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Clinical Spine Surgery Nov 2023A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Mid-term and Long-term Outcomes After Total Cervical Disk Arthroplasty Compared With Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
STUDY DESIGN
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare mid-term to long-term outcomes of cervical disk arthroplasty (CDA) with those of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for the treatment of symptomatic cervical degenerative disk disease.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
After ACDF to treat symptomatic cervical degenerative disk disease, the loss of motion at the index level due to fusion may accelerate adjacent-level disk degeneration. CDA was developed to preserve motion and reduce the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. Early-term to mid-term clinical outcomes from RCTs suggest noninferiority of CDA compared with ACDF, but it remains unclear whether CDA yields better mid-term to long-term outcomes than ACDF.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for RCTs with at least 60 months of follow-up. The risk ratio or standardized mean difference (and 95% CIs) were calculated for dichotomous or continuous variables, respectively.
RESULTS
Eighteen reports of 14 RCTs published in 2014-2023 were included. The pooled analysis demonstrated that the CDA group had a significantly greater improvement in neurological success and Neck Disability Index than the ACDF group. The ACDF group exhibited a significantly better improvement in the Short Form-36 Health Survey Physical Component Summary than the CDA group. Radiographic adjacent segment degeneration was significantly lower in the CDA group at 60- and 84-month follow-ups; at 120-month follow-up, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. Although the overall rate of secondary surgical procedures was significantly lower in the CDA group, we did not observe any significant difference at 60-month follow-up between the CDA and ACDF group and appreciated statistically significant lower rates of radiographic adjacent segment degeneration, and symptomatic adjacent-level disease requiring surgery at 84-month and 108- to 120-month follow-up. The rate of adverse events and the neck and arm pain scores in the CDA group were not significantly different from those of the ACDF group.
CONCLUSIONS
In this meta-analysis of 14 RCTs with 5- to 10-year follow-up data, CDA resulted in significantly better neurological success and Neck Disability Index scores and lower rates of radiographic adjacent segment degeneration, secondary surgical procedures, and symptomatic adjacent-level disease requiring surgery than ACDF. ACDF resulted in improved Short Form-36 Health Survey Physical Component Summary scores. However, the CDA and ACDF groups did not exhibit significant differences in overall changes in neck and arm pain scores or rates of adverse events.
Topics: Humans; Spinal Fusion; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration; Diskectomy; Cervical Vertebrae; Pain; Arthroplasty; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37735768
DOI: 10.1097/BSD.0000000000001537 -
AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology Apr 2023The reported sensitivity and yield of image-guided biopsies for diskitis-osteomyelitis vary widely. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The reported sensitivity and yield of image-guided biopsies for diskitis-osteomyelitis vary widely. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of pooled sensitivity data to elucidate strategies for optimal image-guided biopsies among patients suspected to have diskitis-osteomyelitis. A comprehensive literature search was performed for studies of patient populations with proven or suspected diskitis-osteomyelitis that included percutaneous image-guided biopsy as part of the workup algorithm. Type of pathogens, imaging modality used for biopsy guidance, tissue targeted, antibiotic administration at the time of biopsy, true microbiology positives, true microbiology negatives, false microbiology positives, false microbiology negatives, disease (i.e., diskitis-osteomyelitis) positives as determined by reference standard, true infection positives (i.e., positive microbiology or pathology results), and total number of biopsies performed were extracted from the studies. Microbiology sensitivity, microbiology biopsy yield, and infection sensitivity were calculated from the pooled data. These terms and the data required to calculate them were also defined in detail. Thirty-six articles satisfied inclusion criteria and were used for analysis. The pooled microbiology sensitivity, infection sensitivity, and microbiology biopsy yields were 46.6%, 70.0%, and 26.7%, respectively. Mycobacterium tuberculosis-only microbiology sensitivity was significantly higher than both pyogenic bacteria and mixed-organism microbiology sensitivity ( < .001). was the most common causative organism (28.6%). Pooled microbiology sensitivity was not significantly different for CT guidance and fluoroscopy guidance ( = .16). There was a statistically significant difference between pooled microbiology sensitivity of bone/end plate (45.5%) and disk/paravertebral soft-tissue (64.8%) image-guided biopsies ( < .001). There was no statistically significant difference in pooled microbiology sensitivities for patients who received antibiotics before the procedure (46.2%) and those who did not (44.6%) ( = .70). Image guidance by CT or fluoroscopy does not affect microbiology yield, disk and paravertebral soft-tissue biopsies should be considered over bone and end plate biopsies, and preprocedural antibiotic administration does not appear to impact biopsy results. Understanding and correctly applying reported statistics contribute to appropriate interpretation of the abundant literature on this topic and optimization of care for patients with diskitis-osteomyelitis.
Topics: Humans; Discitis; Image-Guided Biopsy; Biopsy; Osteomyelitis; Bone and Bones; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 36222488
DOI: 10.2214/AJR.22.28423 -
Clinical Spine Surgery Jun 2017A systematic review and network meta-analysis. (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis Review
STUDY DESIGN
A systematic review and network meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine current treatment options of chronic low back pain (LBP) as defined by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to compare effectiveness of those treatments using a mixed-treatment comparison (MTC).
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
It is important to provide an evidence-based assessment of the treatment options that exist for LBP.
METHODS
A systematic search of RCTs was conducted in MEDLINE and the Cochrane Collaboration Library from 1990 to 2014. From the selected studies, we extracted preoperative and postoperative ODI and VAS back pain scores, additional surgeries, and complications. Standard and network meta-analytic techniques were used.
RESULTS
Twelve RCTs were included in the analysis: 5 total disk replacement (TDR) versus fusion; 1 TDR versus exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); 5 fusion versus exercise and CBT; and 1 fusion versus physical therapy (PT). On the basis of MTC, with respect to ODI change scores, the pooled mean difference favoring fusion over exercise and CBT was 2.0 points (95% CI, -1.2 to 4.8). The pooled mean difference favoring TDR over exercise and CBT was 6.4 points (95% CI, 3.2-9.3). The pooled mean difference favoring fusion over PT was 8.8 points (95% CI, 4.1-13.6). The pooled mean differences favoring TDR over fusion was 4.4 points (95% CI, 2.37-6.63). For PT versus structured exercise with CBT, the pooled mean difference favoring exercise with CBT over PT was 6.8 points (95% CI, 1.5-12.8). For TDR versus PT, the pooled mean difference favoring TDR over PT was 13.2 points (95% CI, 8.0-18.4). Additional surgery rates were similar between treatment options.
CONCLUSIONS
All 4 treatments provided some benefit to patients with chronic LBP. According to the MTC analysis, TDR may be the most effective treatment and PT the least effective treatment for chronic LBP. This review is based on a limited number of RCT studies and does not support any 1 treatment modality for all patients.
Topics: Chronic Pain; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Disability Evaluation; Exercise Therapy; Humans; Low Back Pain; Physical Therapy Modalities; Spinal Fusion; Total Disc Replacement; Visual Analog Scale
PubMed: 27831982
DOI: 10.1097/BSD.0000000000000410 -
World Neurosurgery Dec 2017Extraforaminal disk herniation (EDH) accounts for 3%-11% of all disk herniations. Despite the heterogeneity of spinal procedures, there is a paucity of literature... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
Extraforaminal disk herniation (EDH) accounts for 3%-11% of all disk herniations. Despite the heterogeneity of spinal procedures, there is a paucity of literature comparing the outcomes from different surgical approaches.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of available literature on EDHs. We compared patients undergoing open surgery (OS) with those undergoing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) approaches, including tubular microscopic, percutaneous endoscopic, and microendoscopic.
RESULTS
A total of 41 studies with 1813 patients (1239 OS, 574 MIS) were included our analysis. The MIS group showed no significant difference from OS group in the incidence of complications (MIS: 0.01 vs. OS: 0.01, P = 0.971) or reoperation (OS: 0.04, MIS: 0.03; P = 0.382). There was an increased incidence of poor patient satisfaction according to the Macnab criteria for the OS group compared with the MIS group, but the difference was not statistically significant (OS: 0.14 vs. MIS: 0.06; P = 0.237). The OS group had greater estimated blood loss (mean difference [MD]: 38.6 mL), slightly longer operation time (MD: 12.2 minutes), longer hospital stay (MD: 30.3 hours), and longer return to work time (MD: 3.3 weeks). Tubular microscopic procedures had a lower incidence of reoperation than both percutaneous endoscopic (0.01 vs. 0.06, P = 0.01) and microendoscopic procedures (0.01 vs. 0.05, P = 0.03).
CONCLUSIONS
Minimally invasive procedures for EDHs are associated with a similar incidence of complications and reoperation but lower estimated blood loss, shorter operative time, shorter hospital stay, and faster return to work time compared to OS. Tubular microscopic have the lowest reoperation rate of MIS procedures.
Topics: Blood Loss, Surgical; Diskectomy; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Displacement; Length of Stay; Lumbar Vertebrae; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; Neuroendoscopy; Operative Time; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 28803171
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.08.025 -
Clinical Spine Surgery Apr 2016A systematic review. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
STUDY DESIGN
A systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To systematically review the previous literature regarding revision surgery for real recurrent lumbar disk herniation.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
"Real" recurrent lumbar disk herniation means the presence of herniated disk material at the same level and side as the primary disk herniation. If conservative treatment fails, revision surgery, a major concern, is indicated. It is important for both patients and spine surgeons to understand epidemiology trends and outcomes of revision surgery for real recurrent lumbar disk herniation (real-RLDH).
METHODS
The electronic databases PubMed, the Cochrane library, and EMBASE were queried for English articles regarding revision surgery for real-RLDH, published between January 1980 and May 2014. The incidence, interval between primary and revision surgery, risk factors, surgery type, complications, and clinical outcomes of revision surgery for real-RLDH were summarized.
RESULTS
The reported incidence of revision surgery, specifically for real-RLDH, lies between 1.4% and 11.4%. The complication rate is reported between 0% and 34.6%, with dural tear being the most common complication. Previous studies revealed that satisfactory or successful clinical outcome was achieved in 60%-100% of patients after revision surgery for real-RLDH. Several studies reported similar clinical outcomes between primary and revision surgery.
CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of revision surgery for real-RLDH is relatively low. It is essential to pay careful attention to prevent a dural tear. Patients may expect clinical outcomes similar to those following primary discectomy.
Topics: Humans; Intervertebral Disc Displacement; Lumbar Vertebrae; Postoperative Complications; Recurrence; Reoperation; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 27002374
DOI: 10.1097/BSD.0000000000000365 -
Neurosurgery Jan 2022American football players are at increased risk for many forms of spinal injury. Intervertebral disk herniations are particularly concerning as they are the leading... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
American football players are at increased risk for many forms of spinal injury. Intervertebral disk herniations are particularly concerning as they are the leading cause of days lost to injury and can have long-term effects on player careers. Disk herniation management plays a major role in the likelihood and success of return-to-play (RTP).
OBJECTIVE
To assess the incidence, demographic variables, treatment approaches, outcomes, and RTP rates of disk herniations in American football players.
METHODS
A systematic review of the literature investigating disk herniations in American football players using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase was performed. RTP estimates were calculated by pooling study-specific data using a random-effects model.
RESULTS
Four hundred twenty-two studies were identified, with 18 meeting inclusion criteria. Offensive and defensive linemen were the 2 most commonly injured positions. Players undergoing operations were on average younger, with higher body mass indexes, fewer seasons played, and longer post-treatment careers than nonsurgical counterparts. Postsurgical recovery periods lasted an average 106 d, with a mean RTP duration of 33 games over 2.7 yr and an 8.45% reoperation rate. Operative treatment offered a nonsignificant increase in the likelihood of return-to-play compared with nonoperative treatment (odds ratio = 2.81, 95% CI 0.83-9.51).
CONCLUSION
Disk herniations are a common injury, with surgery potentially improving post-treatment outcomes. The literature suffers from heterogeneous definitions of RTP and varying performance metrics, making it difficult to draw clear conclusions. To better understand the impact of disk herniation and treatment on player health and performance, more studies should be performed prospectively and with standardized metrics.
Topics: Football; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Displacement; Return to Sport; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34982870
DOI: 10.1227/NEU.0000000000001746 -
Journal de Mycologie Medicale Nov 2023The therapeutic management of invasive aspergillosis should be guided by antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST). The disk diffusion (DD) method due to its simplicity... (Review)
Review
The therapeutic management of invasive aspergillosis should be guided by antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST). The disk diffusion (DD) method due to its simplicity and low cost could be an appropriate alternative to the reference methods (CLSI, EUCAST) which are not suitable for AFST in routine clinical microbiology laboratories, particularly in resource-constrained settings. This review summarizes the available data on the performance of the DD method in determining triazole susceptibility profile of Aspergillus species. The published articles on the performance of DD method for determining triazole susceptibility of Aspergillus spp. were systematically searched on major medical databases and Google Scholar. We identified 2725 articles of which 13 met the inclusion criteria. The overall average agreement value obtained between DD and CLSI broth microdilution (CLSI-BMD) methods for the itraconazole 10 µg disk (70.75%) was low especially when the medium used was not Mueller-Hinton (MH) agar. In contrast average agreement for the voriconazole 1 µg disk and the posaconazole 5 µg disk were > 94% regardless of media used. The correlation coefficient values between the DD and CLSI-BMD methods on MH agar were acceptable (≥ 0.71) for the itraconazole 10 µg disk and posaconazole 5 µg disk and good (≥ 0.80) for the voriconazole 1 and 10 µg disk. The reproducibility of the DD method regardless to the medium used was ≥ 82%. This systematic review shows that the disk diffusion method could be a real alternative for triazole antifungals susceptibility testing of Aspergillus spp.
Topics: Voriconazole; Itraconazole; Agar; Reproducibility of Results; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Antifungal Agents; Triazoles; Aspergillus
PubMed: 37603962
DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2023.101413 -
International Journal of General... 2022Calcium-pyrophosphate-dihydrate-disease (CPPD) is a crystal-induced arthropathy. The lumbar-spinal involvement is rare and often under-diagnosed. This study aimed to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Calcium-pyrophosphate-dihydrate-disease (CPPD) is a crystal-induced arthropathy. The lumbar-spinal involvement is rare and often under-diagnosed. This study aimed to report the case of a lumbar spine CPPD involvement and to perform a systematic review of clinical, imaging features of lumbar involvement in CPPD patients, and treatments that have been implemented.
METHODS
This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred-Reporting-Items-for-Systematic-Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
RESULTS
One hundred and sixty-seven articles met the search criteria using electronic databases searches. We retained 28 articles (20 case reports, 2 case series, 1 family survey, 4 retrospective studies, and 1 prospective study) involving a total of 62 patients. The age ranged between 39 and 89 years old. Among patients with lumbar spine CPPD, 32 were women. The duration of symptoms varied between one day and 8 years. The affection has been discovered during back pain in most cases. In 5 studies, the diagnosis was made on histological specimens of patients operated on for another pathology. X-ray showed calcifications in 2 cases. CT-scan detected calcium deposit in 7 cases. MRI showed lesions going from the increased signal of the disk, to calcified or not-cystic lesion of the facet joints, an intramedullary mass mimicking a schwannoma. Histological examination established the diagnosis of CPPD in 21 patients in all studies. Medical treatment included NSAIDs, Colchicine, Interleukin-1-receptor-antagonist, and antibiotics. Surgery was performed on 13 patients and allowed to establish the histological diagnosis.
CONCLUSION
In the case of inflammatory back pain in elderly subjects, without an infectious gateway, diagnosis of CPPD should be considered, especially for patients with a history of spinal surgery or degenerative radiography changes. CT scan is more sensitive than conventional radiographs. The discovertebral biopsy is the Gold-Standard and should be performed whenever the diagnosis was uncertain. Treatment includes the medical and surgical components.
PubMed: 36226310
DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S360714 -
Rhinology Apr 2024Chemosensory dysfunction has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Compared with olfaction, gustatory dysfunction in AD... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Chemosensory dysfunction has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Compared with olfaction, gustatory dysfunction in AD has not been evaluated in depth. We reviewed previously published studies regarding gustatory dysfunction in patients with AD compared with healthy controls.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted by searching the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed databases covering publications from January 2000 to February 2023. The search was performed using the keyword "Alzheimer* AND (gustatory OR taste OR gustation)." Only studies that performed gustatory function testing and compared the results between patients with AD and healthy controls were included. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed.
RESULTS
Twelve articles were finally included, and various gustatory tests including taste strips, the taste disk test, taste solutions, and subjective questionnaires were applied. Overall gustatory function based on the taste strip test was significantly decreased in patients with AD compared with controls in two out of three papers. The overall gustatory function of patients with AD was significantly decreased in all studies based on the taste disk and taste solution tests. We also found that the sweet taste test showed low heterogeneity across all the included studies, and there was low publication bias. In studies using subjective questionnaires, gustatory function was not significantly different between patients with AD and healthy controls in the meta-analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on these studies, gustatory dysfunction diagnosed by gustatory function testing was closely related to AD. However, the results of subjective questionnaires were not significantly different between patients with AD and healthy controls in the current meta-analysis. As the number of studies and enrolled subjects was limited and unified gustatory function testing was lacking, further studies are needed to confirm this relationship.
Topics: Humans; Taste; Alzheimer Disease; Taste Disorders; Dysgeusia; Smell; Olfaction Disorders
PubMed: 37943054
DOI: 10.4193/Rhin23.235 -
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection... Jun 2021Vancomycin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) is a serious public health challenging concern worldwide. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Vancomycin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) is a serious public health challenging concern worldwide.
OBJECTIVES
Therefore, the objective of present study of 62 published studies was to evaluate the prevalence of VRSA based on different years, areas, isolate source, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and the genetic determinants.
METHODS
We searched the relevant articles that focused on the prevalence rates of VRSA in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science from 2000 to 2019. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA software (version 14.0).
RESULTS
The prevalence of VRSA was 2% before 2006, 5% in 2006-2014, and 7% in 2015-2020 that showed a 3.5-fold increase in the frequency of VRSA between before 2006 and 2020 years. The prevalence of VRSA was 5% in Asia, 1% in Europe, 4% in America, 3% in South America, and 16% in Africa. The frequencies of VRSA isolated from clinical, non-clinical, and mixed samples were 6%, 7%, and 14%, respectively. The prevalence of VRSA was 12% using disk diffusion agar method, 7% using MIC-base methods, and 4% using mixed-methods. The prevalence of vanA, vanB, and vanC1 positive were 71%, 26%, and 4% among VRSA strains. The most prevalent genotype was staphylococcal cassette chromosomemec (SCCmec) II, which accounted for 57% of VRSA. The most prevalent staphylococcal protein A (spa) types were t002, t030, and t037.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of VRSA has been increasing in recent years particularly in Africa/Asia than Europe/America. The most prevalent of genetic determinants associated with VRSA were vanA and SCCmec II. This study clarifies that the rigorous monitoring of definite antibiotic policy, regular surveillance/control of nosocomial-associated infections and intensive surveillance of vancomycin-resistance are required for preventing emergence and further spreading of VRSA.
Topics: Africa; Asia; Europe; Humans; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; North America; Prevalence; South America; Staphylococcal Infections; Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
PubMed: 34193295
DOI: 10.1186/s13756-021-00967-y