Surgical anatomy of microsurgical 3-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion C4–C7

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one of the most common spinal procedures, frequently used for the treatment of cervical spine degenerative diseases. It was first described in 1958. Interestingly, to our knowledge, 3-level ACDF has not been previously published as a peer-reviewed video case with a detailed description of intraoperative microsurgical anatomy. In this video, we present the case of a 33-year-old male who presented with a combination of myelopathy (hyperreflexia and long tract signs in the upper and lower extremities) and bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities. He had been previously treated conservatively with physical therapy and pain management for 6 months without success. We performed 3-level microsurgical ACDF from C4 to C7. All 3 levels were decompressed, and bone allografts were placed to achieve intervertebral body fusion. A titanium plate was utilized from C4 to C7 for internal fixation. The patient was discharged home on the first postoperative day. His pain, numbness and tingling resolved, as well as his myelopathy. No perioperative complications were encountered. Herein we present the surgical anatomy of our operative technique including ertain technical tips. Written consent was obtained directly from the patient. VIDEO https://vimeo.com/user128225853 VIDEO ANNOTATIONS 01:13 — opening the surgery site 02:29 — positioning of retractors 03:02 — start of 3-level discectomy 06:04 — allograft placement and fixation 08:20 — drain placement and closur

Miksopapilarni ependimom kralježnične moždine u odraslih: prikaz osobne serije i pregled literature

Myxopapillary ependymomas (MPE) of the spinal cord are slow-growing benign tumors most frequently found in adults between 30 and 50 years of age. They arise from the ependyma of the filum terminale and are located in the area of the medullary conus and cauda. The recommended treatment option is gross total resection, while patients undergoing subtotal resection usually require radiotherapy. Complete resection without capsular violation can be curative and is often accomplished by simple resection of the filum above and below the tumor mass. Nevertheless, dissemination and distant treatment failure may occur in approximately 30% of the cases. In this paper, we propose an original MPE classification, which is based upon our personal series report concerned with tumor location and its correlation with the extent of resection. We also provide literature review, discussing surgical technique, tumor recurrence rate and dissemination, and adjuvant treatment. In conclusion, our findings suggest that MPE management based on the proposed 5-type tumor classification is favorable when total surgical resection is performed in carefully selected patients. Yet, further studies on a much broader model is obligatory to confirm this.Miksopapilarni ependimomi (MPE) kralježnične moždine sporo su rastući, dobroćudni tumori najčešće zastupljeni u odraslih u dobi između 30 i 50 godina života. Nastaju iz ependima filuma terminale, a pretežito su smješteni u području medularnoga konusa i kaude. Kirurško uklanjanje tumora u cijelosti preporučena je metoda liječenja, dok u bolesnika u kojih to nije moguće učiniti u obzir dolazi subtotalna resekcija nakon koje je potrebno zračenje. Potpuno uklanjanje tumora uz očuvanje cjelovitosti tumorske kapsule postiže se jednostavnom resekcijom filuma terminale iznad i ispod tumorske mase, što može dovesti do izlječenja. Unatoč tomu, tumorska diseminacija uzduž neuralne osi može se javiti u oko 30% slučajeva. U ovom radu predlažemo originalnu klasifikaciju MPE koja prosuđuje smještaj tumora i obujam tumorske resekcije, a temeljena je na osobnoj seriji operiranih bolesnika. Također raspravljamo o kirurškoj tehnici, o mogućnostima recidiva i širenja ovakvih tumora, kao i o oblicima pomoćnog liječenja, koristeći se pregledom literature. Zaključujemo kako naši rezultati zagovaraju kirurško liječenje temeljeno na predloženoj originalnoj tumorskoj klasifikaciji, koje može biti uspješno u pažljivo odabranih bolesnika u kojih je tumor uklonjen u cijelosti. Naknadna istraživanja na znatno većem uzorku potrebna su za potvrdu naših rezultata

Compound osteosynthesis in the thoracic spine for treatment of vertebral metastases: technical report

Metastases to vertebrae often cause bone destruction leading to instability and neural compression. Anterior surgical approaches allow tumor resection and direct neural decompression. For patients with a short life expectancy, vertebral body replacement with methyl-methacrylate polymerized in situ can be used for load sharing in the axial plane. Screws hung from the rod into the corpectomy site are incorporated into the acrylic cement. The technique described in this article allows for immediate spinal stabilization and provides a protective environment for the neural elements. All the patients tolerated the procedure well and were able to ambulation without an orthoses