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OBJECTIVE: Since the 1970s, the operating microscope (OM) has been a standard for visualization and illumination of the surgical field in spinal microsurgery. However, due to its limitations (e.g., size, costliness, and the limited movability of the binocular lenses, in addition to discomfort experienced by surgeons due to the posture required), there are efforts to replace the OM with exoscopic video telescopes. The authors evaluated the feasibility of a new 3D exoscope as an alternative to the OM in spine surgeries. METHODS: Patients with degenerative pathologies scheduled for single-level lumbar or cervical spinal surgery with use of a high-definition 3D exoscope were enrolled in a prospective cohort study between January 2019 and September 2019. Age-, sex-, body mass index-, and procedure-matched patients surgically treated with the assistance of the OM served as the control group. Operative baseline and postoperative outcome parameters were assessed. Periprocedural handling, visualization, and illumination by the exoscope, as well as surgeons' comfort level in terms of posture, were scored using a questionnaire. RESULTS: A 3D exoscope was used in 40 patients undergoing lumbar posterior decompression (LPD) and 20 patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF); an equal number of controls in whom an OM was used were studied. Compared with controls, there were no significant differences for mean operative time (ACDF: 132 vs 116 minutes; LPD: 112 vs 113 minutes) and blood loss (ACDF: 97 vs 93 ml; LPD: 109 vs 55 ml) as well as postoperative improvement of symptoms (ACDF/Neck Disability Index: p = 0.43; LPD/Oswestry Disability Index: p = 0.76). No intraoperative complications occurred in either group. According to the attending surgeon, the intraoperative handling of instruments was rated to be comparable to that of the OM, while the comfort level of the surgeon's posture intraoperatively (especially during "undercutting" procedures) was rated as superior. In cases of ACDF procedures and long approaches, depth perception, image quality, and illumination were rated as inferior when compared with the OM. By contrast, for operating room nursing staff participating in 3D exoscope procedures, the visualization of intraoperative process flow and surgical situs was rated to be superior to the OM, especially for ACDF procedures. CONCLUSIONS: A 3D exoscope seems to be a safe alternative for common spinal procedures with the unique advantage of excellent comfort for the surgical team, but the drawback is the still slightly inferior visualization/illumination quality compared with the OM.

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OBJECTIVE: Although surgical treatment can provide significant improvement of symptomatic adult cervical spine deformity (ACSD), few reports have focused on the associated complications. The objective of this study was to assess complication rates at a minimum 1-year follow-up based on a prospective multicenter series of ACSD patients treated surgically. METHODS: A prospective multicenter database of consecutive operative ACSD patients was reviewed for perioperative (< 30 days), early (30-90 days), and delayed (> 90 days) complications with a minimum 1-year follow-up. Enrollment required at least 1 of the following: cervical kyphosis > 10°, cervical scoliosis > 10°, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis > 4 cm, or chin-brow vertical angle > 25°. RESULTS: Of 167 patients, 133 (80%, mean age 62 years, 62% women) had a minimum 1-year follow-up (mean 1.8 years). The most common diagnoses were degenerative (45%) and iatrogenic (17%) kyphosis. Almost 40% of patients were active or past smokers, 17% had osteoporosis, and 84% had at least 1 comorbidity. The mean baseline Neck Disability Index and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores were 47 and 13.6, respectively. Surgical approaches were anterior-only (18%), posterior-only (47%), and combined (35%). A total of 132 complications were reported (54 minor and 78 major), and 74 (56%) patients had at least 1 complication. The most common complications included dysphagia (11%), distal junctional kyphosis (9%), respiratory failure (6%), deep wound infection (6%), new nerve root motor deficit (5%), and new sensory deficit (5%). A total of 4 deaths occurred that were potentially related to surgery, 2 prior to 1-year follow-up (1 cardiopulmonary and 1 due to obstructive sleep apnea and narcotic use) and 2 beyond 1-year follow-up (both cardiopulmonary and associated with revision procedures). Twenty-six reoperations were performed in 23 (17%) patients, with the most common indications of deep wound infection (n = 8), DJK (n = 7), and neurological deficit (n = 6). Although anterior-only procedures had a trend toward lower overall (42%) and major (21%) complications, rates were not significantly different from posterior-only (57% and 33%, respectively) or combined (61% and 37%, respectively) approaches (p = 0.29 and p = 0.38, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This report provides benchmark rates for ACSD surgery complications at a minimum 1-year (mean 1.8 years) follow-up. The marked health and functional impact of ACSD, the frail population it affects, and the high rates of surgical complications necessitate a careful risk-benefit assessment when contemplating surgery. Collectively, these findings provide benchmarks for complication rates and may prove useful for patient counseling and efforts to improve the safety of care.

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OBJECTIVE: The safety and efficacy of anterior and posterior decompression surgery in degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) have not been validated in any prospective randomized trial. METHODS: In this first prospective randomized trial, the patients who had symptoms or signs of DCM were randomly assigned to undergo either anterior cervical discectomy and fusion or posterior laminectomy with or without fusion. The primary outcome measures were the change in the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Nurick myelopathy grade 1 year after surgery. The secondary outcome measures were intraoperative and postoperative complications, hospital stay, and Odom's criteria. The follow-up period was at least 1 year. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients (mean age 53 ± 8.3 years, 72.3% men) underwent prospective randomization. There was a significantly better outcome in the NDI and VAS scores in the anterior group at 1 year (p < 0.05). Nurick myelopathy grading showed nonsignificant improvement using the posterior approach group (p = 0.79). The mean operative duration was significantly longer in the anterior group (p < 0.001). No significant difference in postoperative complications was found, except postoperative dysphagia was significantly higher in the anterior group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative patient satisfaction (Odom's criteria) (p = 0.52). The mean hospital stay was significantly longer in the posterior group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with multilevel DCM, the anterior approach was significantly better regarding postoperative pain, NDI, and hospital stay, while the posterior approach was significantly better in terms of postoperative dysphagia and operative duration.

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OBJECTIVE: It is being increasingly recognized that adult cervical deformity (ACD) is correlated with significant pain, myelopathy, and disability, and that patients who undergo deformity correction gain significant benefit. However, there are no defined thresholds of minimum clinically important difference (MCID) in Neck Disability Index (NDI) and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scores. METHODS: Patients of interest were consecutive patients with ACD who underwent cervical deformity correction. ACD was defined as C2-7 sagittal Cobb angle ≥ 10° (kyphosis), C2-7 coronal Cobb angle ≥ 10° (cervical scoliosis), C2-7 sagittal vertical axis ≥ 4 cm, and/or chin-brow vertical angle ≥ 25°. Data were obtained from a consecutive cohort of patients from a multiinstitutional prospective database maintained across 13 sites. Distribution-based MCID, anchor-based MCID, and minimally detectable measurement difference (MDMD) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 73 patients met inclusion criteria and had sufficient 1-year follow-up. In the cohort, 42 patients (57.5%) were female. The mean age at the time of surgery was 62.23 years, and average body mass index was 29.28. The mean preoperative NDI was 46.49 and mJOA was 13.17. There was significant improvement in NDI at 1 year (46.49 vs 37.04; p = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in preoperative and 1-year mJOA (13.17 vs 13.7; p = 0.12). Using multiple techniques to yield MCID thresholds specific to the ACD population, the authors obtained values of 5.42 to 7.48 for the NDI, and 1.00 to 1.39 for the mJOA. The MDMD was 6.4 for the NDI, and 1.8 for the mJOA. Therefore, based on their results, the authors recommend using an MCID threshold of 1.8 for the mJOA, and 7.0 for the NDI in patients with ACD. CONCLUSIONS: The ACD-specific MCID thresholds for NDI and mJOA are similar to the reported MCID following surgery for degenerative cervical disease. Additional studies are needed to verify these findings. Nonetheless, the findings here will be useful for future studies evaluating the success of surgery for patients with ACD undergoing deformity correction.

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OBJECTIVE: Vertebral body sliding osteotomy (VBSO) is a safe, novel technique for anterior decompression in patients with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Another advantage of VBSO may be the restoration of cervical lordosis through multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) above and below the osteotomy level. This study aimed to evaluate the improvement and maintenance of cervical lordosis and sagittal alignment after VBSO. METHODS: A total of 65 patients were included; 34 patients had undergone VBSO, and 31 had undergone anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF). Preoperative, postoperative, and final follow-up radiographs were used to evaluate the improvements in cervical lordosis and sagittal alignment after VBSO. C0-2 lordosis, C2-7 lordosis, segmental lordosis, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 slope, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores were measured. Subgroup analysis was performed between 15 patients with 1-level VBSO and 19 patients with 2-level VBSO. Patients with 1-level VBSO were compared to patients who had undergone 1-level ACCF. RESULTS: C0-2 lordosis (41.3° ± 7.1°), C2-7 lordosis (7.1° ± 12.8°), segmental lordosis (3.1° ± 9.2°), and C2-7 SVA (21.5 ± 11.7 mm) showed significant improvements at the final follow-up (39.3° ± 7.2°, 13° ± 9.9°, 15.2° ± 8.5°, and 18.4 ± 7.9 mm, respectively) after VBSO (p = 0.049, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.038, respectively). The postoperative segmental lordosis was significantly larger in 2-level VBSO (18.8° ± 11.6°) than 1-level VBSO (10.3° ± 5.5°, p = 0.014). The final segmental lordosis was larger in the 1-level VBSO (12.5° ± 6.2°) than the 1-level ACCF (7.2° ± 7.6°, p = 0.023). Segmental lordosis increased postoperatively (p < 0.001) and was maintained until the final follow-up (p = 0.062) after VBSO. However, the postoperatively improved segmental lordosis (p < 0.001) decreased at the final follow-up (p = 0.045) after ACCF. CONCLUSIONS: Not only C2-7 lordosis and segmental lordosis, but also C0-2 lordosis and C2-7 SVA improved at the final follow-up after VBSO. VBSO improves segmental cervical lordosis markedly through multiple ACDFs above and below the VBSO level, and a preserved vertebral body may provide more structural support.

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OBJECTIVE: Recently identified prognostic variables among patients undergoing surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) are limited to two large international data sets. To optimally inform shared clinical decision-making, the authors evaluated which preoperative clinical factors are significantly associated with improvement on the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale by at least the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) 12 months after surgery, among patients from the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network (CSORN). METHODS: The authors performed an observational cohort study with data that were prospectively collected from CSM patients at 7 centers between 2015 and 2017. Candidate variables were tested using univariable and multiple binomial logistic regression, and multiple sensitivity analyses were performed to test assumptions about the nature of the statistical models. Validated mJOA MCIDs were implemented that varied according to baseline CSM severity. RESULTS: Among 205 patients with CSM, there were 64 (31%) classified as mild, 86 (42%) as moderate, and 55 (27%) as severe. Overall, 52% of patients achieved MCID and the mean change in mJOA score at 12 months after surgery was 1.7 ± 2.6 points (p < 0.01), but the subgroup of patients with mild CSM did not significantly improve (mean change 0.1 ± 1.9 points, p = 0.8). Univariate analyses failed to identify significant associations between achieving MCID and sex, BMI, living status, education, smoking, disability claims, or number of comorbidities. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds of achieving MCID were significantly reduced with older age (OR 0.7 per decade, 95% CI 0.5-0.9, p < 0.01) and higher baseline mJOA score (OR 0.8 per point, 95% CI 0.7-0.9, p < 0.01). The effects of symptom duration (OR 1.0 per additional month, 95% CI 0.9-1.0, p = 0.2) and smoking (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-1.0, p = 0.06) were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery is effective at halting the progression of functional decline with CSM, and approximately half of all patients achieve the MCID. Data from the CSORN confirmed that older age is independently associated with poorer outcomes, but novel findings include that patients with milder CSM did not experience meaningful improvement, and that symptom duration and smoking were not important. These findings support a nuanced approach to shared decision-making that acknowledges some prognostic uncertainty when weighing the various risks, benefits, and alternatives to surgical treatment.

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OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to assess the impact of heterotopic ossification (HO) on clinical outcomes and angular range of motion (ROM) after cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) performed with the Prestige LP Cervical Disc (Prestige LP disc) at 2 levels. METHODS: HO was assessed and graded from 0 to IV for increasing severity on lateral neutral radiographs at each visit in 209 patients who underwent implantation of Prestige LP discs at 2 cervical levels in a clinical trial with extended 10-year follow-up. ROM was compared by using HO grade, and clinical outcomes were compared between HO subgroups (grade 0-II vs III/IV) based on HO severity at 2 and 10 years after surgery. RESULTS: The grade III/IV HO incidence at either or both index levels was 24.2% (48/198) at 2 years and 39.0% (57/146) at 10 years. No statistical difference was found in overall success; neurological success; or Neck Disability Index (NDI), neck pain, arm pain, or SF-36 Physical Component Summary (PCS) scores between the HO subgroups (grade 0-II vs III/IV) at either 2 or 10 years. The cumulative rate of possible implant-related adverse events (AEs) was higher in patients having grade III/IV HO at 2 years (56.3%) and 10 years (47.8%) compared with those having grade 0-II HO at 2 years (24.4%) and 10 years (17.9%), specifically in 2 subcategories: spinal events and HOs reported by the investigators. No statistical difference was found between the HO subgroups in possible implant-related serious AEs or secondary surgeries at the index or adjacent levels. The average angular ROMs at index levels were lower in subjects with higher-grade HO at 2 and 10 years. The average ROMs at the superior level were 8.8°, 6.6°, 3.2°, and 0.3°, respectively, for the HO grade 0/I, II, III, and IV groups at 10 years, and 7.9°, 6.2°, 3.7°, and 0.6°, respectively, at the inferior level. CONCLUSIONS: Radiographically severe (grade III or IV) HO after CDA with the Prestige LP disc at 2 levels did not significantly affect efficacy or safety outcomes (severe AEs or secondary surgeries). However, severe HO, particularly grade IV HO, significantly limited ROM, as expected.

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OBJECTIVE: Neck and back pain are highly prevalent conditions that account for major disability. The Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) are the two most common functional status measures for neck and back pain. However, no single instrument exists to evaluate patients with concurrent neck and back pain. The recently developed Total Disability Index (TDI) combines overlapping elements from the ODI and NDI with the unique items from each. This study aimed to prospectively validate the TDI in patients with spinal deformity, back pain, and/or neck pain. METHODS: This study is a retrospective review of prospectively collected data from a single center. The 14-item TDI, derived from ODI and NDI domains, was administered to consecutive patients presenting to a spine practice. Patients were assessed using the ODI, NDI, and EQ-5D. Validation of internal consistency, test-retest reproducibility, and validity of reconstructed NDI and ODI scores derived from TDI were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 252 patients (mean age 55 years, 56% female) completed initial assessments (back pain, n = 115; neck pain, n = 52; back and neck pain, n = 55; spinal deformity, n = 55; and no pain/deformity, n = 29). Of these patients, 155 completed retests within 14 days. Patients represented a wide range of disability (mean ODI score: 36.3 ± 21.6; NDI score: 30.8 ± 21.8; and TDI score: 34.1 ± 20.0). TDI demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.922) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.96). Differences between actual and reconstructed scores were not clinically significant. Subanalyses demonstrated TDI's ability to quantify the degree of disability due to back or neck pain in patients complaining of pain in both regions. CONCLUSIONS: The TDI is a valid and reliable disability measure in patients with back and/or neck pain and can capture each spine region's contribution to total disability. The TDI could be a valuable method for total spine assessment in a clinical setting, and its completion is less time consuming than that for both the ODI and NDI.

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OBJECTIVE: Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS) is characterized by congenital fusion of the cervical vertebrae. Due to its rarity, minimal research has been done to assess the quality and management of pain associated with this disorder. Using a large global database, the authors report a detailed analysis of the type, location, and treatment of pain in patients with KFS. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Coordination of Rare Diseases at Stanford registry and Klippel-Feil Syndrome Freedom registry. The cervical fusions were categorized into Samartzis type I, II, or III. The independent-sample t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Friedman test were conducted, with significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients (60 female, 14 male, and 1 unknown) were identified and classified as having the following types of Samartzis fusion: type I, n = 21 (28%); type II, n = 15 (20%); type III, n = 39 (52%). Seventy participants (93.3%) experienced pain associated with their KFS. The median age of patients at pain onset was 16.0 years (IQR 6.75-24.0 years), and the median age when pain worsened was 28.0 years (IQR 15.25-41.5 years). Muscle, joint, and nerve pain was primarily located in the shoulders/upper back (76%), neck (72%), and back of head (50.7%) and was characterized as tightness (73%), dull/aching (67%), and tingling/pins and needles (49%). Type III fusions were significantly associated with greater nerve pain (p = 0.02), headache/migraine pain (p = 0.02), and joint pain (p = 0.03) compared to other types of fusion. Patients with cervical fusions in the middle region (C2-6) tended to report greater muscle, joint, and nerve pain (p = 0.06). Participants rated the effectiveness of oral over-the-counter medications as 3 of 5 (IQR 1-3), oral prescribed medications as 3 of 5 (IQR 2-4), injections as 2 of 5 (IQR 1-4), and surgery as 3 of 5 (IQR 1-4), with 0 indicating the least pain relief and 5 the most pain relief. Participants who pursued surgical treatment reported significantly more comorbidities (p = 0.02) and neurological symptoms (p = 0.01) than nonsurgically treated participants and were significantly older when pain worsened (p = 0.03), but there was no difference in levels of muscle, joint, or nerve pain (p = 0.32); headache/migraine pain (p = 0.35); total number of cervical fusions (p = 0.77); location of fusions; or age at pain onset (p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: More than 90% of participants experienced pain. Participants with an increased number of overall cervical fusions or multilevel, contiguous fusions reported greater levels of muscle, joint, and nerve pain. Participants who pursued surgery had more comorbidities and neurological symptoms, such as balance and gait disturbances, but did not report more significant pain than nonsurgically treated participants.

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OBJECTIVE: Cervical deformity (CD) correction is clinically challenging. There is a high risk of developing complications with these highly complex procedures. The aim of this study was to use baseline demographic, clinical, and surgical factors to predict a poor outcome following CD surgery. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective review of a multicenter prospective CD database. CD was defined as at least one of the following: cervical kyphosis (C2-7 Cobb angle > 10°), cervical scoliosis (coronal Cobb angle > 10°), C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (cSVA) > 4 cm, or chin-brow vertical angle (CBVA) > 25°. Patients were categorized based on having an overall poor outcome or not. Health-related quality of life measures consisted of Neck Disability Index (NDI), EQ-5D, and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale scores. A poor outcome was defined as having all 3 of the following categories met: 1) radiographic poor outcome: deterioration or severe radiographic malalignment 1 year postoperatively for cSVA or T1 slope-cervical lordosis mismatch (TS-CL); 2) clinical poor outcome: failing to meet the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for NDI or having a severe mJOA Ames modifier; and 3) complications/reoperation poor outcome: major complication, death, or reoperation for a complication other than infection. Univariate logistic regression followed by multivariate regression models was performed, and internal validation was performed by calculating the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: In total, 89 patients with CD were included (mean age 61.9 years, female sex 65.2%, BMI 29.2 kg/m2). By 1 year postoperatively, 18 (20.2%) patients were characterized as having an overall poor outcome. For radiographic poor outcomes, patients' conditions either deteriorated or remained severe for TS-CL (73% of patients), cSVA (8%), horizontal gaze (34%), and global SVA (28%). For clinical poor outcomes, 80% and 60% of patients did not reach MCID for EQ-5D and NDI, respectively, and 24% of patients had severe symptoms (mJOA score 0-11). For the complications/reoperation poor outcome, 28 patients experienced a major complication, 11 underwent a reoperation, and 1 had a complication-related death. Of patients with a poor clinical outcome, 75% had a poor radiographic outcome; 35% of poor radiographic and 37% of poor clinical outcome patients had a major complication. A poor outcome was predicted by the following combination of factors: osteoporosis, baseline neurological status, use of a transition rod, number of posterior decompressions, baseline pelvic tilt, T2-12 kyphosis, TS-CL, C2-T3 SVA, C2-T1 pelvic angle (C2 slope), global SVA, and number of levels in maximum thoracic kyphosis. The final model predicting a poor outcome (AUC 86%) included the following: osteoporosis (OR 5.9, 95% CI 0.9-39), worse baseline neurological status (OR 11.4, 95% CI 1.8-70.8), baseline pelvic tilt > 20° (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85-0.98), > 9 levels in maximum thoracic kyphosis (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.1-4.1), preoperative C2-T3 SVA > 5.4 cm (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.9-1.1), and global SVA > 4 cm (OR 3.2, 95% CI 0.09-10.3). CONCLUSIONS: Of all CD patients in this study, 20.2% had a poor overall outcome, defined by deterioration in radiographic and clinical outcomes, and a major complication. Additionally, 75% of patients with a poor clinical outcome also had a poor radiographic outcome. A poor overall outcome was most strongly predicted by severe baseline neurological deficit, global SVA > 4 cm, and including more of the thoracic maximal kyphosis in the construct.

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OBJECTIVE: One- and two-level cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) has been compared to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in several large-scale, prospective, randomized trials that have demonstrated similar clinical outcomes. However, whether these results would be similar when treating 3-level disc herniation and/or spondylosis has remained unanswered. This study aimed to investigate the differences between 3-level CDA and ACDF. METHODS: A series of 50 patients who underwent 3-level CDA at C3-7 was retrospectively reviewed and compared with another series of 50 patients (age- and sex-matched controls) who underwent ACDF at C3-7. Clinical outcomes were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) for neck and arm pain, the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale, and the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Radiological outcomes included range of motion (ROM) at the index levels. Every patient was evaluated by CT for the presence of fusion in the ACDF group. Also, complication profiles were investigated. RESULTS: The demographics and levels of distribution in both groups were very similar. During the follow-up period of 24 months, clinical outcomes improved (overall and respectively in each group) for both the CDA and ACDF patients when compared with the patients' preoperative condition. There were essentially few differences between the two groups in terms of neck and arm pain VAS scores, mJOA scores, and NDI scores preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. After the 3-level surgery, the CDA group had an increased mean ROM of approximately 3.4°, at 25.2° ± 8.84°, compared to their preoperative ROM (21.8° ± 7.20°) (p = 0.001), whereas the ACDF group had little mobility (22.8° ± 5.90° before and 1.0° ± 1.28° after surgery; p < 0.001). The mean operative time, estimated blood loss, and complication profiles were similar for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this selectively matched retrospective study, clinical outcomes after 3-level CDA and ACDF were similar during the 2-year follow-up period. CDA not only successfully preserved but slightly increased the mobility at the 3 index levels. However, the safety and efficacy of 3-level CDA requires more long-term data for validatation.

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OBJECTIVE: Axial neck pain is common and often debilitating. Diagnosis of the specific pain source can be a challenge, and this confounds effective treatment. Cervical facet arthropathy is implicated in many of these cases. The diagnosis is readily made on conventional cross-sectional imaging modalities, particularly CT imaging. However, this modality falls short in determining if an osteoarthritic facet joint is truly the source of symptoms. Radionucleotide imaging presents a noninvasive radiological adjunct to conventional cross-sectional imaging in the workup of patients with suspected facetogenic pain. Herein, the authors present the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following posterior instrumented arthrodesis of the subaxial cervical spine from a consecutive case series of patients with a diagnosis of cervical facet joint arthropathy and a concordant positive radionucleotide tracer uptake. METHODS: The clinical case series of patients treated by the senior author at a single tertiary care institution between September 2014 and April 2018 was reviewed. Patients were selected for inclusion if their primary symptom at presentation was axial neck pain without neurological deficits and if CT imaging revealed facet arthropathy of the cervical spine. These patients underwent radionucleotide imaging in the form of a planar 99mTc methylene diphosphonate (99mTc MDP) bone scintigraphy study. Those with a finding of radionucleotide tracer uptake at a location concordant with the facet arthropathy were selected to undergo posterior cervical instrumented arthrodesis of the affected levels. PROs were recorded at the time of surgical consultation (i.e., after nonoperative treatment) and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year following surgery. These included neck and arm pain, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey responses. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients were included in this retrospective case series. The average reported neck pain and NDI scores were high at baseline; 7.6 ± 2.3 and 37.1 ± 13.9 respectively. Twelve months after surgical intervention, a significant decrease in reported neck pain of -4.5 (95% CI -6.9, -2.1; p = 0.015) and a significant decrease in NDI of -20.0 (95% CI -29.4, -10.6; p = 0.014) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This case series represents the largest to date of patients undergoing surgical arthrodesis following a finding of facet arthropathy with a concordant positive radioisotope image study. These observations add support to a growing body of evidence that suggests the utility of radioisotope imaging for identification of a facetogenic pain generator in patients with primary axial neck pain and a finding of cervical facet arthropathy. These preliminary data should serve to promote future prospective, controlled studies on the incorporation of radionucleotide imaging into the workup of patients with suspected facetogenic pain of the cervical spine.

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OBJECTIVE: The long-term efficacy of posterior foraminotomy compared with anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) for the treatment of degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy has not been previously investigated in a population-based cohort. METHODS: All patients in the national Swedish Spine Register (Swespine) from January 1, 2006, until November 15, 2017, with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy were assessed. Using propensity score matching, patients treated with posterior foraminotomy were compared with those undergoing ACDF. The primary outcome measure was the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a patient-reported outcome score ranging from 0% to 100%, with higher scores indicating greater disability. A minimal clinically important difference was defined as > 15%. Secondary outcomes were assessed with additional patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). RESULTS: A total of 4368 patients (2136/2232 women/men) met the inclusion criteria. Posterior foraminotomy was performed in 647 patients, and 3721 patients underwent ACDF. After meticulous propensity score matching, 570 patients with a mean age of 54 years remained in each group. Both groups had substantial decreases in their NDI scores; however, after 5 years, the difference was not significant (2.3%, 95% CI -4.1% to 8.4%; p = 0.48) between the groups. There were no significant differences between the groups in EQ-5D or visual analog scale (VAS) for neck and arm scores. The secondary surgeries on the index level due to restenosis were more frequent in the foraminotomy group (6/100 patients vs 1/100), but on the adjacent segments there was no difference between groups (2/100). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cervical degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy, both groups demonstrated clinical improvements at the 5-year follow-up that were comparable and did not achieve a clinically important difference from one another, even though the reoperation rate favored the ACDF group. This study design obtains population-based results, which are generalizable.

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OBJECTIVE: Cervical deformity (CD) is difficult to define due to the high variability in normal cervical alignment based on postural- and thoracolumbar-driven changes to cervical alignment. The purpose of this study was to identify whether patterns of sagittal deformity could be established based on neutral and dynamic alignment, as shown on radiographs. METHODS: This study is a retrospective review of a prospective, multicenter database of CD patients who underwent surgery from 2013 to 2015. Their radiographs were reviewed by 12 individuals using a consensus-based method to identify severe sagittal CD. Radiographic parameters correlating with health-related quality of life were introduced in a two-step cluster analysis (a combination of hierarchical cluster and k-means cluster) to identify patterns of sagittal deformity. A comparison of lateral and lateral extension radiographs between clusters was performed using an ANOVA in a post hoc analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 75 patients were identified as having severe CD due to sagittal malalignment, and they formed the basis of this study. Their mean age was 64 years, their body mass index was 29 kg/m2, and 66% were female. There were significant correlations between focal alignment/flexibility of maximum kyphosis, cervical lordosis, and thoracic slope minus cervical lordosis (TS-CL) flexibility (r = 0.27, 0.31, and -0.36, respectively). Cluster analysis revealed 3 distinct groups based on alignment and flexibility. Group 1 (a pattern involving a flat neck with lack of compensation) had a large TS-CL mismatch despite flexibility in cervical lordosis; group 2 (a pattern involving focal deformity) had focal kyphosis between 2 adjacent levels but no large regional cervical kyphosis under the setting of a low T1 slope (T1S); and group 3 (a pattern involving a cervicothoracic deformity) had a very large T1S with a compensatory hyperlordosis of the cervical spine. CONCLUSIONS: Three distinct patterns of CD were identified in this cohort: flat neck, focal deformity, and cervicothoracic deformity. One key element to understanding the difference between these groups was the alignment seen on extension radiographs. This information is a first step in developing a classification system that can guide the surgical treatment for CD and the choice of fusion level.

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OBJECTIVE: There is currently no consensus on whether adjacent-segment degeneration (ASD), loss of disc height (DH), and loss of sagittal segmental angle (SSA) are due to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). The purpose of the present study was to assess the grade of segmental degeneration after ACDF and to analyze if there is a difference with respect to clinical outcome, diagnosis, and number of operated levels. METHODS: A total of 102 patients who underwent ACDF with a minimum follow-up of 18 years were retrospectively identified. At final follow-up, the clinical outcome according to Odom's criteria, the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and reoperation for symptomatic ASD (sASD) was assessed. MRI was performed, and DH, SSA, and the segmental degeneration index (SDI, a 5-step grading system that includes disc signal intensity, anterior and posterior disc protrusion, narrowing of the disc space, and foraminal stenosis) were assessed for evaluation of the 2 adjacent and 4 adjoining segments to the ACDF. MRI findings were compared with respect to clinical outcome (NDI: 0%-20% vs > 20%; Odom's criteria: success vs no success), reoperation for sASD, initial diagnosis (cervical disc herniation [CDH] vs cervical spondylotic myelopathy [CSM] and spondylosis), and the number of operated levels (1 vs 2-4 levels). RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 25 years (range 18-45 years), and the diagnosis was CDH in 74.5% of patients and CSM/spondylosis in 25.5%. At follow-up, the mean NDI was 12.4% (range 0%-36%), the clinical success rate was 87.3%, and the reoperation rate for sASD was 15.7%. For SDI, no significant differences were seen with respect to NDI, Odom's criteria, and sASD. Patients diagnosed with CDH had significantly more degeneration at the adjacent segments (cranial, p = 0.015; caudal, p = 0.017). Patients with a 2- to 4-level procedure had less degeneration at the caudal adjacent (p = 0.011) and proximal adjoining (p = 0.019) segments. Aside from a significantly lower DH at the proximal cranial adjoining segment in cases of CSM/spondylosis and without clinical success, no further differences were noted. The degree of SSA was not significantly different with respect to clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences were seen in the SDI grade and SSA with respect to clinical outcome. The SDI is higher after single-level ACDF and with the diagnosis of CDH. The DH was negligibly different with respect to clinical outcome, diagnosis, and number of operated levels.

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OBJECTIVE: Understanding what influences pain and disability following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in patients with degenerative cervical spine disease is critical. This study examines the timing of clinical improvement and identifies factors (including spinal alignment) associated with worse outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive adult patients were enrolled in a prospective outcomes database from two academic centers participating in the Quality Outcomes Database from 2013 to 2016. Demographics, surgical details, radiographic data, arm and neck pain (visual analog scale [VAS] scores), and disability (Neck Disability Index [NDI] and EQ-5D scores) were reviewed. Multivariate analysis was used. RESULTS: A total of 186 patients were included, and 48.4% were male. Their mean age was 55.4 years, and 45.7% had myelopathy. Preoperative cervical sagittal vertical axis (cSVA), cervical lordosis (CL), and T1 slope values were 24.9 mm (range 0-55 mm), 10.4° (range -6.0° to 44°), and 28.3° (range 14.0°-51.0°), respectively. ACDF was performed at 1, 2, and 3 levels in 47.8%, 42.0%, and 10.2% of patients, respectively. Preoperative neck and arm VAS scores were 5.7 and 5.4, respectively. NDI and EQ-5D scores were 22.1 and 0.5, respectively. There was significant improvement in all outcomes at 3 months (p < 0.001) and 12 months (p < 0.001). At 3 months, neck VAS (3.0), arm VAS (2.2), NDI (12.7), and EQ-5D (0.7) scores were improved, and at 12 months, neck VAS (2.8), arm VAS (2.3), NDI (11.7), and EQ-5D (0.8) score improvements were sustained. Improvements occurred within the first 3-month period; there was no significant difference in outcomes between the 3-month and 12-month mark. There was no correlation among cSVA, CL, or T1 slope with any outcome endpoint. The most consistent independent preoperative factors associated with worse outcomes were high neck and arm VAS scores and a severe NDI result (p < 0.001). Similar findings were seen with worse NDI and EQ-5D scores (p < 0.001). A significant linear trend of worse NDI and EQ-5D scores at 3 and 12 months was associated with worse baseline scores. Of the 186 patients, 171 (91.9%) had 3-month follow-up data, and 162 (87.1%) had 12-month follow-up data. CONCLUSIONS: ACDF is effective in improving pain and disability, and improvement occurs within 3 months of surgery. cSVA, CL, and T1 slope do not appear to influence outcomes following ACDF surgery in the population with degenerative cervical disease. Therefore, in patients with relatively normal cervical parameters, augmenting alignment or lordosis is likely unnecessary. Worse preoperative pain and disability were independently associated with worse outcomes.

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OBJECTIVE: Opioids are commonly prescribed after surgery for painful spinal conditions, yet little is known about postoperative opioid use. The relationship between chronic opioid use and patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction with surgery is also unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors associated with opioid use 1 year after elective cervical spine surgery for degenerative conditions causing radiculopathy and myelopathy. The authors hypothesized that patients with preoperative opioid use would be more likely to report postoperative opioid use at 1 year, and that postoperative opioid use would be associated with patient-reported outcomes and dissatisfaction with surgery. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective study of a prospective cohort of adult patients who underwent elective cervical spine surgery for degenerative changes causing radiculopathy or myelopathy. Patients were prospectively and consecutively enrolled from a single academic center after the decision for surgery had been made. Postoperative in-hospital pain management was conducted using a standardized protocol. The primary outcome was any opioid use 1 year after surgery. Secondary outcomes were the Neck Disability Index (NDI); 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical function (PF), bodily pain (BP), and mental component summary (MCS) scores; the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score among myelopathy patients; and patient expectations surveys. Patients with and without preoperative opioid use were compared using the chi-square and Student t-tests, and multiple logistic regression was used to study the associations between patient and surgical characteristics and postoperative opioid use 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: Two hundred eleven patients were prospectively and consecutively enrolled, of whom 39 were lost to follow-up for the primary outcome; 43.6% reported preoperative opioid use. Preoperative NDI and SF-36 PF and BP scores were significantly worse in the preoperative opioid cohort. More than 94% of both cohorts rated expectations of pain relief as extremely or somewhat important. At 1 year after surgery, 50.7% of the preoperative-opioid-use cohort reported ongoing opioid use, and 17.5% of patients in the no-preoperative-opioid-use cohort reported ongoing opioid use. Despite this, both cohorts reported similar improvements in NDI as well as SF-36 PF, BP, and MCS scores. More than 70% of both cohorts also reported being extremely or somewhat satisfied with pain relief after surgery. Predictors of 1-year opioid use included preoperative opioid use, duration of symptoms for more than 9 months before surgery, tobacco use, and higher comorbidity index. CONCLUSIONS: One year after elective cervical spine surgery, patients with preoperative opioid use were significantly more likely to report ongoing opioid use. However, patients in both groups reported similar improvements in patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction with pain relief. Interventions targeted at decreasing opioid use may need to focus on patient factors such as preoperative opioid use or duration of symptoms before surgery.

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OBJECTIVE: Preoperative mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are known to be associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes after lumbar spine surgery. However, the effects of preoperative depression and anxiety on postoperative HRQOL outcomes and patient satisfaction in cervical compressive myelopathy are yet to be clarified. This study aimed to investigate the effect of depression and anxiety on HRQOL outcomes and patient satisfaction following surgery for cervical compressive myelopathy. METHODS: The authors reviewed the cases of all consecutive patients with cervical compressive myelopathy who had undergone surgical treatment in the period between January 2012 and March 2017 at their institution. Using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the authors classified patients as depressed (HADS-D+) or not depressed (HADS-D-) and anxious (HADS-A+) or not anxious (HADS-A-). Patient HRQOL was evaluated preoperatively and at the end of at least 1 year after surgery using the physical and mental component summaries of the SF-12 Health Survey, EQ-5D (EuroQol health survey of five dimensions), Neck Disability Index, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scale. Patient satisfaction was evaluated on the basis of a seven-item questionnaire and divided into two categories: satisfied and dissatisfied. Preoperative HRQOL statuses, postoperative improvements in HRQOL outcomes, and patient satisfaction were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Among the 121 patients eligible for inclusion in the study, there were 69 patients (57.0%) without depression (HADS-D-) and 52 (43.0%) with depression (HADS-D+) and 82 patients (67.8%) without anxiety (HADS-A-) and 39 (32.2%) with anxiety (HADS-A+). All patients who completed both the preoperative and postoperative questionnaires had significant postoperative improvements in all HRQOL outcomes. The HADS-D+ and HADS-A+ patients had poorer preoperative HRQOL statuses than the HADS-D- and HADS-A- patients, respectively. However, statistically significant improvements in all HRQOL outcomes were observed in both HADS-D+ and HADS-A+ patients. Patient satisfaction was comparable between the HADS-D or HADS-A groups. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical compressive myelopathy patients with preoperative depression or anxiety according to the HADS tool had worse preoperative HRQOL statuses. However, patients with cervical compressive myelopathy showed significant improvements in HRQOL outcomes and had sufficient levels of satisfaction after surgery regardless of the presence of preoperative depression or anxiety.

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OBJECTIVE: Patient satisfaction with treatment outcome is gaining an increasingly important role in assessing the value of surgical spine care delivery. Nationwide data evaluating the predictors of patient satisfaction in elective cervical spine surgery are lacking. The authors sought to decipher the impacts of the patient, surgical practice, and surgeon on satisfaction with outcome following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). METHODS: The authors queried the Quality Outcomes Database for patients undergoing 1- to 2-level ACDF for degenerative spine disease since 2013. Patient satisfaction with the surgical outcome as measured by the North American Spine Society (NASS) scale comprised the primary outcome. A multivariable proportional odds logistic regression model was constructed with adjustments for baseline patient characteristics and surgical practice and surgeon characteristics as fixed effects. RESULTS: A total of 4148 patients (median age 54 years, 48% males) with complete 12-month NASS satisfaction data were analyzed. Sixty-seven percent of patients answered that "surgery met their expectations" (n = 2803), while 20% reported that they "did not improve as much as they had hoped but they would undergo the same operation for the same results" (n = 836). After adjusting for a multitude of patient-specific as well as hospital- and surgeon-related factors, the authors found baseline Neck Disability Index (NDI) score, US geographic region of hospital, patient race, insurance status, symptom duration, and Workers' compensation status to be the most important predictors of patient satisfaction. The discriminative ability of the model was satisfactory (c-index 0.66, overfitting-corrected estimate 0.64). CONCLUSIONS: The authors' results found baseline NDI score, patient race, insurance status, symptom duration, and Workers' compensation status as well as the geographic region of the hospital to be the most important predictors of long-term patient satisfaction after a 1- to 2-level ACDF. The findings of the present analysis further reinforce the role of preoperative discussion with patients on setting treatment goals and realistic expectations.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the patient-reported outcome measures Neck Disability Index (NDI) and visual analog scale (VAS) with the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI) measures, respectively, and to determine their correlations in a surgical population longitudinally.Legacy outcome measures such as NDI and VAS are essential for analyzing treatments in spine surgery for cervical disc herniations with radiculopathy. Despite their usefulness, administrative burdens impose limits on completion of these measures. PROMIS was developed as a patient outcome measure in order to improve reporting of patient symptoms and function and to reduce administrative burden. Despite early positive results of PROMIS in orthopedics, NDI and VAS scores have not been compared with PROMIS scores in patients with cervical disc herniations with radiculopathy. METHODS: Eighty patients undergoing surgery for cervical disc herniations with radiculopathy were included. All patients were treated at the same tertiary spine center. Patients were seen and PROMIS PF and PI, NDI, and VAS arm and neck pain scores were collected preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. Correlations between NDI, VAS, and PROMIS PF and PI were quantified using Pearson correlation coefficients. Two-tailed Student t-tests were used to demonstrate correlation significance, with alpha = 0.05. RESULTS: All 80 (100%) patients completed all preoperative questionnaires. Fifty-seven (72%) and 75 (94%) patients completed all questionnaires at baseline and at the 6-month and 1-year follow-ups, respectively. PROMIS PF and NDI scores demonstrated a strong negative correlation, with Pearson r values of -0.81, -0.77, and -0.75 at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year. PROMIS PI and VAS neck pain scores demonstrated a moderately positive correlation, with Pearson r values of 0.51, 0.61, and 0.6. PROMIS PI and VAS arm pain scores demonstrated a moderately positive correlation, with Pearson r values of 0.46, 0.47, and 0.45. CONCLUSIONS: PROMIS PF scores have a strong negative correlation with NDI scores at baseline and in the postoperative course in patients undergoing surgery for cervical disc herniations with radiculopathy. PROMIS PI scores have a moderately positive correlation with VAS neck and arm pain scores at baseline and in the postoperative course. Surgeons may factor these correlation results into the interpretation of patient-reported outcome measures in patients with cervical radiculopathy. Use of PROMIS PF and PI for this patient population may reduce administrative burden while providing reliable outcomes data.