Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Spinal fusion is increasingly considered for management of patients with osteoporosis (OP) and degenerative disc disease (DDD). Little data is available regarding long-term outcomes in OP patients undergoing short-segment, lumbar fusion for DDD. PURPOSE: Analyze the impact of OP on long-term outcomes in patients who have had 2-3-level lumbar fusions for degenerative disc disease. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective review of the New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (NYS SPARCS) database. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients with DDD undergoing 2-3-level lumbar fusion. OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of 2-year medical and surgical complications and reoperations.
METHOD(S): Utilizing SPARCS, all patients from 2009-2011 with ICD-9 codes for DDD who underwent 2-3-level lumbar fusion were identified. Patients with bone mineralization disorders, systemic and endocrine disorders affecting bone quality were excluded. Surgical indications of trauma, systemic disease(s), and infection were excluded. Patients with and without OP were compared for demographics, hospital-related parameters, and 2-year complications and reoperations. Logistic regression models were utilized to identify predictors of complications.
RESULT(S): A total of 29,028 patients (OP=1,353 (4.7%), No-OP=27,675) were included. OP patients were older (66.9 vs 52.6 years) as well as more often female (85.1% vs 48.4%) and white (82.8% vs 73.5%), all p<0.001. Deyo index did not differ between groups. LOS and total charges were higher for OP patients (4.9 vs 4.1 days; $74,484 vs $73,724), all p<0.001. Medical complications were higher for OP patients: acute renal failure (8.9% vs 4.7%), and deep vein thromboses (3.4% vs 1.6%), all p<0.01. OP patients also had higher rates of implant-related (3.4% vs 1.9%) and wound complications (9.8% vs 5.9%) (p<0.01). Preoperative OP was associated with 2-year medical and surgical complications (OR=1.62, 1.66; p<0.001). Patients with OP had greater odds of reoperations (OR=1.34).
CONCLUSION(S): Patients with OP undergoing 2-3-level lumbar fusion for DDD were at higher risk of 2-year medical and surgical complications, and 3.4% of OP patients experienced implant-related complication. These findings highlight the importance of rigorous preoperative metabolic workup prior to spinal surgery. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS: This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
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Objective: To study the rate of progression of multiple system atrophy (MSA) and assess for a potential ceiling effect of the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS).
Background(s): Disease progression of MSA as measured by UMSARS varied significantly in natural history studies. Reported 1-year UMSARS-1 and UMSARS-2 progression rates ranged from 3.9 to 6.5 and 3.5 to 8.2 respectively. We hypothesize that this variability is due, at least in part, to differences in severity at enrollment and a potential ceiling effect in the scale, so that patients in more advanced stages may appear to worsen less, which would have important implications for clinical trial design.
Method(s): We analyzed the rate of change in the UMSARS in a large international cohort of well-characterized patients with a clinical diagnosis of possible or probable MSA enrolled in the Natural History Study of Synucleinopathies. Annualized progression rates were obtained using 2-year follow-up data.
Result(s): Three hundred and forty nine patients (61.4+/-7.9 years old) with MSA were enrolled. Disease duration was 4.5+/-5.1 years. 143 patients completed 1-year evaluations and 61 completed the 2-year evaluation. The 12-month progression rates were 5.4+/-5.1 for the UMSARS-I, 5.9+/-5.3 for the UMSARS-II, and 11.8+/-9.6 for the total score. The 24-month progression rates were 10.8+/-7.3 for the UMSARS-I, 12.2+/-7.9 for the UMSARSII, and 22.6+/-13.7 for the total score. Annualized progression rates were divided according to their baseline UMSARS-I and UMSARS II. There was a significant (p = 0.0153) inverse relationship between rate of progression and UMSARS-I at baseline. A similar, but not significant trend was observed with UMSARS-II at baseline.
Conclusion(s): The rate of progression as measured by UMSARS is influenced by the baseline disease severity. A possible ceiling effect should be considered when planning enrollment, power calculations, and outcome measures in clinical trials

The correlation of clinical semiology with neuronal firing in human seizures has not been well described. Similarly, the neuronal firing patterns underlying high-frequency oscillations during seizures remain controversial. Using implanted subdural electrodes and a microelectrode array in a patient with focal status epilepticus, in which 40 habitual focal motor seizures and 101 subclinical seizures were captured, the authors analyzed the association of EEG, high-frequency oscillations, and multiunit activity to facial motor semiology. The development of ictal high-frequency oscillations in subdural electrodes overlying face motor cortex was temporally associated with clonic facial movements. In representative seizures selected for multiunit analysis, synchronization of neuronal firing in the adjacent microelectrode array aligned with clinical onset and was greater in clinical seizures compared with subclinical seizures. This report demonstrates the electrophysiologic signatures of focal seizures at the level of neuronal firing, high-frequency oscillations, and EEG as they organize from microscale to macroscale, with clinical correlation.

Objective: To confirm: 1) clinical efficacy and safety of once-daily oral ampreloxetine in a 4-week double-blind (

OBJECTIVE:Spinal cord infarction due to interruption of the spinal vascular supply during anterior thoracolumbar surgery is a rare but devastating complication. Here, the authors sought to summarize the data on this complication in terms of its incidence, risk factors, and operative considerations. They also sought to summarize the relevant spinal vascular anatomy. METHODS:They performed a systematic literature review of the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases to identify reports of spinal cord vascular injury related to anterior thoracolumbar spine procedures as well as operative adjuncts and considerations related to management of the segmental artery ligation during such anterior procedures. Titles and abstracts were screened, and studies meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed in full. RESULTS:Of 1200 articles identified on the initial screening, 16 met the inclusion criteria and consisted of 2 prospective cohort studies, 10 retrospective cohort studies, and 4 case reports. Four studies reported on the incidence of spinal cord ischemia with anterior thoracolumbar surgery, which ranged from 0% to 0.75%. Eight studies presented patient-level data for 13 cases of spinal cord ischemia after anterior thoracolumbar spine surgery. Proposed risk factors for vasculogenic spinal injury with anterior thoracolumbar surgery included hyperkyphosis, prior spinal deformity surgery, combined anterior-posterior procedures, left-sided approaches, operating on the concavity side of a scoliotic curve, and intra- or postoperative hypotension. In addition, eight studies analyzed operative considerations to reduce spinal cord ischemic complications in anterior thoracolumbar surgery, including intraoperative neuromonitoring and preoperative spinal angiography. CONCLUSIONS:While spinal cord infarction related to anterior thoracolumbar surgery is rare, it warrants proper consideration in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative periods. The spine surgeon must be aware of the relevant risk factors as well as the pre- and intraoperative adjuncts that can minimize these risks. Most importantly, an understanding of the relevant spinal vascular anatomy is critical to minimizing the risks associated with anterior thoracolumbar spine surgery.

Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that reduces obsessive-compulsive symptoms. There is limited evidence supporting its efficacy for repetitive behaviors (RRBs) in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of fluoxetine in 158 individuals with ASD (5-17 years). Following 14 treatment weeks (mean dose 11.8 mg/day), no significant differences were noted on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale; the proportion of responders was similar (fluoxetine: 36%; placebo: 41%). There were similar rates of AEs (e.g., insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting); high rates of activation were reported in both groups (fluoxetine: 42%; placebo: 45%). Overly cautious dosing/duration may have prevented attainment of a therapeutic level. Results are consistent with other SSRI RCTs treating RRBs in ASD.Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00515320.