Vertebral Level Research Articles

An Unusual Case of Cerebellar Tonsillar Descent till C7 Vertebrae in a Case of Chiari Malformation with Meningomyelocele

AbstractArnold–Chiari or Chiari malformations are a group of posterior fossa malformations that include the pons, medulla, and cerebellum. This group of disorders may consist of associated abnormalities like myelomeningocele and encephalocele. Chiari malformation has been classified majorly into four categories. Chiari I malformation has been defined as tonsillar descent more than 5 mm below the level of the foramen magnum. The maximum descent of tonsillar herniation reported is 27 mm below the foramen magnum around the C2 vertebrae. In this study, we report the case of a 4-month-old infant with swelling over the lumbosacral (LS) spine since birth with a gradually progressive increase in head size since the age of 2 months. The infant had occasional stridor with respiratory distress for 2 months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spine revealed gross hydrocephalous with myelomeningocele at the L1–L5 level with associated Chiari malformation. The tonsillar descent was almost at the level of C7, which was unusual in his patient. The infant underwent a right ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement and myelomeningocele repair. It was decided that the malformation would be managed in the second sitting. The postoperative period was uneventful and the respiratory distress improved. Cases of tonsillar descent (Chiari I malformation) to the C7 vertebral level are very rare.

Application of tuberosity suture combined with autogenous bone grafting in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for elderly patients with proximal humeral fractures

To analyze the effectiveness of tuberosity suture combined with autogenous bone grafting in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for elderly patients with proximal humerus fracture. A clinical data of 28 patients with fresh proximal humerus fractures, who met the selection criteria and admitted between June 2014 and April 2022, was retrospectively analyzed. There were 7 males and 21 females. Age ranged from 65 to 81 years, with an average of 73.8 years. The causes of injury were 21 cases of fall, 6 cases of traffic accident, and 1 case of falling from height. The time from injury to operation ranged from 5 to 20 days with an average of 9.2 days. There were 8 cases of Neer three-part fracture and 20 cases of four-part fracture. The reverse total shoulder arthroplasty was performed, and the greater and lesser tuberosities were sutered and reconstructed with autogenous bone grafting. After operation, the Constant score, American Society for Shoulder Surgery (ASES) score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were used to evaluate shoulder function and pain; and the active range of motion of the shoulder joint was recorded, including flexion, external rotation, and internal rotation. X-ray films were taken to observe the position of prosthesis. According to the evaluation criteria proposed by Boileau, the healing of greater tuberosity was evaluated, and the effectiveness was compared between the patients with healed and non-healed (displacement and absorption) greater tuberosity. All incisions healed by first intention after operation. All patients were followed up 24-106 months, with an average of 60.9 months. At last follow-up, the VAS score of shoulder joint ranged from 0 to 6 (mean, 1.1). The Constant score ranged from 45 to 100 (mean, 80.1). The ASES score ranged from 57 to 100 (mean, 84.7). The active range of motions of shoulder joint were 60°-160° (mean, 118°) in flexion, 0°-50° (mean, 30°) in external rotation, and corresponding to reaching the S 5-T 8 vertebral body level in internal rotation. During follow-up, no shoulder joint re-dislocation or severe shoulder instability occurred, and no revision surgery was performed. X-ray film reexamination showed that there was no loosening of the prosthesis. According to the evaluation criteria proposed by Boileau, the greater tuberosity fused in 22 cases (78.6%), displaced in 3 cases (10.7%), and absorbed in 3 cases (10.7%). The shoulder joint function and pain related evaluation indicators in the healed group were significantly better than those in the non-healed group ( P<0.05). Tuberosity suture combined with autogenous bone grafting is a relatively simple procedure that provides a reliable fixation for the anatomic recovery of greater and lesser tuberosities and is beneficial for the recovery of shoulder function in elderly patients with proximal humeral fractures.

Abstract B011: Predictors of survival and cachexia in pancreatic cancer: results from the CAMPP study

Abstract Introduction: Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a major cause of cancer-related death in the US and has an overall 5-year survival rate of only 13%. Cachexia, or cancer associated muscle wasting, is common and negatively affects treatment outcomes and quality of life. Despite these poor outcomes, our understanding of PDAC disease processes and improvements in treatments are limited. Here, we present the first results of the Cancer Associations in MUSC PDAC Patients (CAMPP) study. Methods: This retrospective analysis of 133 surgically resectable PDAC patients at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) between May 2016 to 2021 includes chart review data on survival, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Cancer cachexia was evaluated via total psoas area at the L3 vertebral level, which was standardized by height to produce a Total Psoas Index (TPI). Survival was plotted via unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis and TPI and cachexic status was examined for 124 patients with both linear and logistic regressions for unadjusted and adjusted data. Results: When analyzing population survival, we observed a mean overall survival (OS) of 23.6 months and mean progression free survival (PFS) of 17.3 months. Notable survival differences include perioperative vs adjuvant only chemotherapy groups in OS at 2 years (p=0.069) and 5 years (p=0.13). Within the perioperative population, there were differences in PFS (p=0.017) and OS (p=0.056) for patients who responded to therapy at 5 years. To explore potential relationships with cachexia, we performed simple bivariate linear regressions for TPI at diagnosis. We found preliminary associations with sex (p&amp;lt;0.001) and creatinine (p=0.062). When adjusting the model for the confounding effects of race, resection status, and perioperative status, sex (p&amp;lt;0.001) and age (p=0.02) were significantly associated. Importantly, creatinine was not significantly associated (p=0.16). Regardless, an adjusted logistic regression using sex-dependent cachexia cutoffs revealed a clinically relevant odds ratio of 0.9 (95% CI [0.72, 1.09]). This indicates a 10% reduction in the odds of cachexia with every 0.1 mg/dL increase in creatinine, all else held constant. Stratifying with sex-dependent cutoffs for both TPI and creatinine revealed significant differences in 5-year OS (p=0.1) between all four groups. Conclusions: Observing survival trends for patients receiving perioperative care is notable as there are currently no clear guidelines for perioperative chemotherapy despite growing evidence for its efficacy. Further, while sex and age are known predictors of cachexia, creatinine is much less studied. Our associations between creatinine and TPI agree with observations in lung cancer, supporting its use as a clinically relevant marker. Ongoing work is exploring longitudinal measures of cachexia and correlating the CAMPP dataset with tumor genomics to reveal individualized factors impacting patient outcomes. Citation Format: Julie A Disharoon, Arash Velayati, Chloe Matila, Andrew Disharoon, Joseph A Karam, John Redhead, Rachel Burge, Elizabeth G Hill, David T Long, Toros A Dincman. Predictors of survival and cachexia in pancreatic cancer: results from the CAMPP study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in Pancreatic Cancer Research; 2024 Sep 15-18; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(17 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B011.

Protective role of transforming growth factor-Β3 (TGF-Β3) in the formation of radiation-induced capsular contracture around a breast implant: In vivo experimental study

Postmastectomy radiotherapy causes capsular contracture due to fibroproliferation of the capsular tissue around the implant. In fibrosis, unlike normal wound healing, structural and functional disorders are observed in the tissues caused by excessive/irregular accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. It has been reported that transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3) prevents and reverses fibrosis in various tissues or provides scarless healing with its antifibrotic effect. Additionally, TGF-β3 has been shown to reduce fibrosis in radiotherapy-induced fibrosis syndrome. However, no study in the literature investigates the effects of exogenously applied TGF-β3 on capsular contracture in aesthetic or reconstructive breast implant application. TGF-β3, which has a very short half-life, has low bioavailability with parenteral administration. Within the scope of this study, free TGF-β3 was loaded into the nanoparticles to increase its low bioavailability and extend its duration of action by providing controlled release. The aim of this study is to investigate the preventive/improving effects of radiation induced capsular contracture using chitosan film formulations containing TGF-β3 loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG) nanoparticles in implant-based breast reconstruction. In the characterization studies of nanoparticles, the particle size and zeta potential of the TGF-β3-loaded PLGA-b-PEG nanoparticle formulation selected to be used in the treatment group were found to be 123.60 ± 2.09 nm and −34.87 ± 1.42 mV, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of the formulation was calculated as 99.91 %. A controlled release profile was obtained in in vitro release studies. Chitosan film formulations containing free TGF-β3 or TGF-β3-loaded PLGA-b-PEG nanoparticles were used in in vivo studies. In animal studies, rats were randomly distributed into 6 groups (n = 8) as sham, implant, implant + radiotherapy, implant + radiotherapy + chitosan film containing unloaded nanoparticles, implant + radiotherapy + chitosan film containing free TGF-β3, implant + radiotherapy + chitosan film containing TGF-β3 loaded nanoparticle. In all study groups, a 2 cm incision was made along the posterior axillary line at the thoracic vertebral level in rats to reach the lateral edge of the latissimus dorsi. The fascial attachment to the chest wall was then bluntly dissected to create a pocket for the implants. In the treatment groups, the wound was closed after films were placed on the outer surface of the implants. After administering prophylactic antibiotics, rats were subjected to irradiation with 10 Gy photon beams targeted to each implant site. Each implant and the surrounding excised tissue were subjected to the necessary procedures for histological (capsule thickness, cell density), immunohistochemical, and biochemical (α-SMA, vimentin, collagen type I and type III, TGF-β1 and TGF-β3: expression level/protein level) examinations. It was determined that the levels of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 collagen type III, which decreased as a result of radiotherapy, were brought to the control level with free TGF-β3 film and TGF-β3 nanoparticle film formulations. Histological analyses, consistent with biochemical analyses, showed that thick collagen and fibrosis, which increased with radiotherapy, were brought to the control level with free TGF-β3 film and TGF-β3 nanoparticle film treatments.In biochemical analyses, the decrease in thick collagen was compatible with the decrease in the collagen type I/type III ratio in the free TGF-β3 film and TGF-β3 nanoparticle film groups. Changes in protein expression show that TGF-β3 loaded nanoparticles are more successful than free TGF-β3 in wound healing. In line with these results and the literature, it is thought that the balance of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 should be maintained to ensure scarless wound healing with no capsule contracture.

Skeletal Muscle Segmentation at the Level of the Third Lumbar Vertebra (L3) in Low-Dose Computed Tomography: A Lightweight Algorithm.

The cross-sectional area of skeletal muscles at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) measured from computed tomography (CT) images is an established imaging biomarker used to assess patients' nutritional status. With the increasing prevalence of low-dose CT scans in clinical practice, accurate and automated skeletal muscle segmentation at the L3 level in low-dose CT images has become an issue to address. This study proposed a lightweight algorithm for automated segmentation of skeletal muscles at the L3 level in low-dose CT images. This study included 57 patients with rectal cancer, with both low-dose plain and contrast-enhanced pelvic CT image series acquired using a radiotherapy CT scanner. A training set of 30 randomly selected patients was used to develop a lightweight segmentation algorithm, and the other 27 patients were used as the test set. A radiologist selected the most representative axial CT image at the L3 level for both the image series for all the patients, and three groups of observers manually annotated the skeletal muscles in the 54 CT images of the test set as the gold standard. The performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated in terms of the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), precision, recall, 95th percentile of the Hausdorff distance (HD95), and average surface distance (ASD). The running time of the proposed algorithm was recorded. An open source deep learning-based AutoMATICA algorithm was compared with the proposed algorithm. The inter-observer variations were also used as the reference. The DSC, precision, recall, HD95, ASD, and running time were 93.2 ± 1.9% (mean ± standard deviation), 96.7 ± 2.9%, 90.0 ± 2.9%, 4.8 ± 1.3 mm, 0.8 ± 0.2 mm, and 303 ± 43 ms (on CPU) for the proposed algorithm, and 94.1 ± 4.1%, 92.7 ± 5.5%, 95.7 ± 4.0%, 7.4 ± 5.7 mm, 0.9 ± 0.6 mm, and 448 ± 40 ms (on GPU) for AutoMATICA, respectively. The differences between the proposed algorithm and the inter-observer reference were 4.7%, 1.2%, 7.9%, 3.2 mm, and 0.6 mm, respectively, for the averaged DSC, precision, recall, HD95, and ASD. The proposed algorithm can be used to segment skeletal muscles at the L3 level in either the plain or enhanced low-dose CT images.

Financial implications of sarcopenia in colorectal cancer surgery: a cost analysis in an Australian public hospital.

Sarcopenia has a detrimental impact on patient outcomes following colorectal surgery, increasing financial strain on the healthcare system. Given the absence of specific Australian data, this study aimed to measure the cost of sarcopenia in the context of colorectal surgery in an Australian public hospital. A retrospective cost analysis, following CHEERS guidelines, was conducted on major elective colorectal cancer surgical cases at the Royal Adelaide Hospital between 2018 and 2022. The cross-sectional psoas area was measured through computed tomography (CT) imaging at the level of the third lumbar vertebrae, and sarcopenia was determined using gender-specific thresholds. Hospital billing data was used to gather costings (AU$). Out of 271 patients, 57 (21.0%) comprised the sarcopenic group (SG). SG patients were older (74 vs. 69 years, P < 0.001), had a higher American Society of Anaesthesiologists (>II, 71.9% vs. 53.7%, P = 0.014) and a lower median body mass index (24.8 vs. 28.7 kg/m2, P < 0.001). The SG exhibited a greater likelihood of complications (84.2 vs. 68.7%, P = 0.020) and prolonged hospital stay by 1 day (median 7 vs. 6 days, P = 0.027). Despite an increased mean total cost of hospital admission, no statistically significant difference was found (AU$37 712 vs. $34 845, P = 0.296). Multivariate analysis revealed hypoalbuminemia, prolonged operative time, postoperative ileus, return to theatre, Clavien-Dindo grade ≥3 complications, and prolonged stay increased overall cost (P < 0.05). Sarcopenia was not associated with a significantly increased cost of colorectal surgery in our institution. Future studies examining the cost-effectiveness of prehabilitation programmes targeting sarcopenia should be considered.

Various aspects of radiosurgery – a review

Introduction and purpose Radiosurgery (RS) is an innovative treatment method that involves the precise administration of a large dose of ionizing radiation to the diseased area of ​​the body sparing healthy tissues maximally. The treatment is non-invasive and usually painless for the patient, and its greatest advantage is the immediate destruction of cancer cells. The method enables the treatment of tumors which are located within the brain tissue, but also of extracranial lesions in almost all organs of the human body. The aim of this article is to compare the structure, principles of operation, advantages, disadvantages and the use of Gamma Knife and CyberKnife in neurosurgery. These devices are used to perform radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy procedures. They are an alternative to neurosurgical procedures, especially for cancerous tumors located in hard-to-reach places, and significantly reduce the risk of postoperative complications. Materials and methods The literature included in the PubMed, BioMed Central and Polish Medical Platform databases is searched by means of the words such as Gamma Knife, CyberKnife, radiosurgery, stereotactic radiotherapy. Quoted sources in selected works were also used. Conclusions Stereotactic radiosurgery is an element of radical, palliative or analgesic treatment of well-circumscribed small lesions, less than 5 cm in diameter. Gamma Knife and CyberKnife enable cancerous and non-cancerous treatment lesions. Both procedures are performed on an outpatient basis and are considered minimally invasive procedures, especially recommended for patients who cannot undergo neurosurgical surgery or require less invasive cancer treatment. Gamma Knife was designed for radiosurgery of lesions located intracranially and covering the upper parts of the cervical spine up to the level of the fourth cervical vertebra, while CyberKnife or modern linear accelerators are used for intracranial and extracranial radiosurgery.

Evaluation of Muscle Mass and Malnutrition in Patients with Colorectal Cancer Using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition Criteria and Comparing Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Computed Tomography Measurements.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the discrepancies between bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and computed tomography (CT) in assessing skeletal muscle mass and identifying low muscle mass in patients with colorectal cancer. This study recruited 137 patients with colorectal cancer from February 2028 to December 2023. CT scans were analyzed at the Lumbar 3 vertebral level to determine the area of skeletal muscle, which was then utilized to estimate whole-body skeletal muscle mass. [BIA] was also employed to measure skeletal muscle. Both skeletal muscle mass values [kg] were divided by height2 [m2] to calculate the skeletal muscle index [SMI, kg/m2], denoted as SMI-CT and SMI-BIA, respectively. The median age was 69.8 + 9.5 years, with the sex ratio being 88/49 [male/female]. Whereas more than one-third of the patients were classified as malnourished based on the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition GLIM-CT criteria using L3-SMI [n = 36.5%], fewer patients were classified as malnourished based on GLIM-BIA using SMI-BIA [n = 19.0%]. According to the CT analysis [low SMI-L3], 52 [38.0%] patients were diagnosed as having poor muscle mass, whereas only 18 [13.1%] patients were identified as having low muscle mass using BIA [low SMIBIA]. The measured SMI showed a positive association with SMI-CT in all patients [r = 0.63, p < 0.001]. Using Bland-Altman evaluation, a significant mean bias of 0.45 + 1.41 kg/m2 [95% CI 0.21-0.70; p < 0.001] between SMI-BIA and SMI-CT was reported. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to detect poor muscle mass using SMI-BIA with CT as the gold standard. The area under the curve (AUC) for SMI-BIA in identifying poor muscle mass was 0.714 (95% CI: 0.624-0.824), with a good cut-off value of 8.1 kg/m2, yielding a sensitivity of 68.3% and a specificity of 66.9%. BIA generally overestimates skeletal muscle mass in colorectal cancer patients when contrasted to CT. As a result, BIA may underestimate the prevalence of poor muscle mass and malnutrition according to the GLIM criteria in this patient population.

Comparison of the surgical efficacy of robot-assisted and freehand nail placement in the treatment of sarcopenia combined with femoral neck fractures younger than 65 years

ObjectiveThere is limited research on the effectiveness of orthopedic robot-assisted treatment for sarcopenia combined with femoral neck fractures (FNF) in clinical settings. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of orthopedic robot-assisted screw placement with traditional manual screw placement for treating sarcopenia combined with FNF. MethodsThe retrospective study included patients with FNF under the age of 65 who were admitted to the Department of Orthopedics at XX Hospital Affiliated to XX University between January 2019 and March 2022 and underwent internal fixation with cannulated screws. Grip strength of the dominant hand was measured, and the skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated based on the muscle tissue area at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebrae on chest CT divided by height squared. Sarcopenia was diagnosed when SMI was below 42.6 cm2/m2 for men or 30.6 cm2/m2 for women. Patients were then grouped based on whether they underwent orthopedic robot-assisted surgery, as the robot-assisted (RA) group or the freehand (FH) group. Follow-up evaluations over 24–36 months included various parameters such as operation time, blood loss, X-ray shots, number of needle drilling, cannulated nail parallelism, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, time to weight-bearing, perioperative infection, VAS (visual analogue scale) scores at 1 and 6 months post-surgery, Harris hip score at 6 months post-surgery, and incidence of nonunions and femoral head necrosis within 24 months post-surgery. ResultsA total of 127 participants were enrolled in this study, with 46 individuals in the RG group and 81 in the FG group. Across both groups, factors such as gender, age, SMI, injury sides, Garden classifications, intraoperative blood loss, preoperative CRP, and VAS scores at 6 months post-surgery did not show statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). The RA group exhibited shorter operation time, fewer intraoperative X-ray shots, less needle drilling, and lower postoperative CRP levels compared to the FH group. The VAS score of the RA group was lower one month after surgery, whereas the Harris score was higher six months post-surgery (p < 0.05). The parallel angle of the hollow screws in the RA group was superior to that in the FH screw placement group, with an earlier time to bear weight on the ground post-surgery (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in incision infection, femoral neck nonunion (within 9 months after surgery), and patient satisfaction between the two groups (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the rate of femoral head necrosis after fracture within 2 years in the RA group was lower compared to the FH screw placement group, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05).

The Kinematic and Electromyographic Analysis of Roller Skating at Different Speeds on a Treadmill: A Case Study.

Elite athletes in speed roller skates perceive skating to be a more demanding exercise for the groin when compared to other cyclic disciplines, increasing their risk of injury. The objective of this study was to monitor the kinematic and electromyographic parameters of roller speed skaters, linearly, on a treadmill, and to compare different skating speeds, one at 20 km/h and one at 32 km/h, at a 1° inclination. The acquisition was carried out by placing an inertial sensor at the level of the first sacral vertebra, and eight surface electromyographic probes on both lower limbs. The kinematic and electromyographic analysis on the treadmill showed that a higher speed requires more muscle activation, in terms of maximum and average values and co-activation, as it not only increases the intrinsic muscle demand in the district, but also the athlete's ability to coordinate the skating technique. The present study allows us to indicate not only how individual muscle districts are activated during skating on a surface different from the road, but also how different speeds affect the overall district load distributions concerning effective force, which is essential for the physiotherapist and kinesiologist for preventive and conditional purposes, while also considering possible variations in the skating technique in linear advancement.

Sarcopenia As a Determinant Prognostic Factor After Surgery Among Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) is not risk-free; therefore, preoperative evaluation must be done to predict and prevent surgical complications. Sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass and function, was shown to be associated with surgical complications. Our study evaluates the effects of sarcopenia on short-term patient outcomes after CRC resection. Our retrospective study included patients with histologically proven CRC between 2018 and 2020 who underwent surgical resection. Skeletal muscle mass (cm2) was evaluated on a preoperative CT scan at the level of L3 vertebrae then standardized using stature (m2) to obtain the skeletal mass index (SMI) (cm2/m2). Patients received proper adjuvant care if needed and were followed up 90 days post surgery. Descriptive statistics were presented in percentage for categorical variables and in mean for continuous variables. Multivariate was made by linear regression. 113 patients were included, and 15% were sarcopenic. A statistically non-significant association was found between sarcopenia and severe complications (grade III-IV) (23.53% in sarcopenic vs. 9.38% non-sarcopenic, p=0.02, multivariate p=0.675). Sarcopenia was not associated with anastomotic leakage, infectious complications, or ileus or intra-abdominal bleeding (p>0.05). In literature, some studies showed an association between sarcopenia and postoperative complications while others showed no relationship between the two. Most studies used SMI. A non-statistically significant association was found between sarcopenia and postoperative complications in CRC patients. Sarcopenia does not predict postoperative severe complications, anastomotic leakage, infectious complications, or ileus or intra-abdominal bleeding. Emergent surgeries and age >60 years were associated with more postoperative complications.

Triticeal cartilage: a meta-analysis of prevalence and morphologic evaluation.

The triticeal cartilage, situated within the lateral thyrohyoid membrane, remains elusive in function yet crucial in clinical contexts. Composed of hyaline cartilage, it is prone to ossification, potentially leading to diagnostic challenges such as misidentification with atherosclerosis or fractures. This study, aiming to establish its prevalence and highlight clinical relevance, conducted a systematic review across several electronic databases such as Medline, PUBMED, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, SpringerLink and Sciencedirect using keywords "triticeal cartilage", "triticeous cartilage" or "cartilago triticea". An assurance tool for anatomical investigations was used to assess the quality of the methodology (AQUA). A random effects model was utilized to determine the pooled prevalence. The true prevalence of triticeal cartilage was found to be variable, with an overall pooled proportion of 43% while crude prevalence were 50.6%. Its crude prevalence was notably higher in women compared to men, in contrary true prevalence was higher in men, posing sex-related disparities. It was mostly seen bilaterally. When the morphologic characteristics of the cartilage were evaluated, classification differences were observed in terms of shape, with a mean length of 5.48mm, a mean width of 3.04mm and a mean weight of 62.32mg. The vertebral level at which the TC was located was mostly C4. The degree of calcification of the cartilage was most commonly mild. In conclusion, triticeal cartilage holds significant clinical importance, necessitating vigilance during diagnostic evaluations and surgical approaches. Further studies are imperative to elucidate its function comprehensively and refine diagnostic strategies, ensuring optimal patient care in neck-related pathologies.

The relationship between imaging-based body composition parameters and disease prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer.

Obesity is known as a risk factor for endometrial cancer (EC). Only a few studies investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity and EC. In this study, our aim was to investigate the relationship between the cross-sectional imaging-based body composition parameters and the disease prognosis in low-grade (LG) and high-grade (HG) EC. We conducted a retrospective study in women diagnosed with low and high-grade EC between January 2014 and May 2022 who had abdominal MRI and thorax CT as a part of routine staging workup. We used the skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the level of the third lumbar vertebra to assess sarcopenia on CT. The T2-weighted sequence at the level of the L2-L3 intervertebral disc is used for visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), and total fat area (TFA). Two radiologists in consensus, calculated the parameters. A total of 250 EC patients (144 low-grade EC, 106 high-grade EC).Sarcopenia was observed in 122 (48.8%) patients, and sarcopenic obesity was found in 82 (32.8%) patients. Although there was an increase in VFA in cases with high-grade EC, there was no significant difference in terms of SFA. Additionally, the frequency of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity was higher in cases with high-grade EC. There was no association between sarcopenia and age, histological type, FIGO staging, or comorbidity in the univariate analysis. However, BMI was found to be associated with sarcopenia. Quantitative radiological measurement of sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and body fat composition can be used as novel parameters in the prediction of disease prognosis in endometrial cancer.

633. DOES SARCOPENIA PREDICT NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY TOXICITY IN OESOPHAGEAL ADENOCARCINOMA PATIENTS?

Abstract Background Sarcopenia, defined as the loss of muscle mass and function, is associated with a high risk of adverse outcomes in the cancer population. Radiologically defined sarcopenia has been linked to both short- and long-term outcomes after oesophagectomy for cancer. Neoadjuvant treatment plays a crucial role in the treatment of locally advanced oesophagogastric cancer. It is not fully clear whether patients with low muscle mass are more prone to sustaining acute chemotherapy toxicities during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to oesophagectomy, especially when ECX or FLOT chemotherapy regimens are used. Methods Patients undergoing NAC and oesophagectomy between January 2016 and December 2022 had their skeletal muscle index analysed (SMI) at the time of initial staging. SMI was computed from staging CT scan slices as the lean muscle mass at the level of the third lumbar vertebra and the height of the patient. Patients were then divided into two categories depending on whether their NAC was completed fully (FLOT four cycles, ECX three cycles) or whether NAC treatment was incomplete. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to statistically test the hypothesis of any difference in SMI between these two groups. Results There were 208 patients included in this study. 109 patients had ECX and 90 patients had FLOT. Fourteen patients (6.7%) did not complete NAC treatment fully but progressed to oesophagectomy. The median (IQR) SMI of patients who did not complete NAC treatment was 46.54 cm2/m2 (43.40-51.32) compared to 50.87 cm2/m2 (45.88-57.33) for those who received all prescribed NAC cycles (p=0.026). Conclusion This study demonstrated that patients with higher SMI are better equipped to withstand the side effects of NAC and complete this treatment. It appears that strategies to improve sarcopenia before or during NAC are needed. Prehabilitation might be one of these strategies, and therefore, the effect of various prehabilitation regimens on sarcopenia needs to be further explored.

Ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency of the greater occipital nerve in chronic migraine; proximal approach versus distal approach, a single-blind, randomized controlled trial

Background &amp; Objective: Ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the greater occipital nerve can be used at distal and proximal levels of the greater occipital nerve in patients with chronic migraine. We aimed to evaluate the treatment efficacy, procedure duration, and pain experienced during the procedure for both methods. Methods: In the study, 60 chronic migraine patients randomly divided into two groups using a computer programme were evaluated. In the proximal group, the greater occipital nerve was accessed at the level of the 2nd cervical vertebra, while in the distal group it was accessed at the level of the protuberencia occipitalis. Patients completed the Migraine Disability Rating Scale, Visual Analogue Scale and a headache diary before treatment as well as at 1 month and 3 months afterwards. The time from the beginning of the intervention to the spread of the stimulus to the C2 dermatome during the sensory stimulation test was recorded. Patients were asked to rate their pain during the procedure using a Visual Analogue Scale. Results: The Visual Analog Scale scores and headache frequencies were significantly decreased in both the proximal group and distal group (p&lt;0.001). The procedure time was shorter (p&lt;0.001) and was less painful in the distal group (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: In this study, we observed that pulsed radiofrequency of both distal and proximal levels of the greater occipital nerves effectively treated migraine. A shorter procedure time and superior patient tolerability make the distal stimulation the procedure of choice.

Association of geriatric nutritional risk index with bone mineral density and osteoporosis in postmenopausal elderly women with T2DM.

To investigate the relationship between geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and osteoporosis (OP) in postmenopausal elderly women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 141 postmenopausal elderly women with T2DM was divided into OP and normal bone mineral density (BMD) groups, the differences in GRNI levels between the two groups were compared. According to the tertile levels of GRNI, T2DM were divided into three groups (T1, T2, T3 groups), and the differences in OP prevalence and levels of BMD among the three groups were compared. Among postmenopausal elderly women with T2DM, GNRI levels were lower in the OP group compared to the nor-mal BMD group [(103±5.46) vs. (105±5.46), p<0.05)]. With elevated GNRI levels, the BMD levels of femoral, total hip, total body, and lumbar vertebrae (L) were gradually increased, which were higher in the T3 group than in the T1 group (all p< 0.05). GNRI levels were positively correlated with the BMD levels of femoral, spine, total hip, total body, L1, L2, L3, L4, and L1-L4. GNRI was an independent influencing factor for the occurrence of OP (OR=0.887, 95%CI [0.795,0.988]). The ROC curve showed that the GNRI combined with serum ALP and P levels had a high predictive value for OP, with an area under the curve of 0.725 (p<0.01). In postmenopausal elderly women with T2DM, GNRI was independently and positively correlated with BMD levels. GNRI may be a predictor development of OP.

509. DOES SARCOPENIA AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF PATIENTS WITH ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA AFTER ESOPHAGECTOMY?

Abstract Background Sarcopenia is increasingly recognized as an independent predictor of clinical outcomes of cancer patients such as post-operative complications and prolonged hospital stays. Additionally, sarcopenia can also negatively impact overall survival because of reduced ability to tolerate treatments like neoadjuvant therapy and surgery. At particular risk among cancer patients is the esophageal cancer population because of tumor stenosis leading to dysphagia and impossibility of oral feeding in many patients. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of preoperative sarcopenia on postoperative complications in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Methods This retrospective study includes all patients who underwent full-robotic abdominothoracic esophageal resection because of esophageal cancer at our institution between 06/2020 and 12/2022. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was assessed using the preoperative computed tomographic staging scans by measuring the cross-sectional muscle area at the third lumbar vertebral level. Following cut off SMI values were used to define sarcopenia: men: 52,4 cm2/m2, women: 38,5 cm2/m2 according to Prado et al (Lancet Oncol, 2008). Recorded parameters included demographic data, neo-adjuvant treatment, histologic findings, postoperative course and overall- and disease-free survival. Results A total of 113 cases were included in this preliminary analysis. 97 patients (86%) were classified as having sarcopenia. Of these, 38 patients (40%) had a preoperatively or during esophageal resection implemented percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (PEJ) tube to ensure enteral nutrition. Despite age, groups were comparable regarding neoadjuvant treatment and histologic findings (mean age sarcopenic patients: 66y vs. 61y non-sarcopenic patients, p = 0.03). There was no difference in the incidence of occurrence of anastomotic leakage, pulmonary complications, need for re-operation, length of (ICU) stay and overall- and disease-free survival between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients. Conclusion Incidence of sarcopenia is very high among esophageal cancer patients. In our study population, however, preoperative sarcopenia failed to predict complications or long-term outcome after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. 40% of the sarcopenic patients received a PEJ. This relatively high proportion of implemented PEJ could have contributed to the observed comparable outcomes between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients. This observation underlines the importance of prehabilitation and nutritional support for patients with preoperative sarcopenia.

Early Postoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes of Sarcopenia Versus Nonsarcopenia in Patients Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Lung Cancer.

To compare early postoperative patient-reported outcomes between sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer. The data used in this study were acquired from a longitudinal prospective study (CN-PRO-Lung 1) between November 2017 and January 2020. Skeletal muscle index was measured at L3 vertebral level on preoperative computed tomography to identify sarcopenia based on an established threshold. Symptoms severity and status of functional impairments were reported as proportions of patients with clinically relevant moderate-to-severe scores on 0-10 scales, which were measured by using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Lung Cancer at baseline, daily postoperative hospitalization, and weekly after discharge up to 4 weeks. Symptom severity, functional status, and postoperative clinical outcomes were compared between the sarcopenia and nonsarcopenia groups. This study included 125 patients undergoing VATS for lung cancer. Sarcopenia was identified in 34 (27.2%) patients. Sarcopenic patients reported more moderate-to-severe pain (P = 0.002) at discharge and more moderate-to-severe fatigue (P = 0.027) during the 4 weeks after discharge. Besides, sarcopenic patients had a longer recovery time from both pain (P = 0.002) and fatigue (P = 0.007) than nonsarcopenic patients. Meanwhile, no significant between-group difference was found in the postoperative clinical outcomes (all P > 0.05). Sarcopenic patients undergoing VATS for lung cancer may have more pain and fatigue, as well as longer symptoms recovery time than nonsarcopenic patients during the early postoperative period.

Illustrated cross-sectional computed tomography of the cetacean abdomino-pelvic organs

Computed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive diagnostic imaging modality which can be used to study the anatomy and morphology of live or deceased animals in-situ. In cetaceans, existing CT anatomy studies mostly focused on the head and thoracic regions. Using postmortem CT (PMCT) scans of Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides), this study describes the cross-sectional imaging anatomy of the cetacean abdomino-pelvic organs for the first time. PMCT scans of finless porpoises stranded in Hong Kong waters were reviewed, of which two freshly dead cases, one male and one female, were selected for illustration. In addition, a contrast-enhanced PMCT scan was performed on the female subject as a trial for a PMCT-angiography study (PMCTA) in cetaceans. A total of 18 axial PMCT images were acquired at selected vertebral levels in the abdomen and supplemented with a series of corresponding labeled anatomical diagrams. By applying different image rendering techniques, most osseous and soft tissue structures in the finless porpoise abdomen were successfully depicted and annotated on PMCT, including the male and female reproductive organs in the pelvic region. The application of contrast medium in PMCT created artificial radiodensity differences which improved the ability to visualize and differentiate soft organs and vasculature. The merits and limitations of CT compared to other imaging modalities, as well as the future directions of PMCT in stranding investigation, were discussed. The findings from this study significantly enhance the applications of CT in cetaceans by assisting researchers and veterinarians in the interpretation of cetacean abdomino-pelvic CT for morphological and pathological assessment during clinical or postmortem examination.

Estimating lumbar bone mineral density from conventional MRI and radiographs with deep learning in spine patients.

This study aimed to develop machine learning methods to estimate bone mineral density and detect osteopenia/osteoporosis from conventional lumbar MRI (T1-weighted and T2-weighted images) and planar radiography in combination with clinical data and imaging parameters of the acquisition protocol. A database of 429 patients subjected to lumbar MRI, radiographs and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry within 6 months was created from an institutional database. Several machine learning models were trained and tested (373 patients for training, 86 for testing) with the following objectives: (1) direct estimation of the vertebral bone mineral density; (2) classification of T-score lower than - 1 or (3) lower than - 2.5. The models took as inputs either the images or radiomics features derived from them, alone or in combination with metadata (age, sex, body size, vertebral level, parameters of the imaging protocol). The best-performing models achieved mean absolute errors of 0.15-0.16g/cm2 for the direct estimation of bone mineral density, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.82 (MRIs) - 0.80 (radiographs) for the classification of T-scores lower than - 1, and 0.80 (MRIs) - 0.65 (radiographs) for T-scores lower than - 2.5. The models showed good discriminative performances in detecting cases of low bone mineral density, and more limited capabilities for the direct estimation of its value. Being based on routine imaging and readily available data, such models are promising tools to retrospectively analyse existing datasets as well as for the opportunistic investigation of bone disorders.