR 1.9 [1.2-2.9]) were independently associated with TLI. Of the 159 children with clinically significant CSI, 30 also experienced TLI (19%). Multivariate analysis identified prehospitalization intubation (OR 3.1 [1.1-8.4]) and rib fractures (OR 3.9 [1.2-12.8]) as independent associations with CSI+TLI. Conclusions. Of children with CSI requiring treatment, 19% experienced TLI. MOI and various trauma-related injuries were independently associated with TLI, whereas prehospitalization intubation and rib fractures were independent risk factors for CSI+TLI. These factors should trigger screening for multiregional spinal column injury in pediatric trauma patients. Furthermore, if there is known TLI, the cervical spine should be evaluated, and if there is significant CSI, then dedicated imaging of the thoracic and lumbar spine is indicated. Level of Evidence. III

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine predictors of the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) in the Neck Disability Index (NDI) following cervical spinal deformity surgery. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of a prospective, multicenter adult cervical spinal deformity database. All patients had baseline and 1-year NDI scores. Patients met MCID with an improvement of NDI by 7 points between baseline and 1 year, as previously established. Baseline demographics, comorbidities, and both baseline and 1-year spinopelvic parameters were evaluated for statistical significance in a univariate logistic regression analysis. Significant variables, in addition to baseline NDI, were analyzed in a multivariable logistic regression model by backward selection with Akaike information criterion minimization. RESULTS A total of 122 patients were included with a median age of 62 (IQR 56, 69) years; 62% of patients were female. Of the 122 patients, 72 (59%) achieved NDI MCID at 1 year. Predictors of achieving MCID on univariate analysis included a lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) total score (OR 0.70, p = 0.03), depression as a comorbidity (OR 2.9, p = 0.02), lower C2 tilt at the 1-year follow-up (OR 0.92, p = 0.02), and a greater difference between 1-year postoperative C2–7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA) and preoperative C2–7 SVA (OR 0.98, p = 0.0495). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, predictors of achieving MCID included a lower CCI (OR 0.62, p = 0.03), depression as a comorbidity (OR 3.1, p = 0.059), a greater change in C2–7 SVA at the 1-year follow-up compared with baseline (OR 0.97, p = 0.055), and baseline NDI (OR 1.02, p = 0.24) with an area under the curve of 0.74. CONCLUSIONS The best-fit multivariable model included higher baseline NDI, a greater change in C2–7 SVA, patient-reported baseline depression, and lower CCI as important factors in predicting NDI MCID.

Abstract Background and Significance Somatic gain-of-function mutations in the PIK3CA gene can result in a range of vascular malformations (VMs). These rare disorders include lymphatic anomalies and PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS). VMs are noncancerous lesions that may be managed with treatments such as surgery, sclerotherapy, sirolimus, and non-mutant-selective PI3Kα inhibitors; however, use of systemic therapies in patients is frequently limited by drug-related adverse effects. In particular, inhibition of wild-type PI3Kα results in significant toxicity, including hyperglycemia, diarrhea and rash. RLY-2608 is a novel, allosteric, pan-mutant and isoform-selective oral PI3Kα inhibitor designed to have higher potency and improved tolerability. In a PIK3CAH1047R HUVEC xenograft mouse model, RLY-2608 demonstrated greater lesion regression and less insulin induction across clinically relevant dose levels than alpelisib (Llambi, VAC 2025). ReInspire (RLY-2608-201; NCT06789913) is an ongoing, global, multicenter study in patients with PIK3CA-driven VMs to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, recommended adult and pediatric dosing, and efficacy of RLY-2608 based on target lesion volume and clinical outcome assessments. The design of this study, including dose selection, was informed by clinical data from the first-in-human study of RLY-2608 in adult patients with advanced solid tumors, including breast cancer (Varkaris et al, 2024). Study Design and Methods ReInspire is a 3-part study evaluating the safety and efficacy of RLY-2608 in approximately 277 patients two years of age and older with PIK3CA-driven VMs and PROS. RLY-2608 is administered orally in continuous cycles. The primary endpoints are safety, tolerability, recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D), and efficacy of RLY-2608 per volumetric reduction on MRI (≥20% reduction from baseline to Week 24 in the sum of target lesion volumes) by blinded independent central review. Other endpoints include duration of response and change in age-appropriate clinical outcome assessments. Patients are enrolled in a staggered fashion by age, beginning with adult and adolescent participants 12 years and older (Group 1), and may be extended to pediatric participants 6 to &lt;12 years (Group 2) and 2 to &lt;6 years, based on review of cumulative clinical data. Part 1 is the open-label dose-finding portion, which initiates with randomization of Group 1 patients (n=45) to one of three dose levels with stratification according to prior alpelisib use, and will be followed by weight-based dose escalation using a Bayesian optimal interval (BOIN) design in Groups 2 and 3, if opened. Part 2 is a basket-style, open-label dose expansion that will evaluate the clinical activity of RLY-2608 at one or more RP2Ds in various populations in cohorts of 20 patients each based on Part 1 findings. Depending on the results of Parts 1 and 2, Part 3, a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, 2:1 randomized study (n=90), may be opened to patients 6 years of age and older. To enroll, patients are required to have a clinical diagnosis of PROS or a malformation within the ISSVA classifications, and the majority must have a documented activating PIK3CA mutation per local assessment of lesional tissue and/or cell-free DNA from the lesion or blood. Patients with other known pathogenic somatic or germline driver mutations (such as TIE2 (TEK) and AKT1) are not eligible. Patients must be a candidate for investigational systemic therapy; have severe, symptomatic, and/or progressive disease; and at least one target lesion amenable for volumetric assessment. Additionally, patients who have received disease-directed therapy must undergo a washout period for systemic treatment and local therapies including radiation, surgery and other procedures. Patients with Type 1 or 2 diabetes requiring antihyperglycemic medication or fasting plasma glucose ≥140 mg/dL, or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥7.0% (≥53 mmol/mol) are not eligible. Statistical analyses will be primarily descriptive in nature in Parts 1 and 2, with statistical comparisons between RLY-2608 and placebo at Week 24. ReInspire is open to enrollment. Patients ≥12 years are now enrolling in Part 1. For more information, contact clinicaltrials@relaytx.com

Background: Venous malformations can cause substantial morbidity and long-term complications. There are no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies for the treatment of venous malformations. However, off-label use of sirolimus has demonstrated clinical benefit in these patients. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and safety of sirolimus in the management of venous malformations. Methods and Results: A systematic literature search identified 26 studies comprising 98 patients treated with sirolimus for venous malformations. Most studies were case reports or case series (77%), with 15% prospective trials and 8% retrospective analyses. Sirolimus, primarily administered orally, yielded some level of clinical improvement in 72% of reported patients, with consistent symptomatic relief observed in coagulopathy, bleeding, anemia, pain, and improved function. However, reduction in the size of the malformation varied and treatment-limiting side effects were observed. Conclusions: Oral sirolimus is a promising treatment option for venous malformations, especially for those with deep venous malformations. A direct, targeted topical treatment could provide clinical benefit for the cutaneous manifestation without the risk of off-target effects as occur with oral sirolimus. Further prospective, controlled studies are warranted to elucidate sirolimus’s role in managing venous malformations.

Study Design Prospective Cohort Study. Objective The present study aims to determine if the racial representation of patients enrolled in a large prospective scoliosis registry is reflective of the general United States population. Further, we studied whether there was an association between race, pre-operative parameters, outcomes and loss to follow-up. Methods Prospectively collected data for patients who underwent spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) was reviewed, including self-reported race/ethnicity. The U.S. pediatric population and U.S. patients enrolled in the prospective registry were compared. The data obtained was analyzed for variations between races, for pre-operative variables and follow-up. Results Of the 2210 included patients in the registry 66% of patients reported as White, while 52% of the 2018 U.S. pediatric population reported as White. 15% of the registry reported as Hispanic/Latino compared to 22% of the U.S. pediatric population, 13% Black compared to 14% of the U.S. pediatric population, and 4% Asian compared to 5% of the U.S. pediatric population. Asian and White patients had statistically significant higher 2-year follow-up in all but one of six enrollment sites ( P < 0.001). Native American, Other, and Hispanic/Latino patients had the highest BMIs. Native American and Black patients had the highest pre-op thoracic Cobb angles. Pre-op ages of Black, Hispanic, and Native American patients were statistically lower ( P < 0.01). Conclusion This study demonstrates the association between race and patient follow-up and pre-operative factors in patients who underwent surgery for AIS. Black, Native American, and Hispanic populations were underrepresented both at pre-op and follow-up when compared to their relative proportion in the U.S. pediatric population.

Importance The modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale is the most common scale used to represent outcomes of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM); however, it lacks consideration for neck pain scores and neglects the multidimensional aspect of recovery after surgery. Objective To use a global statistical approach that incorporates assessments of multiple outcomes to reassess the efficacy of riluzole in patients undergoing spinal surgery for DCM. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a secondary analysis of prespecified secondary end points within the Efficacy of Riluzole in Surgical Treatment for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM-PROTECT) trial, a multicenter, double-blind, phase 3 randomized clinical trial conducted from January 2012 to May 2017. Adult surgical patients with DCM with moderate to severe myelopathy (mJOA scale score of 8-14) were randomized to receive either riluzole or placebo. The present study was conducted from July to December 2023. Intervention Riluzole (50 mg twice daily) or placebo for a total of 6 weeks, including 2 weeks prior to surgery and 4 weeks following surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measure was a difference in clinical improvement from baseline to 1-year follow-up, assessed using a global statistical test (GST). The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Score (SF-36 PCS), arm and neck pain numeric rating scale (NRS) scores, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor score, and Nurick grade were combined into a single summary statistic known as the global treatment effect (GTE). Results Overall, 290 patients (riluzole group, 141; placebo group, 149; mean [SD] age, 59 [10.1] years; 161 [56%] male) were included. Riluzole showed a significantly higher probability of global improvement compared with placebo at 1-year follow-up (GTE, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.00-0.16; P = .02). A similar favorable global response was seen at 35 days and 6 months (GTE for both, 0.07; 95% CI, −0.01 to 0.15; P = .04), although the results were not statistically significant. Riluzole-treated patients had at least a 54% likelihood of achieving better outcomes at 1 year compared with the placebo group. The ASIA motor score and neck and arm pain NRS combination at 1 year provided the best-fit parsimonious model for detecting a benefit of riluzole (GTE, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02-0.16; P = .007). Conclusions and Relevance In this secondary analysis of the CSM-PROTECT trial using a global outcome technique, riluzole was associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with DCM. The GST offered probability-based results capable of representing diverse outcome scales and should be considered in future studies assessing spine surgery outcomes.

Study Design. Retrospective cohort study of prospectively accrued data. Objective. To evaluate a large, prospective, multicentre dataset of surgically treated degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) cases on the contemporary risk of C5 palsy with surgical approach. Summary of Background Data. The influence of surgical technique on postoperative C5 palsy after decompression for DCM is intensely debated. Comprehensive, covariate-adjusted analyses are needed using contemporary data. Methods. Patients with moderate to severe DCM were prospectively enrolled in the multicenter, randomized, Phase III CSM-Protect clinical trial and underwent either anterior or posterior decompression between Jan 31, 2012 and May 16, 2017. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative C5 palsy, defined as the onset of muscle weakness by at least one grade in manual muscle test at the C5 myotome with slight or absent sensory disruption after cervical surgery. Two comparative cohorts were made based on the anterior or posterior surgical approach. Multivariate hierarchical mixed-effects logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for C5 palsy. Results. A total of 283 patients were included, and 53.4% underwent posterior decompression. The total incidence of postoperative C5 palsy was 7.4% and was significantly higher in patients who underwent posterior decompression compared with anterior decompression (11.26% vs. 3.03%, P=0.008). After multivariable regression, the posterior approach was independently associated with greater than four times the likelihood of postoperative C5 palsy (P=0.017). Rates of C5 palsy recovery were comparable between the two surgical approaches. Conclusion. The odds of postoperative C5 palsy are significantly higher after posterior decompression compared to anterior decompression for DCM. This may influence surgical decision-making when there is equipoise in deciding between anterior and posterior treatment options for DCM. Level of Evidence. Therapeutic Level—II

Background: Severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) can be treated with instrumented fusion, but the number of anchors needed for optimal correction is controversial. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized study that included patients undergoing spinal fusion for single thoracic curves between 45° and 65°, the most common form of operatively treated AIS. Of the 211 patients randomized, 108 were assigned to a high-density screw pattern and 103, to a low-density screw pattern. Surgeons were instructed to use ≥1.8 implants per spinal level fused for patients in the high-implant-density group or ≤1.4 implants per spinal level fused for patients in the low-implant-density group. The primary outcome measure was the percent correction of the coronal curve at the 2-year follow-up. The power analysis for this trial required 174 patients to show equivalence, defined as a 95% confidence interval (CI) within a ±10% correction margin with a probability of 90%. Results: In the intention-to-treat analysis, the mean percent correction of the coronal curve was equivalent between the high-density and low-density groups at the 2-year follow-up (67.6% versus 65.7%; difference, −1.9% [95% CI: −6.1%, 2.2%]). In the per-protocol cohorts, the mean percent correction of the coronal curve was also equivalent between the 2 groups at the 2-year follow-up (65.0% versus 66.1%; difference, 1.1% [95% CI: −3.0%, 5.2%]). A total of 6 patients in the low-density group and 5 patients in the high-density group required reoperation (p = 1.0). Conclusions: In the setting of spinal fusion for primary thoracic AIS curves between 45° and 65°, the percent coronal curve correction obtained with use of a low-implant-density construct and that obtained with use of a high-implant-density construct were equivalent. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Abstract Background Capillary lymphatic venous malformations (CLVM) and associated syndromes, including Klippel–Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) and congenital lipomatous overgrowth, vascular malformation, epidermal nevi, skeletal, and spinal syndrome (CLOVES), are underrecognized disorders associated with high morbidity from chronic pain, recurrent infections, bleeding, and clotting complications. The rarity of these disorders and heterogeneity of clinical presentations make large‐scale randomized clinical drug trials challenging. Identification of PIK3CA (phosphatidylinositol‐4,5‐bisphosphate 3‐kinase catalytic subunit alpha [gene]) mutations in CLVM has made targeted medications, such as sirolimus, attractive treatment options. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of sirolimus therapy in CLVM. Procedure A combined prospective and retrospective cohort of pediatric and young adult patients with CLVM treated with sirolimus was evaluated for disease response, including symptom improvement, quality of life (QOL), and radiologic response. Sirolimus dosing regimens and toxicities were also assessed. Results Twenty‐nine patients with CLVM, including KTS and CLOVES, were included. Ninety‐three percent of patients reported improved QOL, and 86% had improvement in at least one symptom. Most significantly, improvement was noted in 100% of patients with bleeding and 89% with thrombotic complications with corresponding decreases in mean D‐dimer ( p = .008) and increases in mean fibrinogen ( p = .016). No patients had progressive disease on sirolimus. Most common side effects included neutropenia, lymphopenia, infection, and aphthous ulcers/stomatitis. No toxicities were life‐threatening, and none required long‐term discontinuation of sirolimus. Conclusion Sirolimus appears to be effective at reducing complications and improving QOL in patients with CLVM and associated syndromes. In this patient cohort, sirolimus was well tolerated and resulted in few treatment‐related toxicities.