Removal Of Uncinate Process Research Articles

Association of complete uncinate process removal on 2-year assessment of radiologic outcomes: subsidence and sagittal balance in patients receiving one-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion

BackgroundMany patients with cervical radiculopathy experience stenosis of the neural foramens due to cumulative osteophyte or uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. For cervical foraminal stenosis, complete uncinate process resection (UPR) is often conducted concurrently with anterior discectomy and fusion (ACDF). The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of ACDF with complete UPR versus ACDF without UPR.MethodsIn total, 105 patients who performed one-level ACDF with a cage-and-plate construct between 2011 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 37 patients had ACDF with complete UPR, and 68 patients had ACDF without UPR. Radiologic outcomes of disc height, C2–C7 lordosis, T1 slope, C2–C7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), center of the sella turcica–C7 SVA (St-SVA), spino-cranial angle (SCA), and fusion rate were evaluated on plain X-ray at pre-operation, immediately post-operation, and at 2-year follow-up. For statistically matched pairs analysis, ACDF with UPR group (24 patients) and ACDF without UPR (24 patients) were compared.ResultsAll of the clinical parameters improved at the 2-year follow up (P < 0.0001). Improvement in visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for arm pain was significantly improved in the ACDF with complete UPR group immediately post-operation. All cervical sagittal parameters, including cervical lordosis, segmental angle, disc height, C2-C7 SVA, St-SVA, T1 slope, and SCA, except for preoperative St-SVA, SCA, and disc height of 2 years follow-up, were similar between the ACDF with complete UPR and ACDF without UPR groups. Differences in disc height, C2-C7 SVA, and SCA at 2-year follow up after preoperative examination, however, were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Subsidence occurred in 9 patients (ACDF with complete UPR: 8 cases [33%] versus ACDF without UPR: 1 cases [4%]; p < 0.05).ConclusionsCervical sagittal alignment after ACDF with complete UPR is not significantly different from that achieved with ACDF without UPR. However, subsidence appears to occur more often after ACDF with complete UPR than after ACDF without UPR, although with little to no clinical impact. More precise and careful selection of patients is needed when deciding on additional complete UPR.

Prognostic Factors for Successful Endonasal Dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose: To evaluate the factors useful for predicting the surgical outcome of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 117 eyes of 94 patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction who underwent endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy and were followed up for more than 6 months. Factors associated with successful surgery were analyzed based on the preoperative and intraoperative factors and postoperative clinical features. Preoperative factors such as age, gender, laterality, presence or absence of hypertension, and diabetes were analyzed. Intraoperative factors such as use of triamcinolone, removal of uncinate process or middle turbinate during surgery, and location of the sac were analyzed. The postoperative clinical features including high tear meniscus, no intranasal silicone tube movement, and no air reflux feeling were each given a score of 1. Based on aggregate score, the patients were divided into 2 groups, the high score and low score groups and analyzed accordingly. Results: The success rate was 91.5%. Patients with diabetes showed a significantly low success rate (73.3%, p = 0.007). In patients with high tear meniscus at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after surgery, the success rate was significantly low (76.9%, 81.8% and 75.0%; p = 0.003, p = 0.029 and p = 0.002, respectively). The low score group at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery showed a significantly high success rate (100% and 95.9%; p < 0.001 and p = 0.023, respectively). Conclusions: Besides preoperative and intraoperative factors, the early postoperative clinical features are important for predicting the success of the surgery. If tear meniscus is high and there is no intranasal silicone tube movement and air reflux from the punctum in the early stages after surgery, more active management from the initial treatment is needed. J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2015;56(11):1661-1666

Functional anatomy of the uncinate process and its role in endoscopic sinus surgery

A basic step of Functional Endoscopic sinus surgery-the most modern and revolutionary surgical treatment for chronic and recurring sinusitis, is removal of uncinate process to expose the infundibulum. The purpose of this study is to explore the functional role of uncinate process with special reference to endoscopic sinus surgery. A fixed dose of sterile methylene blue was sprayed into the nasal cavities of post endoscopic sinus surgery cases, 20 without uncinate process preservation and 20 with uncinate process preservation. The area of staining/deposition of the stain in the ethmoidal cavity and the maxillary sinuses was endoscopically observed. Deposition of methylene blue was consistently found to be occurring in a larger area of the ethmoidal cavity including the maxillary sinus in post endoscopic sinus surgery cases without uncinate process preservation. Uncinate proces probably acts as a protective wall by directing the allergen bearing and contuminated inspired air away from the sinuses and facilitating ventilation of the sinuses in the mucocilliary pretreated expiratory phase. Injudictious removal of the uncinate process especially in cases with allergic rhinosinusitis should thus expose the sinus mucosa to contaminated air.

Biomechanical effects of progressive anterior cervical decompression.

A repeated-measures in vitro flexibility test was performed. To determine the biomechanical functions of tissues resected during anterior cervical decompression of various extents. The biomechanical consequences of discectomy have been studied in vitro, and uncovertebral joint removal has been modeled numerically. No studies have assessed the relative biomechanical contributions of different anterior column structures. In seven human cadaver C4-T1 specimens, 20 motion segments were studied. After each destructive step, including discectomy, unilateral uncinate process removal, bilateral uncinate process removal, and posterior longitudinal ligament transection, torques were applied to four-level specimens while the angular motion was measured at each level. Angular range of motion and neutral zone increased by variable but statistically significant amounts after each progressive resection, most notably in flexion and extension. Each resection step caused progressively larger shifts (up to 23 mm) in the location of the axis of rotation. Uncovertebral joint resection caused the most significant changes in the observed angular coupling. Anterior cervical decompression significantly increases the instability and alters the kinematics of cervical motion segments. Each structure resected contributes to normal stability and kinematics, so as many structures as possible should be left intact during anterior decompression without fusion. Because flexion and extension were the modes of motion that increased most significantly after decompression, the primary function of a grafting technique or fixation device should be to limit these motions.