Faculty Bibliography

PURPOSE OF REVIEW/OBJECTIVE:Virtual reality, via integration of immersive visual and auditory modalities, offers an innovative approach to pain management. The purpose of this review is to investigate the clinical application of virutal reality as an adjunct analgesic to standard of care, particularly in pediatric and burn patients. RECENT FINDINGS/RESULTS:Although relatively new, virtual reality has been successfully implemented in a wide range of clinical scenarios for educational, diagnostic, and therapeutic purposes. Most recent literature supports the use of this adjunct analgesic in reducing pain intensity for pediatric and burn patients undergoing acute, painful procedures. This summative review demonstrates the efficacy of virtual reality in altering pain perception by decreasing pain and increasing functionality among pediatric and burn patients. However, large, multi-center randomized controlled trials are still warranted to generalize these findings to more diverse patient demographics and medical scenarios.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the feasibility of combining Oswestry and Neck Disability Index (ODI and NDI) into 1 shorter "Total Disability Index" (TDI) from which reconstructed scores could be computed. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: ODI and NDI are not pure assessments of disability related to back and neck, respectively. Because of similarities/redundancies of questions, ODI scores may be elevated in neck-pain patients and the converse is true for NDI in back-pain patients. METHODS: Spine patients completed ODI and NDI, and complaints were recorded as back pain (BP), neck pain (NP), or both (BNP). Questionnaire scores were compared across cohorts via descriptives and Spearman (rho) correlations. In exploring the feasibility of merging ODI/NDI, TDI was constructed from 9 ODI and 5 NDI items. Extracting questions from TDI, reconstructed 9-item rODI and 10-item rNDI indices were formed and compared with true ODI/NDI. RESULTS: There were a total of 1207 patients: 741 BP, 134 NP, and 268 BNP. Mean ODI was 37 +/- 21 and mean NDI was 32 +/- 21. Patients with concurrent BP and NP had significantly more disability. Seventy-eight patients of 134 (58%) patients with NP only had at least "moderate disability" by ODI and 297 of 741 (40%) patients with back pain only, had at least "moderate disability" by NDI. ODI versus NDI correlation was rho = 0.755; ODI versus reconstructed rODI correlated at rho = 0.985, and NDI versus reconstructed rNDI correlated at rho = 0.967 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Elevated ODI/NDI scores in patients with isolated complaints show that disability in 1 region affects scores on both surveys. This study constructed a 14-item TDI that represents every domain of ODI/NDI with exception of ODI "Sex Life." From this TDI, reconstructed scores correlated near perfectly with true scores. TDI provides a more global assessment of spinal disability and is a questionnaire that reduces the time burden to patients. The TDI allows for simultaneous assessment of back, neck, and global spinal disability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the cost/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) of the operative treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis and identify factors associated with cost-effectiveness at 2 years. METHODS: We evaluated patients who underwent surgery for spondylolisthesis. The QALY was determined from the EQ5D. Outcomes were also assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Surgical, neuromonitoring, and anesthesia Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes as well as hospital Diagnosis-Related Group codes were used to determine the Medicare direct care costs of surgery. Indirect costs were modeled based on existing literature. A discounting rate of 3% was applied. Analysis was performed to determine which factors were associated with a cost/QALY less than $100,000. RESULTS: There were 44 patients who underwent surgery for either degenerative (30) or isthmic spondylolisthesis (14). There were 27 women and 17 men, with an average age at surgery of 59.7 years (standard deviation [SD] = 14.69) and an average follow-up of 2 years (SD = 0.82). The average postoperative improvement in ODI was 24.77 (SD = 23.9), and change in QALY was 0.43 (SD = 0.30). The average cost/QALY at 2 years for direct care costs was $89,065. The average cost/QALY at 2 years for direct plus indirect costs was $112,588. Higher preoperative leg pain and greater leg pain change was associated with a cost/QALY <$100,000 (p < .005, p < .028). The cost-effective group had a higher proportion of patients with disease extent of two or more levels (p = .021). When comparing surgical techniques of anterior-posterior and posterior only, there was no difference in cost-effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Spondylolisthesis surgery is cost-effective at 2 years, with a QALY change of 0.43 and a direct cost/QALY of $89,065. Higher preoperative leg pain and larger extent of disease was associated with cost-effectiveness. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) has been described after anterior cervical fusion surgeries though ASD is not always clinically relevant. Hilibrand et al described a grading system for ASD after anterior cervical fusion. We expand the ASD definition with an analysis of radiographic adjacent segment pathology (RASP) by also assessing the progression of kyphotic alignment, and spondylolisthesis at adjacent segments in patients following cervical laminoplasty (LP) and posterior cervical decompression and fusion (CDF). PURPOSE: To assess radiographic adjacent segment pathology by analyzing adjacent segment degeneration, and the progression of kyphotic alignment and spondylolisthesis at segments adjacent to operated levels for LP and CDF surgery. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective analysis of cervical radiographs in patients undergoing prior LP and CDF surgery. PATIENT SAMPLE: 64 patients undergoing prior LP and CDF surgery. OUTCOME MEASURES: NDI and mJOA. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative radiographs were analyzed for ASD, progression of adjacent level kyphosis and spondylolisthesis at proximal, distal or any other segments. The RASP was determined by combining proximal and distal ASD, and the adjacent level kyphosis and spondylolisthesis into one spectrum of disease. The presence and rate of development of adjacent segment pathology was compared for LP and CDF. HRQOLs included NDI and mJOA. RESULTS: 64 patients were included (24 LP and 40 CDF) with mean age 59.9 years (46.9% female) and 30.2 months mean follow-up. Spondylolisthesis at the adjacent segment was more prevalent in CDF (29.2% vs 4.5%). Both LP and CDF demonstrated a similar rate of RASP (LP 40.9%, CDF 44%). NDI correlated with proximal adjacent level degeneration (r = 0.34, p = 0.024) and kyphosis (r = 0.36 p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Both cervical laminoplasty and posterior cervical decompression and fusion are associated with adjacent level degeneration. However, there is a higher rate of adjacent segment spondylolisthesis after CDF. Motion preservation procedures may have less of a role in preventing adjacent level degeneration than previously thought. Adjacent segment degeneration correlated with NDI disability in these patients

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Comparative effectiveness as well as cost analysis research are gaining popularity within the field of spinal surgery. In general, prior studies have shown that surgical interventions with a cost per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) less than >=100,000 are cost-effective for our society. Cost-effectiveness studies for surgical management of spondylolisthesis are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the cost/QALYof lumbar spondylolisthesis treated with multiple surgical techniques, and to identify preoperative factors that lead to cost-effectiveness at 2-year follow-up. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients who underwent surgery for degenerative or isthmic spondylolisthesis at a single institution from 2009-2011. OUTCOME MEASURES: Oswestry Disability Index, change in QALY, cost/QALY. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 44 patients who underwent surgery for degenerative or isthmic spondylolisthesis. There were 30 cases of degenerative and 14 cases of isthmic spondylolisthesis. There were 27 women and 17 men, with an average age at surgery of 59.7 years old (SD 14.8). The change in QALY was determined from the 2-year outcome scores using EuroQol-5D. Outcomes were also assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Hospital DRG codes were used to assess Medicare based hospital costs. Surgical, neuromonitoring, and anesthesia CPT codes were used to determine additional direct care costs of surgery. Analysis was performed to determine which factors were associated with a cost/QALY less than >=100,000, thereby making the procedure cost-effective. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA, Chi Square, and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The average length of follow up was 2 years (SD 0.82). The average postoperative improvement in ODI was 24.5 (SD 23.9) and change in QALYwas 0.4449 (SD 0.2984). The average cost/QALYat 2-year follow-up !