1-year Time Point Research Articles

Short-segment fusion versus isolated decompression in lumbar spinal canal stenosis patients with Cobb angles over 20 degrees

BACKGROUND CONTEXTLumbar decompression and short-segment lumbar fusion are standard procedures for short-segment lumbar canal stenosis, even in patients with moderate Cobb angles. Adult degenerative scoliosis is diagnosed at a threshold of 10 degrees, and patients with coronal Cobb angles over 30 degrees are recommended for long fusion due to global spinal deformity. However, there is a lack of research on clinical outcomes in patients with moderate coronal deformity, such as Cobb angles between 20 and 30 degrees. PURPOSEThis study aims to investigate the radiographic and clinical outcome differences between isolated decompression and short-segment interbody fusion for lumbar spinal canal stenosis in patients with moderate coronal deformity. STUDY DESIGNA retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected registry. PATIENT SAMPLEPatients with Cobb angle exceeding 20 degrees who underwent 1- or 2- levels of lumbar surgery for lumbar canal stenosis. Patients diagnosed as spinal deformity were excluded. OUTCOME MEASURESPatient-reported outcomes included Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), VAS back, VAS leg, Short form 12 physical component score (SF-12 PCS) and Mental Component Score (SF-12 MCS), and patient-reported outcomes measurement information system physical function (PROMIS-PF) at preoperative, 12-week postoperative, and 1-year postoperative timepoints. Preoperative and postoperative spinopelvic alignment was assessed using Cobb angle, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis and PI minus LL. METHODSA propensity score-matched analysis with the overlap weighting was utilized to investigate patient-reported outcomes at 12-week and 1-year postoperatively between the surgery groups. Spinopelvic alignments were compared between preoperative and 1-year postoperative timepoint using a linear mixed-effect model. RESULTSBefore overlap weighting, the two surgery groups showed significant differences in age and diagnosis. No obvious sagittal malalignment was observed (PI minus LL: decompression, 7.4° vs. fusion, 11.5°). After propensity score weighting, the fusion groups exhibited significantly better ODI and VAS back at the 1-year timepoint (ODI: fusion, 16.6 vs. decompression, 28.1, p=.013; VAS back: fusion, 1.5±2.1 vs. decompression, 3.7±1.9, p<.001). Radiographic assessment showed that the fusion group achieved better PI minus LL compared to decompression group (15° vs. 10°, p=.008). CONCLUSIONIn patients with degenerative scoliosis and a Cobb angle greater than 20 degrees, short-segment lumbar fusion surgery may result in enhanced improvement for short-segment lumbar pathology compared to isolated decompression.

Construction of a combined prognostic model for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma based on deep learning and digital pathology images

BackgroundDeep learning has made significant advancements in the field of digital pathology, and the integration of multiple models has further improved accuracy. In this study, we aimed to construct a combined prognostic model using deep learning-extracted features from digital pathology images of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) alongside clinical predictive indicators and to explore its prognostic value.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 142 postoperative pathologically confirmed PDAC cases. These cases were divided into training (n = 114) and testing sets (n = 28) at an 8:2 ratio. Tumor whole-slide imaging features were extracted and screened to construct a pathological risk model based on a pre-trained deep learning model. Clinical and pathological data from the training set were used to select independent predictive factors for PDAC and establish a clinical risk model using LASSO, univariate, and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Based on the pathological and clinical risk models, a combined model was developed. The Harrell concordance index (C-index) was computed to assess the predictive performance of each model for PDAC survival prognosis.ResultsFor the training and testing sets, the C-index values for the clinical risk model were 0.76 and 0.75, respectively; for the pathological risk model, they were 0.82 and 0.73, respectively; and for the combined model, they were 0.86 and 0.77, respectively. The combined model exhibited appropriate calibration at 1-, 3-, and 5-year time points, as well as a superior area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve and clinical net benefit compared to the single models.ConclusionsIntegrating the pathological and clinical risk models may provide a higher predictive value for survival prognosis.

Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Versus Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Degenerative Spinal Pathology: Clinical Outcome Comparison in Patients With Predominant Back Pain.

Retrospective review. To compare perioperative and postoperative clinical outcomes between minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) and lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) in patients presenting with predominant back pain. Two popular techniques utilized for lumbar arthrodesis are MIS-TLIF and LLIF. Both techniques have reported high fusion rates and suitable postoperative clinical outcomes. Scarce literature exists, however, comparing these 2 common fusion techniques in a subset population of patients presenting with predominant back pain preoperatively. A retrospective review of lumbar procedures performed between November 2005 and December 2021 was conducted using a prospectively maintained single-surgeon database. Inclusion criteria were set as primary, elective, single, or multilevel MIS-TLIF or LLIF procedures for degenerative spinal pathology in patients with predominant preoperative back pain [visual analog scale (VAS) back pain preoperative score > VAS leg preoperative score]. Patients undergoing a revision procedure, single-level procedure at L5-S1, or surgery indicated for infectious, malignant, or traumatic etiologies were excluded. In addition, patients with VAS leg preoperative scores ≥ to VAS back preoperative scores were excluded. Patient demographics, perioperative characteristics, postoperative complications, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were collected. PROMs included VAS for back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Short Form-12 (SF-12) Item Survey Mental (MCS) and Physical (PCS) Composite Scores with all values collected at the preoperative, 6-week, 12-week, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up time point. Patients were grouped into 2 cohorts, depending on whether a patient underwent a MIS-TLIF or LLIF. Demographic and perioperative characteristics were compared between groups using χ2 and Student t test for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Mean PROM scores were compared between cohorts at each time point utilizing an unpaired Student t test. Postoperative improvement from preoperative baseline within each cohort was assessed with paired samples t test. Achievement of minimum clinical important difference (MCID) was determined by comparing ΔPROM scores to previously established threshold values. MCID achievement rates were compared between groups with χ2 analysis. Statistical significance was noted as a P value <0.05. Eligible study cohort included 153 patients, split into 106 patients in the MIS-TLIF cohort and 47 patients in the LLIF cohort. The mean age was 55.9 years, the majority (57.5%) of patients were males, the mean body mass index was 30.8kg/m2, and the majority of the included cohort were nondiabetic and nonhypertensive. No significant demographic differences were noted between cohorts. The MIS-TLIF cohort had a significantly greater proportion of patients with preoperative spinal pathology of recurrent herniated nucleus pulposus, whereas a significantly greater proportion of patients in the LLIF cohort demonstrated isthmic spondylolisthesis (P < 0.046, all). No significant differences were noted between cohorts for operative duration, estimated blood loss, 1-year rate of arthrodesis, postoperative length of stay, postoperative VAS pain scores on postoperative day 0 or 1, and postoperative narcotic consumption on postoperative day 0 or 1. Patients in the LLIF cohort showed greater rates of postoperative ileus (4.3% vs 0.0%). No other significant differences were noted between cohorts for postoperative complications. Between cohorts, preoperative PROM scores did not significantly differ. The following significant postoperative mean PROM scores were demonstrated: VAS back at 12 weeks and ODI at 12 weeks with both mean scores favoring the LLIF cohort. The MIS-TLIF cohort reported significant improvement from preoperative baseline to the 2-year time point for all PROMs collected at all individual postoperative time points except SF-12 MCS at 6 weeks (P < 0.0, all). LLIF cohort reported significant improvement from preoperative baseline to the 1-year time point for all PROMs collected at all individual postoperative time points except for ODI at 6 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years, SF-12 MCS at 6 weeks and 2 years, and SF-12 PCS at 2 years(P < 0.042, all). The majority of patients in both cohorts achieved overall MCID for VAS back, VAS leg, ODI, and SF-12 PCS. A significantly greater proportion of patients in the LLIF cohort achieved MCID for SF-12 PCS at 12 weeks (94.4% vs 61.1%; P < 0.008). Patients with predominant back pain undergoing MIS-TLIF or LLIF for degenerative spinal pathology demonstrated similar 2-year mean clinical outcomes for physical function, disability, leg pain, and back pain. At the 12-week time point, mean outcome scores for back pain and disability favored the lateral approach with concurrent higher rates of MCID achievement for physical function at that time point.

Five-Year Follow-Up of Standard-of-Care Axicabtagene Ciloleucel for Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Results From the US Lymphoma CAR T Consortium.

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy that is approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Little is known about the long-term survivorship after CAR T-cell therapy. We previously reported the results of 298 patients who were leukapheresed with the intent to receive standard-of-care axi-cel (n = 275 infused) after two or more previous lines of therapy at a median follow-up of 12.9 months. Here, we report extended follow-up of this cohort to a median of 58 months, with a focus on late survivorship events. Among axi-cel-infused patients, progression-free survival at 5 years was 29% and overall survival (OS) at 5 years was 40%. The 5-year lymphoma-specific survival was 53% with infrequent late relapses. However, the 5-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) was 16.2%, with over half of NRM events occurring beyond 2 years. Patients who were 60 years and older had a lower risk of relapse (P = .02), but a higher risk of NRM compared with patients younger than 60 years (NRM odds ratio, 4.5 [95% CI, 2.1 to 10.8]; P < .001). Late NRM was mainly due to infections and subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs). In total, SMNs occurred in 24 patients (9%), including therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (n = 15), solid tumors (n = 7), and unrelated lymphoid malignancies (n = 2). In the standard-of-care setting, axi-cel exhibits outcomes consistent with those reported in clinical trials, with sustained, durable responses observed at the 5-year time point. However, late infections and the development of SMN are key survivorship issues that reduce long-term survival after CAR T-cell therapy, particularly in the elderly.

Gastric bypass elicits persistent gut adaptation and unique diabetes remission-related metabolic gene regulation.

We have previously shown that early intestinal adaptation precedes and relates to metabolic improvement in humans after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB). We hypothesized that intestinal adaptation would persist at the 1-year postoperative time point and that gene expression (GE) signatures would relate to type 2 diabetes remission, providing insight into potential mechanisms for intestinally mediated metabolic improvement after RYGB. We determined GE by RNA sequencing in jejunum (Roux limb [RL]) collected from 28 patients before and 12 months after RYGB. Global GE from paired baseline and 1-year jejunal samples did not separate according to clinical phenotype (type 2 diabetesremission, sustained weight loss). In general, GE was consistent with persistent RL remodeling, and microvilli were elongated by 39%. Remodeling was not attenuated in patients with lack of diabetes remission or with weight regain. Patients with diabetes remission demonstrated greater jejunal activation of lipogenesis-related pathways driven by RXR, LXR, and SREBP. RL adaptation is a key feature of RYGB in all patients, likely reflecting the dramatic alterations to gastrointestinal anatomy, but jejunal lipogenesis appears to be more strongly activated in those patients with diabetes remission. Further study is needed to understand whether these pathways may drive metabolic remission after RYGB.

The Relationship Between Age at Diabetes Onset and Clinical Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes: A Real-World Two-Center Study.

This study was developed with the goal of clarifying whether there is any relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) age of onset and clinical outcomes for patients in National Metabolic Management Centers (MMC). From September 2017 - June 2022, 864 total T2DM patients were recruited in MMC and assigned to those with early-onset and late-onset diabetes (EOD and LOD) based on whether their age at disease onset was ≤ 40 or > 40 years. All patients received standardized management. Baseline and 1-year follow-up data from these two groups of patients were assessed. Associations between onset age and other factors were evaluated with a multivariate linear regression approach, adjusting for appropriate covariates. Outcomes in particular subgroups were also assessed in stratified analyses. Markers of dysregulated glucose metabolism and BMI values were significantly higher among EOD patients as compared to LOD patients. Subjects in both groups exhibited significant improvements in several disease-related parameters on 1-year follow-up after undergoing metabolic management. EOD patients exhibited significantly greater percentage reductions in HbA1c levels (-28.49 (-44.26, -6.45)% vs -13.70 (-30.15,-1.60)%, P =0.017) relative to LOD patients following adjustment for confounders. Significant differences were also detected between these groups when focused on subgroups of patients who were male, exhibited a BMI ≥ 25, an HbA1c ≥ 9, or had a follow-up frequency < 2. Data from a 1-year follow-up time point suggest that a standardized metabolic disease management model can promote effective metabolic control in newly diagnosed T2DM patients, particularly among individuals with EOD.

Machine-learning-based models for the optimization of post-cervical spinal laminoplasty outpatient follow-up schedules

BackgroundPatients undergo regular clinical follow-up after laminoplasty for cervical myelopathy. However, those whose symptoms significantly improve and remain stable do not need to conform to a regular follow-up schedule. Based on the 1-year postoperative outcomes, we aimed to use a machine-learning (ML) algorithm to predict 2-year postoperative outcomes.MethodsWe enrolled 80 patients who underwent cervical laminoplasty for cervical myelopathy. The patients’ Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores (range: 0–17) were analyzed at the 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month postoperative timepoints to evaluate their ability to predict the 2-year postoperative outcomes. The patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) was defined as a JOA score ≥ 14.25 at 24 months postoperatively and, based on clinical outcomes recorded up to the 1-year postoperative timepoint, eight ML algorithms were developed to predict PASS status at the 24-month postoperative timepoint. The performance of each of these algorithms was evaluated, and its generalizability was assessed using a prospective internal test set.ResultsThe long short-term memory (LSTM)-based algorithm demonstrated the best performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.90 ± 0.13).ConclusionsThe LSTM-based algorithm accurately predicted which group was likely to achieve PASS at the 24-month postoperative timepoint. Although this study included a small number of patients with limited available clinical data, the concept of using past outcomes to predict further outcomes presented herein may provide insights for optimizing clinical schedules and efficient medical resource utilization.Trial registrationThis study was registered as a clinical trial (Clinical Trial No. NCT02487901), and the study protocol was approved by the Seoul National University Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB No. 1505-037-670).

Do obese patients undergoing surgery for grade 1 spondylolisthesis have worse outcomes at 5 years' follow-up? A QOD study.

The long-term effects of increased body mass index (BMI) on surgical outcomes are unknown for patients who undergo surgery for low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis. The goal of this study was to assess long-term outcomes in obese versus nonobese patients after surgery for grade 1 spondylolisthesis. Patients who underwent surgery for grade 1 spondylolisthesis at the Quality Outcomes Database's 12 highest enrolling sites (SpineCORe group) were identified. Long-term (5-year) outcomes were compared for patients with BMI ≥ 35 versus BMI < 35. In total, 608 patients (57.6% female) were included. Follow-up was 81% (excluding patients who had died) at 5 years. The BMI ≥ 35 cohort (130 patients, 21.4%) was compared to the BMI < 35 cohort (478 patients, 78.6%). At baseline, patients with BMI ≥ 35 were more likely to be younger (58.5 ± 11.4 vs 63.2 ± 12.0 years old, p < 0.001), to present with both back and leg pain (53.8% vs 37.0%, p = 0.002), and to require ambulation assistance (20.8% vs 9.2%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the cohort with BMI ≥ 35 had worse baseline patient-reported outcomes including visual analog scale (VAS) back (7.6 ± 2.3 vs 6.5 ± 2.8, p < 0.001) and leg (7.1 ± 2.6 vs 6.4 ± 2.9, p = 0.031) pain, disability measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) (53.7 ± 15.7 vs 44.8 ± 17.0, p < 0.001), and quality of life on EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire (0.47 ± 0.22 vs 0.56 ± 0.22, p < 0.001). Patients with BMI ≥ 35 were more likely to undergo fusion (85.4% vs 74.7%, p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in 30- and 90-day readmission rates (p > 0.05). Five years postoperatively, there were no differences in reoperation rates or the development of adjacent-segment disease for patients in either BMI < 35 or ≥ 35 cohorts who underwent fusion (p > 0.05). On multivariate analysis, BMI ≥ 35 was a significant risk factor for not achieving minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) for VAS leg pain (OR 0.429, 95% CI 0.209-0.876, p = 0.020), but BMI ≥ 35 was not a predictor for achieving MCID for VAS back pain, ODI, or EQ-5D at 5 years postoperatively. Both obese and nonobese patients benefit from surgery for grade 1 spondylolisthesis. At the 5-year time point, patients with BMI ≥ 35 have similarly low reoperation rates and achieve rates of satisfaction and MCID for back pain (but not leg pain), disability (ODI), and quality of life (EQ-5D) that are similar to those in patients with a BMI < 35.

Oral and Gut Microbiome Alterations in Oral Chronic GVHD Disease: Results from Close Assessment and Testing for Chronic GVHD (CATCH Study).

Whether and how the oral microbiome and its changes in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) recipients may contribute to oral chronic GVHD (cGVHD) pathogenesis is unknown. In addition, although the oral and colonic microbiota are distinct in healthy adults, whether oral microbes may ectopically colonize the gut in alloHCT patients is unknown. To address these knowledge gaps, longitudinal oral and fecal samples were collected prospectively in the multicenter Close Assessment and Testing for Chronic GVHD study (NCT04188912). Through shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the samples collected at baseline, oral cGVHD onset, first post-cGVHD onset visit, and 1-year post-HCT time points in patients with oral cGVHD (cases; N = 29) or without any cGVHD (controls; N = 51), we examined whether (i) oral and/or gut microbiomes and their longitudinal trajectories differ between cases and controls and (ii) oral and gut microbiomes overlap in alloHCT recipients, especially those developing cGVHD. A total of 195 samples were analyzed. The onset of oral cGVHD was characterized by an expansion of Streptococcus salivarius and Veillonella parvula in the oral microbiome. High levels of oral/gut microbiota overlap were observed, particularly in patients with oral cGVHD, suggesting ectopic colonization of the gut by oral bacteria. The unusual coalescence of two distant niches in these patients may result in short- or long-term consequences for the host, a novel avenue for future research. In addition, this study suggests a contribution of the oral microbiome to oral cGVHD pathogenesis.

Rotating Hinge Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty Provides Greater Arc of Motion Gains for Patients Who Have Severe Arthrofibrosis

BackgroundArthrofibrosis is a common postoperative total knee arthroplasty (TKA) complication that results in limited range of motion (ROM). There is limited literature on outcomes after revision TKA (rTKA) for arthrofibrosis based on preoperative ROM restriction. The aims of this study were to: (1) examine ROM trajectory after rTKA for arthrofibrosis patients who have severe versus nonsevere limitations; (2) compare ROM gains and final arc of motion (AOM) between severe and nonsevere cohorts; (2a) compare ROM gain in a severe cohort treated with a rotating hinge (RH) versus a non-RH (NRH) construct; and (3) assess the impact of arthrofibrosis severity on patient-reported outcome measures. MethodsPatients were divided into 2 groups: group A had preoperative ROM < 70° (severe), and group B had preoperative ROM > 70° (non-severe). Patients were assessed clinically using AOM gain, absolute ROM, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score for Joint Replacement, lower extremity activity scale, and pain scores. Postoperative gains in AOM were compared between both groups. ResultsA total of 56 rTKAs (group A (severe): n = 36, group B (non-severe): n = 20) were performed for patients who have postoperative fibrosis. Group B had better ROM at the 1-year time point (group B: 95.9 ± 22.5 degrees versus group A: 83.2 ± 25.7 degrees). Group A had significantly better improvement in absolute AOM than group B (31.1 ± 20.9 versus 11.4 ± 25.0 degrees, P < 0.01). The RH group demonstrated significantly better absolute AOM gain than the NRH group (41.3 ± 19.4 versus 18.3 ± 15.2 degrees, P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in patient-reported outcome measures between groups A and B or between RH and NRH groups at the final follow-up. ConclusionsFinal ROM achieved between severe and nonsevere arthrofibrosis groups was similar, and patients who have severe arthrofibrosis can expect greater absolute ROM gains and similar functional outcomes than nonsevere arthrofibrosis patients. The RH rTKAs provided greater AOM gains for patients who have severe arthrofibrosis, with equivalent functional outcomes to non-RH implants. For severe arthrofibrosis patients, RH designs provided twice the overall ROM gain; however, longer follow-up is necessary to determine whether RH designs have inferior overall implant survivorship.

Time to Dementia Diagnosis Among Veterans with Comorbid Insomnia and Depressive Episodes.

Older adults with heart failure are at elevated risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). Research suggests that insomnia and depressive episodes contribute somewhat dissociable impacts on risk for AD/ADRD in this patient population, although the temporal ordering of effects is unknown. This study examined time to dementia diagnosis among patients with comorbid insomnia and/or depressive episodes in an epidemiological sample. Secondary data analyses were conducted using a cohort study of 203,819 Veterans with a primary admission diagnosis of heart failure in 129 VA Medical Centers. Patients with diagnoses of both insomnia and depressive episodes had the shortest time to a dementia diagnosis at both 1-year (Hazard ratio = 1.43, 95% CI [1.36, 1.51]) and 3-year follow-up time points (Hazard ratio = 1.40, 95% CI [1.34, 1.47]) versus patients with one or neither comorbidity. Individuals with both comorbidities had the shortest time to dementia onset. Screening for these comorbidities may help to identify patients at elevated risk of dementia who could benefit from enhanced monitoring or early intervention strategies for more rapid detection and management of dementia symptoms.

Stereotactic radiosurgery versus combined stereotactic radiosurgery and bevacizumab for recurrent glioblastoma; a systematic review and meta-analysis of survival.

Recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) is a brain tumor that is resistant to standard treatments. Although stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a non-invasive radiation technique, it cannot fully prevent tumor recurrence and progression. Bevacizumab blocks tumor blood supply and has been approved for rGBM. However, the best way to combine SRS and bevacizumab is still unclear. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing SRS alone and SRS plus bevacizumab for rGBM. We searched three databases for articles published until June 2023. All statistical analysis was performed by STATA v.17. Our meta-analysis included 20 studies with 926 patients. We found that the combination therapy had a significantly lower rate of overall survival (OS) than SRS alone at 6-month 0.77[95%CI:0.74-0.85] for SRS alone and (100%) for SRS plus bevacizumab. At 1-year OS, 0.39 [95%CI: 0.32-0.47] for SRS alone and 0.61 [95%CI:0.44-0.77] for SRS plus bevacizumab (P-value:0.02). However, this advantage was not seen in the long term (18 months and two years). Additionally, the combination therapy had lower chances of progression-free survival (PFS) than SRS alone at the 6-month and 1-year time points, but the differences were insignificant. Our study indicates that incorporating bevacizumab with SRS may lead to a short-term increase in OS for rGBM patients but not long-term. Additionally, the PFS rate did not show significant improvement in the group receiving combination therapy. Further clinical trials are necessary to validate the enhanced overall survival with combination therapy for rGBM.

Poster 306: Establishing the Minimum Clinically Important Difference Two Years Following Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction

Objectives: Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction is used to address cases of recurrent patellar instability. Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is an important marker that relays the smallest clinical improvement in which patients feel a significant change after surgery. MCID has been previously established for MPFL reconstruction after 6 months and 1 year. To date, no study has established MCID for patient reported outcomes 2 years after MPFL reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to define the MCID for the Kujala, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Reconstruction (KOOS JR) at minimum two-year follow-ups after isolated MPFL reconstruction. Methods: All patients undergoing isolated MPFL reconstruction for recurrent patellar instability at a single institution between December 2015-June 2021 were included. Patients with concomitant osseous procedures beyond chondroplasty and any ligamentous procedure were excluded. A distribution-based approach was used to calculate the MCID. This was performed by determining the standard deviation (SD) of the delta two-year patient reported outcome scores (PROS) and then multiplying the SD by 0.5. The number of patients achieving MCID were then presented as a percentage. Results: Eighty-six of 117 patients who underwent isolated MPFL reconstruction completed preoperative and a two-year follow-up PRO survey (59 female, 27 male; age 21.1 ± 8.7 years). For Kujala, the preoperative mean was 59.3 ± 17.1, two-year follow-up mean was 87.6 ± 13.6, and MCID was 9.2 with 88% of the cohort achieving MCID. For IKDC, preoperative mean was 50.2 ± 17.2, two-year mean was 80.5 ± 18.6, and MCID was 12.4 with 80% of patients achieving MCID. KOOS JR had a preoperative man of 66.0 ± 14.6, two-year follow-up mean of 88.8 ± 11.9, and MCID of 8.5 with 72% of patients meeting this MCID (Figure 1). Conclusions: At two years following MPFL reconstruction, the MCID’s for clinically relevant subjective PROS were 9.2 (Kujala), 12.5 (IKDC), and 8.5 (KOOS JR). MCID’s for MPFL reconstruction are already established for 6-month and 1-year time points, and this was the first presentation of two-year MCID values. Establishing the 2-year MCID for MPFL reconstruction gives surgeons another tool to use in the diagnoses of patellar instability patients who may be struggling post-operatively.

Radiographic abnormalities and their clinical significance in patients with Parkinson disease who receive deep brain stimulation implants.

Preoperative MR images obtained in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) often reveal incidental radiographic abnormalities (RAs). These findings range from small changes to gross pathologies. The effect of these findings on patients' clinical outcomes is unknown. The authors characterized RAs in patients with PD who underwent DBS and assessed clinical outcomes. Records of patients at the authors' institution with PD who underwent MRI for DBS electrode implantation from 2010 through 2022 were reviewed. RAs were identified from the official preoperative MRI reports. RAs were grouped into four general categories (ischemic changes, atrophy or degenerative changes [ADCs], structural abnormalities, and tumors) and correlated with clinical outcomes (including subjective clinical response, levodopa equivalent dose [LED], and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III [UPDRS] score) at the 1-year and last available follow-ups. In this review, 160 patients were identified for initial analysis, with 135 presenting with ≥ 1 RAs. Of these 135 patients, 69.4% (111/160) had ischemic vascular changes, 39.4% (63/160) had ADCs, 16.9% (27/160) had structural changes, and 1.9% (3/160) had tumors. No differences in preoperative LED or UPDRS score were observed between these groups. After DBS, no differences in outcomes were observed between patients with RAs and those without RAs for both the 1-year and last follow-up time points, including mortality rates and times. Structural lesions were associated with lower mortality rates (OR 0.1, p = 0.04). ADCs were associated with a worse subjective clinical response at the 1-year (OR 0.50, p = 0.04) and last (OR 0.49, p = 0.03) follow-ups, but subjectively worse responses were not correlated with worse objective outcome measures. Most RAs have no significant effect on clinical outcomes in PD patients undergoing DBS. Generalized ADCs may be associated with poorer subjective responses and may warrant further discussion with the patient if diagnosed on preoperative MRI.

Which North American spine society disc herniation morphology descriptors are most associated with improvements in clinical outcomes after microdiscectomy?

The North American Spine Society (NASS) assembled the first ever comprehensive naming system for describing lumbar disc disease, including lumbar disc herniation. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine which NASS descriptors are most predictive of independent patient-reported outcomes after microdiscectomy and (2) to identify the inter-rater reliability of each NASS descriptor. Adult patients (≥18 years) who underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy from 2014-2021 were retrospectively identified. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were collected at preoperative, 3-month, and 1-year postoperative time points. Lumbar disc herniations were evaluated and classified on preoperative MRI using the NASS lumbar disc nomenclature specific to disc herniation. About 213 microdiscectomy patients were included in the final analysis. Herniation descriptors exhibiting the greatest reliability included sequestration status (κ=0.83), axial disc herniation area (κ=0.83), and laterality (κ=0.83). The descriptor with the lowest inter-rater reliability was direction of migration (κ=0.53). At 3 months, a sequestered herniation was associated with lower odds of achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for ODI (p=.004) and MCS (p=.032). At 12 months, a similar trend was observed for Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) MCID achievement (p=.001). At 3 months, a herniation with larger axial area was a predictor of MCID achievement in ODI (p=.004) and the mental component summary (MCS) (p=.009). Neither association persisted at 12 months; however, larger axial disc herniation area was able to predict MCID achievement in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) leg (p=.031) at 12 months. The utility of the NASS nomenclature system in predicting postoperative outcomes after microdiscectomy has yet to be studied. We showed that sequestration status and disc area are both reliable and able to predict the odds of achieving MCID in certain clinical outcomes at 3 months and 12 months after surgery. Hence, preoperative imaging analysis of lumbar disc herniations may be useful in accurately setting patient expectations.

Fertility-Sparing Surgery for Stage I Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

To describe population-level utilization of fertility-sparing surgery and outcome of reproductive-aged patients with early epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent fertility-sparing surgery in the United States. This retrospective study queried the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result Program. The study included 3,027 patients younger than age 50 years with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer receiving primary surgical therapy from 2007 to 2020. Fertility-sparing surgery was defined as preservation of one ovary and the uterus for unilateral lesion and preservation of the uterus for bilateral lesions. Temporal trend of fertility-sparing surgery was assessed with linear segmented regression with log-transformation. Overall survival associated with fertility-sparing surgery was assessed with Cox proportional hazard regression model. A total of 534 patients (17.6%) underwent fertility-sparing surgery. At the cohort level, the utilization of fertility-sparing surgery was 13.4% in 2007 and 21.8% in 2020 (P for trend=.009). Non-Hispanic White individuals (2.8-fold), those with high-grade serous histology (2.2-fold), and individuals with stage IC disease (2.3-fold) had a more than twofold increase in fertility-sparing surgery utilization during the study period (all P for trend<.05). After controlling for the measured clinicopathologic characteristics, patients who received fertility-sparing surgery had overall survival comparable with that of patients who had nonsparing surgery (5-year rates 93.6% vs 92.1%, adjusted hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI, 0.57-1.35). This survival association was consistent in high-grade serous (5-year rates 92.9% vs 92.4%), low-grade serous (100% vs 92.2%), clear cell (97.5% vs 86.1%), mucinous (92.1% vs 86.6%), low-grade endometrioid (95.7% vs 97.7%), and mixed (93.3% vs 83.7%) histology (all P>.05). In high-grade endometrioid tumor, fertility-sparing surgery was associated with decreased overall survival (5-year rates 71.9% vs 93.8%, adjusted hazard ratio 2.90, 95% CI, 1.09-7.67). Among bilateral ovarian lesions, fertility-sparing surgery was not associated with overall survival (5-year rates 95.8% vs 92.5%, P=.364). Among 41,914 patients who had epithelial ovarian cancer with any age and stage, those younger than age 50 years with stage I disease increased from 8.6% to 10.9% during the study period (P for trend=.002). Nearly one in five reproductive-aged patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer underwent fertility-sparing surgery in recent years in the United States. More than 90% of reproductive-aged patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent fertility-sparing surgery were alive at the 5-year timepoint, except for those with high-grade endometrioid tumors.

Total knee arthroplasty: Quality assurance and improved longevity costs less

BackgroundThere is an accepted variation in the financial cost of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) implants but it is not known whether this cost is reflected by the evidence in support of their use. A cost analysis study was carried out to determine the total cost of consumables of a TKA, and whether this was related to the supporting evidence and survivorship data. MethodsIntra-operative data for all unilateral, cemented, primary TKA over a 13 month period at a high-volume Orthopaedic Centre was collected. Level of evidence for each model was taken from the Orthopaedic Data Evaluation Panel (ODEP) website, and data from the UK National Joint Registry was used to assign survivorship (failure rates). Correlation was calculated using the Spearman rank correlation (r). ResultsA total of 1301 TKA were performed at the study centre during the data collection period. The mean cost of consumables for a TKA with patella resurfacing (n = 816) was £1969.08 (range of £1061.46 and £5143.89), and without resurfacing (n = 485) was £1846.62 (range of £1118.98 and £4196.81). There was a negative correlation between price of implant and ODEP rating (r = −0.47), with increasing level of evidence being associated with a lower cost. There was a positive correlation between price of implant and rate of implant failure at the1-, 3- and 5-year time-points (r = 0.55, 0.44, 0.28 respectively), with increasing cost being associated with a higher failure rate. ConclusionHigher financial cost of TKA prostheses was associated with a weaker level of supporting evidence and a higher failure rate. The increased financial cost of new implants may be justified as more data and evidence becomes available to support an advantage in its use over currently established implants.

Weight Changes after Ankle Fracture Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Recovery from open reduction internal fixation of the ankle frequently involves a decrease in activity level and some limitations in weightbearing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate weight changes during the postoperative period following ankle fracture surgery. Methods: Hospital billing records were retrospectively reviewed to identify all patients who underwent open reduction internal fixation of bimalleolar and trimalleolar ankle fractures at our hospital system between January 1, 2018 and June 30, 2021. Weight data from outpatient encounters coinciding with the 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year postoperative time points were recorded and analyzed. Results: 56 patients had complete weight data. The mean age at surgery was 44.6±16.2 years. There were 27 women and 29 men. At time of surgery, the mean weight was 197.2.3±53.9 lbs and BMI was 30.3±7.1 kg/m2. At 1 year postoperative, the mean weight was 219.2±51.6 lbs and BMI was 33.8±7.0 kg/m2, representing statistically significant increases of 22.0 lbs and 3.4 BMI points compared to preoperative (p=0.0491 and 0.0330, respectively). On subgroup analysis of different preoperative BMI groups (&lt;25, 25-29, 30-34, and ≥35), only those patients with a pre-operative BMI of &lt;25 experienced statistically significant increases in weight and BMI, 27.9 lbs and 4.8 kg/m2 respectively (p=0.029 and p=0.001). Conclusion: This is the first study to evaluate weight changes following ankle fracture. This study showed that at 1 year patients recovering from ankle open reduction internal fixation gain an average of 22 lbs and 3.4 BMI points. Patients with a pre-operative BMI of &lt;25 are subject to statistically significant increases in weight. We recommend monitoring patients’ weight and counseling them on the risks of weight gain. Further research is necessary to better characterize the risk of weight gain following orthopedic surgery. Level of Evidence: 4 (retrospective cohort)

Predicting the risk of neurocognitive decline after brain irradiation in adult patients with a primary brain tumor.

Deterioration of neurocognitive function in adult patients with a primary brain tumor is the most concerning side effect of radiotherapy. This study aimed to develop and evaluate normal-tissue complication probability (NTCP) models using clinical and dose-volume measures for 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year Neurocognitive Decline (ND) postradiotherapy. A total of 219 patients with a primary brain tumor treated with radical photon and/or proton radiotherapy (RT) between 2019 and 2022 were included. Controlled oral word association test, Hopkins verbal learning test-revised, and trail making test were used to objectively measure ND. A comprehensive set of potential clinical and dose-volume measures on several brain structures were considered for statistical modeling. Clinical, dose-volume and combined models were constructed and internally tested in terms of discrimination (area under the curve, AUC), calibration (mean absolute error, MAE), and net benefit. Fifty percent, 44.5%, and 42.7% of the patients developed ND at 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year time points, respectively. The following predictors were included in the combined model for 6-month ND: age at radiotherapy > 56 years (OR = 5.71), overweight (OR = 0.49), obesity (OR = 0.35), chemotherapy (OR = 2.23), brain V20 Gy ≥ 20% (OR = 3.53), brainstem volume ≥ 26 cc (OR = 0.39), and hypothalamus volume ≥ 0.5 cc (OR = 0.4). Decision curve analysis showed that the combined models had the highest net benefits at 6-month (AUC = 0.79, MAE = 0.021), 1-year (AUC = 0.72, MAE = 0.027), and 2-year (AUC = 0.69, MAE = 0.038) time points. The proposed NTCP models use easy-to-obtain predictors to identify patients at high risk of ND after brain RT. These models can potentially provide a base for RT-related decisions and post-therapy neurocognitive rehabilitation interventions.

Creation of a machine learning-based prognostic prediction model for various subtypes of laryngeal cancer.

Depending on the source of the blastophore, there are various subtypes of laryngeal cancer, each with a unique metastatic risk and prognosis. The forecasting of their prognosis is a pressing issue that needs to be resolved. This study comprised 5953 patients with glottic carcinoma and 4465 individuals with non-glottic type (supraglottic and subglottic). Five clinicopathological characteristics of glottic and non-glottic carcinoma were screened using univariate and multivariate regression for CoxPH (Cox proportional hazards); for other models, 10 (glottic) and 11 (non-glottic) clinicopathological characteristics were selected using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, respectively; the corresponding survival models were established; and the best model was evaluated. We discovered that RSF (Random survival forest) was a superior model for both glottic and non-glottic carcinoma, with a projected concordance index (C-index) of 0.687 for glottic and 0.657 for non-glottic, respectively. The integrated Brier score (IBS) of their 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year time points is, respectively, 0.116, 0.182, 0.195 (glottic), and 0.130, 0.215, 0.220 (non-glottic), demonstrating the model's effective correction. We represented significant variables in a Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) plot. The two models are then combined to predict the prognosis for two distinct individuals, which has some effectiveness in predicting prognosis. For our investigation, we established separate models for glottic carcinoma and non-glottic carcinoma that were most effective at predicting survival. RSF is used to evaluate both glottic and non-glottic cancer, and it has a considerable impact on patient prognosis and risk factor prediction.