Percutaneous discoplasty can result as an alternative minimal invasive strategy for the treatment of advanced degenerative disk disease.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis. Level of evidence III. Objectives: To describe the results after a minimum 1-year follow-up in patients treated with percutaneous discoplasty (PD), a minimally invasive technique to treat low back pain in elderly patients with advanced degenerative disc disease. The procedure consists in improving stability by injecting bone cement in a severely degenerated pneumodisc. There are few reports in the literature about this technique. Methods: Fifty-four patients with advanced disc disease with/without degenerative scoliosis treated with PD with at least 1 year follow-up were studied, variables included clinical (visual analogue scale [VAS] and Owestry Disability Index [ODI]) and radiological parameters (lumbar lordosis and Cobb angle), as well as hospital length of stay and complications. Results: At 1-year postoperation, significant pain reduction (VAS: preoperative 7.8 ± 0.90; postoperative 4.4 ± 2.18) and improvement in the ODI (preoperative 62 ± 7.12; postoperative 36.2 ± 15.47) were observed with partial correction of radiological parameters (5° mean increase in lumbar lordosis and decrease in Cobb angle). Mean surgical time was 38 minutes, and the mean length of hospital stay was 1.2 days. Conclusion: PD, currently not a very well-known technique, appears to be—at least in the short-term follow-up—an effective treatment option in selected cases with low back pain due to advanced degenerative disc disease.

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This method proved to be useful to determine the exact localization of individual subdivisions of the trigeminal nerve in anesthetized patients, making this procedure safer and more comfortable for them.

Study Design: Diagnostic study, level of evidence III. Objectives: Low back pain is a common cause of disability among elderly patients. Percutaneous discoplasty has been developed as a tool to treat degenerative disease when conservative management is not successful. Indications for this procedure include low back pain and the presence of vacuum phenomenon. The objective of this study was to describe a new classification of vacuum phenomenon based on computed tomography scan in order to improve the indications for percutaneous discoplasty. Methods: We developed a classification of vacuum phenomenon based on computed tomography scan images. We describe 3 types of vacuum based on the relationship between vacuum and the superior/inferior endplates and 2 subtypes based on the presence of significant subchondral sclerosis. A validation study was conducted selecting 10 orthopedic residents with spine surgery training to analyze 25 vacuum scenarios. Inter- and intraobserver reliabilities were assessed through the Fleiss’s and Cohen’s kappa statistics, respectively. Results: The overall Fleiss’s κ value for interobserver reliability was 0.85 (95% CI 0.82-0.86) in the first reading and 0.93 (95% CI 0.92-0.95) in the second reading. Cohen’s κ for intraobserver reliability was 0.88 (95% CI 0.77-0.99). Conclusion: The new classification has shown almost perfect inter- and intraobserver reliabilities for grading the vacuum phenomenon and could be an important tool to improve the indications for percutaneous cement discoplasty.

A detailed IOM of lumbar plexus branches can determine in real time the proximity of intrapsoas nerves during XLIF.

Variations in the relative percentage of innervation from the radial nerve could be due to the different sizes and shapes of this branch. The functional significance of this branch can become crucial if the main innervation to the brachialis muscle fails. When planning surgical antero-external approach to the humerus, it should be kept in mind and preserved.