The impact of COVID-19 on idiopathic scoliosis referrals: cause for concern

Dermott, Jennifer A; Kim, Dorothy J; Lebel, David E

doi:10.1007/s43390-021-00418-z

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Regarding conservative treatment, unlike Dermott et al [12], we observed an increase in the percentage of patients needing bracing, which might reflect a delayed initial presentation to the SD consultation. Considering that the optimal brace treatment requires early curve detection, the greater volume of candidates for bracing allows us to consider to which extent this bracing should have been done earlier.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

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Idiopathic Scoliosis Trends One Year After COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

Pereira¹,

Lima²,

Martins³

et al. 2022

Cureus

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The reorganization of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with compromised management of conditions not related to the pandemic. MethodsA retrospective descriptive case series study was carried out that included patients followed up at the Spine Deformities (SD) consultation at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário Lisboa Central from January 2019 through December 2021 regarding diagnosis, treatment, referral, and the number of consultations performed. ResultsReferrals significantly dropped in 2020 (p<0.001). The average number of consultations per patient was found to not vary significantly in 2020 despite the reorganization of our healthcare unit due to the pandemic. 22% of the consultations were performed online. Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) was the primary diagnosis in 50% of the patients observed for the first time during the three-year time period. An increase of 18% was found in the number of IS patients that required bracing in 2021. However, late referrals, defined as the patient meeting surgical criteria at the time of initial presentation, did not increase. ConclusionDespite the significant decrease in primary care referrals during 2020, an overcompensation increase in referrals was not observed in 2021. However, the increase in the percentage of patients needing bracing might reflect a delayed initial presentation to the SD consultation.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

“…Therefore, patients can benefit from brace treatment, and even when avoiding surgery is not possible, surgical intervention can be done at the most opportune time [9][10][11]. A referral is considered timely when at the time of initial presentation there is no surgical indication [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Idiopathic Scoliosis Trends One Year After COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

Pereira¹,

Lima²,

Martins³

et al. 2022

Cureus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Since the school year 2019/2020 was marked by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this disaster definitively contributed to this failure. Other authors also reported on the impact of COVID-19 on AIS referrals, showing a drop rate from 76% to 55% in the first 7 months of the pandemic [ 20 ]. According to Adobor et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of school medicine in the early detection and management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Glavaš¹,

Rumboldt

Karin³

et al. 2022

Wien Klin Wochenschr

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Objective To analyze the trends in scoliosis screenings over 10 years (2010 vs. 2020). To assess the management of schoolchildren with a preliminary diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by school medicine specialists. Methods Historical data were used for the year 2009/2010, and a cross-sectional study was conducted during the school year 2019/2020 on 18,216 pupils of 5th, 6th, and 8th elementary school grades. A forward bend test was used to detect clinical features of scoliosis and some positive findings were referred to orthopedists or physiatrists for further evaluation. Results In the analyzed 10-year period abnormal forward bend test findings increased from 4.9 to 5.8% (by 18.4%; P < 0.001). While its prevalence escalated markedly in girls (from 5.8 to 8.3%; P < 0.001), a modest but significant decrease, from 3.8 to 3.2% ( P = 0.018), was noted in boys. Most pupils had low to moderate curves, and its prevalence was some 6.5 times higher in girls ( P < 0.001). The forward bend test positive predictive value was 84.7%. Discrete forward bend test aberrations were managed by school medicine specialists only. Conclusion While actively promoting scoliosis screening in children, we have shown that forward bend test is an acceptable tool for early adolescent idiopathic scoliosis detection in school medicine. In collaboration with other specialists and using additional diagnostic methods, school medicine specialists can ensure early detection and appropriate interventions, avoiding the potential harms of radiation exposure.

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“…Evidence from the early phases of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic suggests that routine and emergency spine procedures were significantly impacted by provisions and shifts in allocation of in-hospital resources toward COVID-19 care. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A comprehensive assessment of the true influence the pandemic has been having on surgical spine care is limited mainly by a lack in long-term observations from later phases of the pandemic on a nationwide level. We therefore designed this study to examine potential changes in the delivery of spinal fusion procedures for spinal infections (SI), such as spondylodiscitis and vertebral osteomyelitis, during the first four waves of COVID-19 in Germany.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Spinal Fusion Procedures for Spinal Infections in a Nationwide Hospital Network in Germany

Abduljawwad

Pamnani

Stoffel

et al. 2022

J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg

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Background The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical spine care is difficult to assess due to a lack in nationwide evidence from more recent phases of the pandemic. We aimed to describe changes in in-hospital processes associated with spinal fusion procedures in the treatment of spinal infections (SI) during different phases of the pandemic. Methods In this retrospective observational study, we examined the in-hospital prevalence and outcomes of spinal fusion procedures for SI (along with patient characteristics, rates of transfer to intensive care units, and mortality rates) during the first four waves of the pandemic compared with the corresponding prepandemic periods in 2019. We used administrative data from a nationwide network of 76 hospitals managing 7% of all in-hospital cases in Germany. Results We observed no significant change in the prevalence of SI fusion procedures during the pandemic, neither in total numbers (349 vs. 373) nor for each wave separately. On a patient level, we found no differences in age, sex, and the prevalence of paresis, and no relevant differences in associated comorbidities. The rate of mechanical ventilation did not change during any of the examined pandemic waves: it ranged between 9.5 and 18.6% during the pandemic and 3.1 and 16.0% during the corresponding prepandemic control periods. The rate of transfer to intensive care changed only during wave 4 (from 70.4 to 54.8%; p = 0.046) but not in any other pandemic phases. We observed no changes in in-hospital mortality rates (range: 2.9–9.7% vs. 6.2–11.3%) or in duration of hospital stay (range: 26.2–30.8 days vs. 20.8–29.2 days). Conclusions The main finding of our study is that within this nationwide network of spine care centers in Germany, the delivery of surgical treatment of SI by means of spinal fusion procedures was maintained throughout the first four waves of the pandemic. Furthermore, there were no relevant changes in patient demographics, in-hospital processes, and mortality rates.

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The impact of COVID-19 on idiopathic scoliosis referrals: cause for concern

Cited by 11 publications

References 25 publications

Idiopathic Scoliosis Trends One Year After COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

Idiopathic Scoliosis Trends One Year After COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

The role of school medicine in the early detection and management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Spinal Fusion Procedures for Spinal Infections in a Nationwide Hospital Network in Germany

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