Multicenter, retrospective series.
To analyze the incidence, mode, and location of acute proximal junctional failures (APJFs) after surgical treatment of adult spinal deformity.
Early proximal ...junctional failures above adult deformity constructs are a serious clinical problem; however, the incidence and nature of early APJFs remain unclear.
A total of 1218 consecutive adult spinal deformity surgeries across 10 deformity centers were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the incidence and nature of APJF, defined as any of the following within 28 weeks of index procedure: minimum 15° post-operative increase in proximal junctional kyphosis, vertebral fracture of upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV) or UIV + 1, failure of UIV fixation, or need for proximal extension of fusion within 6 months of surgery.
Sixty-eight APJF cases were identified out of 1218 consecutive surgeries (5.6%). Patients had a mean age of 63 years (range, 26-82 yr), mean fusion levels of 9.8 (range, 4-18), and mean time to APJF of 11.4 weeks (range, 1.5-28 wk). Fracture was the most common failure mode (47%), followed by soft-tissue failure (44%). Failures most often occurred in the thoracolumbar region (TL-APJF) compared with the upper thoracic region (UT-APJF), with 66% of patients experiencing TL-APJF compared with 34% experiencing UT-APJF. Fracture was significantly more common for TL-APJF relative to UT-APJF (P = 0.00), whereas soft-tissue failure was more common for UT-APJF (P < 0.02). Patients experiencing TL-APJF were also older (P = 0.00), had fewer fusion levels (P = 0.00), and had worse postoperative sagittal vertical axis (P < 0.01).
APJFs were identified in 5.6% of patients undergoing surgical treatment of adult spinal deformity, with failures occurring primarily in the TL region of the spine. There is evidence that the mode of failure differs depending on the location of UIV, with TL failures more likely due to fracture and UT failures more likely due to soft-tissue failures.
Outcome study to determine response distribution, internal consistency, reproducibility, and concurrent validity of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) ...questionnaire.
Further refinement of an HRQL questionnaire specific for idiopathic scoliosis.
Previous experience with the original and modified SRS HRQL questionnaires suggested a need for further refinement and more complete validation.
The SRS-22 and Short Form 36 (SF-36) HRQL questionnaires were mailed to 83 previously surveyed postoperative idiopathic scoliosis patients.
Fifty-eight (70%) patients returned the first set of questionnaires. Their average age at surgery was 14.6 years, and their average follow-up interval since surgery was 10.8 years. Fifty-one (88%) of the 58 returned the second set of questionnaires an average of 28 days later. The psychometric attributes of the instruments were comparable: score distribution, SRS-22 56.9% ceiling and 1.7% floor, SF-36 79.3% ceiling and 1.7% floor; internal consistency (Cronbach alpha), SRS-22 0.92 to 0.75, SF-36 0.91 to 0.36; and reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient), SRS-22 0.96 to 0.85, SF-36 0.92 to 0.61. Concurrent validity, determined by Pearson Correlation Coefficients between SRS-22 and SF-36 domains, was 0.70 or greater ( < 0.0001) for 17 relevant comparisons.
The SRS-22 HRQL questionnaire is reliable with internal consistency and reproducibility comparable to SF-36. In addition, it demonstrated concurrent validity when compared to SF-36. It is shorter and more focused on the health issues related to idiopathic scoliosis than SF-36.
Multi-center, retrospective review.
Identify age associated clinical and radiographic features correlating with AS treatment.
Little information exists about factors determining treatment for adult ...scoliosis (AS). Existing studies have not evaluated age stratified differences.
Multicenter, retrospective review of 290 patients treated for AS. Patients divided into operative (OP) or nonoperative (NON), and age stratified into 3 groups (G1 = <50 years, G2 = 50-65 years, G3 = >65 years). Demographic and spinopelvic radiographic parameters evaluated. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) measures included SRS-22, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog pain scale.
Treatment groups (OP, n = 137; NON, n = 153) demonstrated similar age (OP = 52.7 years; NON = 55.5 years; P > 0.05) and comorbidities. OP had larger thoracic curves than NON (OP = 51 degrees, NON = 45 degrees; P < 0.05). OP had worse HRQL scores than NON (SRS = 2.95 vs. 3.12, P < 0.05; ODI = 33.4 vs. 28.7, P < 0.05; visual analog pain scale = 6.9 vs. 5.6, P < 0.05, respectively). Age stratification of OP demonstrated larger curves in G1 and G2 versus G3, progressively worsening sagittal imbalance in older age groups, and worse HRQL scores in G3 versus G1 and G2. Age stratification of NON demonstrated worsening sagittal imbalance with age, however, other radiographic values and HRQL scores were similar between all NON age groups. Treatment stratification of age groups demonstrated G1-OP had greater deformity than G1-NON (mean thoracic curve: G1-OP = 53 degrees, G1-NON = 43 degrees; P < 0.05) but similar HRQL values. Whereas G2 and G3-OP had similar radiographic coronal and sagittal values as G2 and G3-NON, but worse HRQL scores.
Counter to previous reports, age, comorbidities, and sagittal balance did not influence treatment modality for AS. Operative treatment for younger patients was driven by increased coronal plane deformity. Conversely, pain and disability mandated treatment for older patients, independent of radiographic measures. These findings suggest that AS patients do not become uniformly disabled with age, and that disability can not be solely predicted by radiographic findings. These data should be considered when considering treatment for AS.
Prospective observational study.
To determine the discriminant validity of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) health-related quality-of-life (HRQL) questionnaire for idiopathic scoliosis ...patients based on curve pattern and curve size.
An important psychometric attribute of the HRQL questionnaire is the capacity to discriminate between and among patients with differing condition severity.
Three study groups, with subjects ranging in age from 10 to 16 years, were set up: a control group (C) of 19 persons with scoliosis suspected but unproven with an average age of 13 years; a nonsurgical group (NS) of 68 patients with an average age of 14 years and an average scoliosis (Cobb) of 30 degrees; and a presurgical group (PS) of 32 patients with an average age of 14 years and an average scoliosis of 61 degrees. The NS group was subdivided into untreated (NSU) (n = 54) and braced (NSB) patients (n = 14). Also created were subgroups of the NS and PS groups having similar curve sizes: nonsurgical similar (NSS) and presurgery similar (PSS). Statistical significance of the SRS-22 domain scores by comparison groups was tested by ANOVA. Relationships between the SRS-22 questionnaire and scoliosis deformity measurements were calculated using the Pearson Correlation Coefficients.
There were no significant differences between the control (C) and nonsurgical (NS) groups. The presurgical group (PS) scored significantly lower in the pain and self-image domains than the C or NS groups and lower than group C in the mental health domain. A subgroup of the nonsurgical group (NSS) with curves comparable to the presurgical subgroup (PSS) had significantly better self-image scores. There were no significant correlations between SRS-22 scores and curve pattern. For persons with scoliosis, curve size (Cobb) correlated with pain, self-image, and function; trunk asymmetry correlated with self-image.
The SRS-22 HRQL questionnaire successfully discriminated among persons with no scoliosis or moderate scoliosis and large scoliosis. It did not discriminate among patients with single, double, or triple curves. Self-image and, to a lesser extent, pain and function domain scores correlated with radiographic and trunk asymmetry severity. The SRS-22 HRQL questionnaire may be useful in choosing nonsurgical versus surgical treatment in borderline cases.
Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) possesses a variety of physiological and developmental functions and is also known to facilitate the progression of many common cancers, notably their ...skeletal invasion, primarily by increasing bone resorption. The purpose of this study was to determine whether PTHrP could promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process implicated in cancer stem cells that is critically involved in cancer invasion and metastasis. EMT was observed in DU 145 prostate cancer cells stably overexpressing either the 1-141 or 1-173 isoform of PTHrP, where there was upregulation of Snail and vimentin and downregulation of E-cadherin relative to parental DU 145. By contrast, the opposite effect was observed in PC-3 prostate cancer cells where high levels of PTHrP were knocked-down via lentiviral siRNA transduction. Increased tumor progression was observed in PTHrP-overexpressing DU 145 cells while decreased progression was observed in PTHrP-knockdown PC-3 cells. PTHrP-overexpressing DU 145 formed larger tumors when implanted orthoptopically into nude mice and in one case resulted in spinal metastasis, an effect not observed among mice injected with parental DU 145 cells. PTHrP-overexpressing DU 145 cells also caused significant bone destruction when injected into the tibiae of nude mice, while parental DU 145 cells caused little to no destruction of bone. Together, these results suggest that PTHrP may work through EMT to promote an aggressive and metastatic phenotype in prostate cancer, a pathway of importance in cancer stem cells. Thus, continued efforts to elucidate the pathways involved in PTHrP-induced EMT as well as to develop ways to specifically target PTHrP signaling may lead to more effective therapies for prostate cancer.
Sexual function is an important factor contributing to quality of life. Adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients may have sexual limitations due to lumbar spinal stiffness that may be affected by ...long-segment fusion.
This study utilized a multicenter, prospectively defined, consecutive cohort of ASD patients. The primary outcome in this study was the Lumbar Stiffness Disability Index (LSDI) question 10: “Choose the statement that best describes the effect of low back stiffness on your ability to engage in sexual intercourse”.
In total, 368 patients were included in this study, including 76 men and 292 women, of which 80.7% (n = 293) underwent 9 or more level fusion and 74.4% (n = 270) had pelvic fixation. Baseline LSDI sexual function scores averaged 1.7 (SD 1.3), which improved to 1.3 (SD 1.2) at 2-year follow-up (P = 0.0008). After adjusting for confounding factors, worse LSDI sexual function score was strongly associated with worse Oswestry Disability Index, Scoliosis Research Society-22r total, and SF-36 Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores at both baseline and 2-year follow-up (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Predictors of poorer baseline sexual function included older age, increased SVA, and increased back pain (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Predictors of improvement in sexual function at 2-year follow-up included sagittal vertical axis improvement (P = 0.0032) and decreased postoperative back pain (P < 0.0001).
This study found that sexual dysfunction scores due to lumbar stiffness significantly improved after surgery for ASD. Additionally, lumbar stiffness–related sexual dysfunction is strongly related to overall outcome measured by Oswestry Disability Index and Scoliosis Research Society-22r total score, highlighting the importance of sexual health on overall outcome in ASD patients.
Prospective observational consecutive case series.
To determine the responsiveness to change of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) patient questionnaire after surgical treatment.
The SRS-22 ...outcomes questionnaire is the outgrowth of prior research that led to modifications and improvements of the original SRS questionnaire.
Fifty-eight patients with an average age of 16 years and an average Cobb size of 63 degrees enrolled. They were tested preoperatively and at 3- (within 4 months), 6- (5-8 months), 12- (9-16 months), and 24-month (22-36 months) intervals postoperatively using the SRS-22 outcomes questionnaire. The paired Student test with multiple comparison adjustment was used to test significance of change score over time. Only patients with data on both time points of interest were included in the analysis.
Self-image was significantly improved at 3 months ( < 0.0001) and maintained improvement through 24 months. Function was significantly decreased at 3 months ( < 0.0001), but returned to baseline by 6 months. Pain was significantly worse at 3 months ( = 0.0099), but was significantly less at 6 ( = 0.0011), 12 ( < 0.0001), and 24 ( = 0.0037) months when compared to 3 months.
The SRS-22 questionnaire is responsive to changes in the postsurgical period.
The Lumbar Stiffness Disability Index (LSDI) assesses impact of lumbar stiffness on activities of daily living. We hypothesized that patients <60 years old would perceive greater lumbar ...stiffness–related functional limitation following fusion for adult spinal deformity.
Patients completed the LSDI and Scoliosis Research Society 22 Questionnaire, Revised (SRS-22r) preoperatively and at 2 years postoperatively. The primary independent variable was patient age <60 versus ≥60. Multivariable regression analyses were used.
Analysis included 267 patients. Patients <60 years old (51.3%) and ≥60 years old (48.7%) were evenly represented. In bivariable analysis, patients age <60 exhibited lower LSDI at baseline versus patients age ≥60 (25.7 vs. 35.5, β −9.8, P < 0.0001), but a directionally smaller difference at 2 years (26.4 vs. 32.3, β −5.8, P = 0.0147). LSDI was associated with lower SRS-22r total score among both age groups at baseline and 2 years (all P < 0.0001); the association was stronger among patients age <60 versus ≥60 at 2 years. LSDI was associated with SRS-22r satisfaction scores at 2 years among patients age <60 (P < 0.0001), but not patients age ≥60 (P = 0.2250). The difference in SRS-22r satisfaction per unit LSDI between patients <60 years old and ≥60 years old was significant (P = 0.0021).
Among patients with adult spinal deformity managed operatively, higher LSDI was associated with inferior SRS-22r total score and satisfaction at 2 years postoperatively. The association between increased LSDI and worse patient-reported outcome measures was greater among patients age <60 versus ≥60. Preoperative counseling is needed for patients age <60 undergoing adult spinal deformity surgery regarding effects that lumbar stiffness may have on postoperative function and satisfaction.
Retrospective case series.
To determine the influence of spine and trunk deformity on preoperative idiopathic scoliosis patients' health-related quality of life questionnaire responses.
Management ...recommendations for patients with idiopathic scoliosis during adolescence are based heavily on spine deformity and to some extent trunk deformity magnitude. However, the manner in which these objective measures influence the patients' perception of their condition is unclear.
Of 67 consecutive preoperative patients, 61 (91%) had completed the Scoliosis Research Society-22 health-related quality of life questionnaire and had been studied with posterior exposure surface topography. Their average age was 15 years, 6 months (range 10 years, 10 months-20 years, 10 months), and the average maximum Cobb was 63 degrees (range 40-137 degrees). Correlations between spine and trunk deformity measures and Scoliosis Research Society-22 scores were determined by the Pearson correlation coefficient, with P < 0.01 considered significant.
For the study group, spine deformity (Cobb) correlated significantly only with Scoliosis Research Society-22 function (r = -0.39, P = 0.0022) domain. Neither coronal nor transverse plane trunk deformity composite scores correlated with any Scoliosis Research Society-22 scores. The Hump Index component of the transverse plane Suzuki Hump Sum composite score was the only trunk measurement to correlate significantly (function r = -0.45, P = 0.003; self image, r = -0.36, P = 0.0040). The strongest correlations occurred when the single thoracic curves, King classifications III and IV, were combined: Cobb versus function r = -0.53, P = 0.0027; Cobb versus self-image r = -0.46, P = 0.0099; and Hump Index versus function r = -0.60, P = 0.0005. There were no significant correlations between either spine deformity or any trunk deformity measure with Scoliosis Research Society-22 responses for either the double or thoracolumbar curve pattern groups.
Both spine and upper thoracic transverse plane trunk deformity significantly influenced preoperative idiopathic scoliosis patients' perception of function and self-image, but not pain or mental health. However, in spite of a fairly rigorous standard of proof, P < or = 0.01, the significant r values ranged from -0.33 to -0.68, suggesting that there are factors other than spine and trunk deformity influencing the idiopathic scoliosis patients' health-related quality of life questionnaire responses. Future studies are necessary to define these factors.
Retrospective cohort.
To explore proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) as a function of age-adjusted surgical correction goals.
Recent adult spinal deformity (ASD) studies show that alignment targets ...are age-specific. Despite recognizing age and malalignment as PJK risk factors, no study has assessed the age-specific effects of alignment on PJK.
ASD patients with fusions to the pelvis were included and stratified into three groups: young adults (YA <40 years old), middle aged (MA: 40-65 years old), and the elderly (ED >65 years old). Analysis of variance compared the groups with respect to 1-year postoperative alignments and 1-year offsets from age-specific alignment targets.
A total of 679 patients were enrolled (mean age = 61 years old, 77% female, body mass index = 28.1). At 1 year postoperatively, there was a significant decrease in pelvic tilt (PT; 29-23°), spinopelvic mismatch (pelvic incidence PI-lumbar lordosis LL) (28-5°), and sagittal vertical axis (SVA; 110-37 mm); overall incidence of PJK was 45.1%. Stratification by age (YA, n = 28; MA, n = 389; ED, n = 262) revealed an increase in PJK incidence with age: YA = 17.9%, MA = 43.8%, and ED = 50.2% (P < 0.001). PJK patients had smaller postoperative PI-LL mismatches (ED 0.8° vs. 9.8°, MA 3.1° vs. 7.3°) than non-PJK patients, without any significant differences in PT or SVA. Analysis of the postoperative offsets from age-specific norms revealed that PJK patients in the two older subgroups and in the study cohort as a whole were overcorrected as compared to non-PJK patients (PI-LL offset-all: -5.2° vs. 2.8°, MA: -1° vs. +4°, ED: -11° vs. -2°; SVA offset-all: -10 mm vs. 7 mm, MA: -3 mm vs. 10 mm, ED: -18 mm vs. -6 mm). The correlation coefficients between PJK angles and the offsets from age-adjusted objective were small (0.320 for PI-LL, 0.114 for PT, and 0.136 for SVA).
Overall, this study suggests that PJK patients were overcorrected when compared to age-adjusted alignment goals. Certainly, elderly patients are subject to independent risk factors for PJK, making the prevention of PJK complex. However, individualized optimization of surgical alignment can improve outcomes. This emphasizes the need for surgeons to incorporate age-specific alignment targets into the standard preoperative planning process.
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