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Perception of frailty in spinal metastatic disease: international survey of the AO Spine community

Mark A. MacLean, Miltiadis Georgiopoulos, Raphaële Charest-Morin, C. Rory Goodwin, Ilya Laufer, Nicolas Dea, John H. Shin, Ziya L. Gokaslan, Laurence D. Rhines, John E. O’Toole, Daniel M. Sciubba, Michael G. Fehlings, Byron F. Stephens, Chetan Bettegowda, Sten Myrehaug, Alexander C. Disch, Cordula Netzer, Naresh Kumar, Arjun Sahgal, Niccole M. Germscheid, Michael H. Weber, and

OBJECTIVE

Frailty has not been clearly defined in the context of spinal metastatic disease (SMD). Given this, the objective of this study was to better understand how members of the international AO Spine community conceptualize, define, and assess frailty in SMD.

METHODS

The AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor conducted an international cross-sectional survey of the AO Spine community. The survey was developed using a modified Delphi technique and was designed to capture preoperative surrogate markers of frailty and relevant postoperative clinical outcomes in the context of SMD. Responses were ranked using weighted averages. Consensus was defined as ≥ 70% agreement among respondents.

RESULTS

Results were analyzed for 359 respondents, with an 87% completion rate. Study participants represented 71 countries. In the clinical setting, most respondents informally assess frailty and cognition in patients with SMD by forming a general perception based on clinical condition and patient history. Consensus was attained among respondents regarding the association between 14 preoperative clinical variables and frailty. Severe comorbidities, extensive systemic disease burden, and poor performance status were most associated with frailty. Severe comorbidities associated with frailty included high-risk cardiopulmonary disease, renal failure, liver failure, and malnutrition. The most clinically relevant outcomes were major complications, neurological recovery, and change in performance status.

CONCLUSIONS

The respondents recognized that frailty is important, but they most commonly evaluate it based on general clinical impressions rather than using existing frailty tools. The authors identified numerous preoperative surrogate markers of frailty and postoperative clinical outcomes that spine surgeons perceived as most relevant in this population.

In Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine Publish Before Print

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Prehospital and emergency management of pediatric traumatic brain injury: a multicenter site survey

Gawin Mai, Jan Hau Lee, Paula Caporal, Juan D. Roa G., Sebastián González-Dambrauskas, Yanan Zhu, Adriana Yock-Corrales, Qalab Abbas, Yasser Kazzaz, Dianna Sri Dewi, Shu-Ling Chong, , Deborah M. Turina, Jesús A. Domínguez-Rojas, Francisco J. Pilar-Orive, Chin Seng Gan, Qalab Abbas, Willmer E. Diaz Villalobos, Ivan J. Ardila, Rujipat Samransamruajkit, Adriana Yock-Corrales, Marisol Fonseca, Gabriela Aparicio, Juan C. Jaramillo-Bustamante, Pei-Chuen Lee, Thelma E. Teran, Nicolas Monteverde-Fernandez, María Miñambres Rodríguez, Juan D. Roa G, Chunfeng Liu, Tao Zhang, Meixiu Ming, Hongxing Dang, Hiroshi Kurosawa, Freddy Israel Pantoja Chamorro, Deiby Lasso Noguera, Esteban Cerón, Natalia Gómez Arriola, and Ruben Eduardo Lasso Palomino

OBJECTIVE

There is a paucity of information on pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) care in Asia and Latin America. In this study, the authors aimed to describe the clinical practices of emergency departments (EDs) participating in the Saline in Asia and Latin-America Neurotrauma in the Young (SALTY) study, by comparing designated trauma centers (DTCs) and nontrauma centers (NTCs) in their networks.

METHODS

The authors performed a site survey study on pediatric TBI management in the EDs in 14 countries. Two European centers joined other participating sites in Asia and Latin America. Questions were formulated after a critical review of current TBI guidelines and published surveys. The authors performed a descriptive analysis and stratified centers based on DTC status.

RESULTS

Of 24 responding centers (70.6%), 50.0% were DTCs, 70.8% had academic affiliations, and all centers were in urban settings. Patients were predominantly transferred to DTCs by centralized prehospital services compared to those sent to NTCs (83.3% vs 41.7%, p = 0.035). More NTCs received a majority of their patients directly from the trauma scene compared to DTCs (66.7% vs 25.0%, p = 0.041). Ten centers (41.7%) reported the use of a TBI management guideline, and 15 (62.5%) implemented CT protocols. Ten DTCs reported implementation of intervention strategies for suspected raised intracranial pressure (ICP) before conducting a CT scan, and 6 NTCs also followed this practice (83.3% vs 50.0%, p = 0.083). ED management for children with TBI was comparable between DTCs and NTCs in the following aspects: neuroimaging, airway management, ICP monitoring, fluid resuscitation, anticoagulant therapy, and serum glucose control. Hyperventilation therapy for raised ICP was used by 33.3% of sites.

CONCLUSIONS

This study evaluated pediatric TBI management and infrastructure among 24 centers. Limited differences in prehospital care and ED management for pediatric patients with TBI were observed between DTCs and NTCs. Both DTCs and NTCs showed variation in the implementation of current TBI management guidelines. There is an urgent need to investigate specific barriers to guideline implementation in these regions.

In Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics Publish Before Print

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Validation of an automated machine learning algorithm for the detection and analysis of cerebral aneurysms

Marco Colasurdo, Daphna Shalev, Ariadna Robledo, Viren Vasandani, Zean Aaron Luna, Abhijit S. Rao, Roberto Garcia, Gautam Edhayan, Visish M. Srinivasan, Sunil A. Sheth, Yoni Donner, Orin Bibas, Nicole Limzider, Hashem Shaltoni, and Peter Kan

OBJECTIVE

Machine learning algorithms have shown groundbreaking results in neuroimaging. The authors herein evaluated the performance of a newly developed convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect and analyze intracranial aneurysms (IAs) on CTA.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with CTA studies between January 2015 and July 2021 at a single center were identified. The ground truth determination of cerebral aneurysm presence or absence was made from the neuroradiology report. The primary outcome was the performance of the CNN in detecting IAs in an external validation set, measured using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve statistics. Secondary outcomes included accuracy for location and size measurement.

RESULTS

The independent validation imaging data set consisted of 400 patients with CTA studies, median age 40 years (IQR 34 years) and 141 (35.3%) of whom were male; 193 patients (48.3%) had a diagnosis of IA on neuroradiologist evaluation. The median maximum IA diameter was 3.7 mm (IQR 2.5 mm). In the independent validation imaging data set, the CNN performed well with 93.8% sensitivity (95% CI 0.87–0.98), 94.2% specificity (95% CI 0.90–0.97), and a positive predictive value of 88.2% (95% CI 0.80–0.94) in the subgroup with an IA diameter ≥ 4 mm.

CONCLUSIONS

The described Viz.ai Aneurysm CNN performed well in identifying the presence or absence of IAs in an independent validation imaging set. Further studies are necessary to investigate the impact of the software on detection rates in a real-world setting.

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

Free access

46th Annual Meeting The American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons

In Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics Volume 31: Issue 3 (Mar 2023)

Free access

Central or axial atlantoaxial dislocation and craniovertebral junction alterations: a review of 393 patients treated over 12 years

Abhidha Shah, Ravikiran Vutha, Apurva Prasad, and Atul Goel

OBJECTIVE

The authors reviewed their scientific publications and updated their clinical material obtained over the last 12 years for cases of central or axial atlantoaxial dislocation (CAAD) identified in the presence of craniovertebral musculoskeletal and/or neural alteration(s). The management implications of diagnosing and treating CAAD are highlighted.

METHODS

During a 12-year period, CAAD was diagnosed in 393 patients with craniovertebral junction–related musculoskeletal and neural alterations who underwent atlantoaxial fixation. No bone decompression was done. All CAAD-related craniovertebral junction structural changes were identified to have a naturally protective role. Hence, in this paper the term "craniovertebral alterations" is used for "craniovertebral junction anomalies" and the term "Chiari formation" is used instead of the commonly used term "Chiari malformation."

RESULTS

The major radiological diagnosis was determined either singly or in cohort with one or more of other so-called pathological entities that included Chiari formation (367 cases), syringomyelia with Chiari (306 cases), idiopathic syringomyelia (12 cases), type B basilar invagination (147 cases), bifid arch of the atlas (9 cases), assimilation of the atlas (119 cases), C2–3 fusion (65 cases), Klippel-Feil alteration (4 cases), and dorsal kyphoscoliosis (15 cases). The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 155 months. Clinical improvement was observed in all patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding and treating CAAD may have significant implications in the surgical treatment of a number of clinical entities. The gratifying clinical outcomes obtained in patients after atlantoaxial fixation, without any type of decompression involving bone or soft-tissue resection, consolidate the concept that atlantoaxial instability has a defining role in the pathogenesis.

In Neurosurgical Focus Volume 54 (2023): Issue 3 (Mar 2023): Management of Chiari Malformation and Craniocervical Anomalies

Free access

External validation of the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale in adults with Chiari malformation type I

Lukasz Antkowiak, Piotr Stogowski, Tomasz Klepinowski, Tristan Balinski, Hubert Mado, Piotr Sumislawski, Marcin Niedbala, Michalina Rucinska, Zuzanna Nowaczyk, Marta Rogalska, Damian Kocur, Anna Kasperczuk, Ryszard Sordyl, Wojciech Kloc, Wojciech Kaspera, Gertrud Kammler, Leszek Sagan, Adam Rudnik, Pawel Tabakow, Manfred Westphal, and Marek Mandera

OBJECTIVE

The Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale (CCOS) serves as a standardized clinical outcome evaluation tool among patients with Chiari malformation type I (CM-I). While the reliability of this scale has been proven for pediatric patients, the literature lacks CCOS validation when used solely in adults. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the validity of the CCOS in an external cohort of adult patients.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively analyzed the medical records of symptomatic patients with CM-I who underwent posterior fossa decompression between 2010 and 2018 in six neurosurgical departments. Each patient was clinically assessed at the latest available follow-up. Gestalt outcome was determined as improved, unchanged, or worsened compared with the preoperative clinical state. Additionally, the CCOS score was calculated for each patient based on the detailed clinical data. To verify the ability of the CCOS to determine clinical improvement, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was evaluated. A logistic regression analysis using all four components of the CCOS (pain symptoms, nonpain symptoms, functionality, and complications) was performed to establish predictors of the improved outcome.

RESULTS

Seventy-five individuals with a mean age of 42 ± 15.32 years were included in the study. The mean follow-up duration was 52 ± 33.83 months. Considering gestalt outcome evaluation, 41 patients (54.7%) were classified as improved, 24 (32%) as unchanged, and 10 (13.3%) as worsened. All patients with a CCOS score of 14 or higher improved, while all those with a CCOS score of 8 or lower worsened. The AUROC was 0.986, suggesting almost perfect accuracy of the CCOS in delineating clinical improvement. A CCOS score of 13 showed high sensitivity (0.93) and specificity (0.97) for identifying patients with clinical improvement. Additionally, a meaningful correlation was found between higher CCOS scores in each component and better outcomes. Patient stratification by total CCOS score showed that those categorized as improved, unchanged, and worsened scored prevalently between 13 and 16 points, 10 and 12 points, and 4 and 9 points, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this adult cohort, the CCOS was found to be almost perfectly accurate in reflecting postoperative clinical improvement. Moreover, all four CCOS components (pain symptoms, nonpain symptoms, functionality, and complications) significantly correlated with patient clinical outcomes.

In Neurosurgical Focus Volume 54 (2023): Issue 3 (Mar 2023): Management of Chiari Malformation and Craniocervical Anomalies

Free access

Fourth ventricular subarachnoid stent for Chiari malformation type I–associated persistent syringomyelia

Rachael K. Han, Mauricio P. Medina, Alexandra M. Giantini-Larsen, John K. Chae, Amanda Cruz, Andrew L. A. Garton, and Jeffrey P. Greenfield

OBJECTIVE

Syringomyelia (syrinx) associated with Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) is commonly managed with posterior fossa decompression, which can lead to resolution in most cases. A persistent syrinx postdecompression is therefore uncommon and challenging to address. In the setting of radiographically adequate decompression with persistent syrinx, the authors prefer placing fourth ventricular subarachnoid stents that span the craniocervical junction particularly when intraoperative observation reveals arachnoid plane scarring. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a fourth ventricle stent for CM-I–associated persistent syringomyelia, assess dynamic changes in syrinx dimensions, and report stent-reduction durability, clinical outcomes, and procedure-associated complications.

METHODS

The authors performed a single-institution, retrospective review of patients who underwent fourth ventricular subarachnoid stent placement for persistent CM-I–associated syringomyelia following a prior posterior fossa decompression. The authors’ institutional Chiari database contains 600 cases with 149 decompressions for CM-I–associated syringomyelia, of which 13 met criteria for inclusion. Data on patient demographics, clinical presentation and outcomes, and MRI findings were collected. The maximal syrinx diameter was estimated by calculating the area of an elliptical cross-section in the largest axial plane from preoperative, immediately postoperative, and late postoperative T2-weighted MR images.

RESULTS

All 13 patients experienced a significant decrease in mean syrinx area from the preoperative to the late postoperative MRI (mean syrinx diameter 114.1 ± 81.8 mm2 vs 24.5 ± 23.8 mm2, p < 0.001). The mean time until late postoperative MRI was 19.7 months (range 2.0–70.7 months). The syrinx area reduced on average by 75.0% ± 23.9% at the time of the last postoperative scan. Syrinx resolution was variable, with 4 patients (30.8%) achieving near-complete resolution (> 90%, grade III reduction), 7 patients (50%) having 50%–90% reduction (grade II), and 2 patients (14.3%) having < 50% decrease (grade I). One patient experienced catheter migration into the left brachium pontis with an associated cyst at the tip of the catheter that decreased in size on follow-up imaging.

CONCLUSIONS

Placement of fourth ventricular subarachnoid stents spanning the craniocervical junction in patients with persistent CM-I–associated syringomyelia after posterior fossa decompression is a safe therapeutic option and significantly reduced the mean syrinx area, with a greater reductive effect seen over longer follow-up periods.

In Neurosurgical Focus Volume 54 (2023): Issue 3 (Mar 2023): Management of Chiari Malformation and Craniocervical Anomalies

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Incidence and management of postoperative pseudomeningocele and cerebrospinal fluid leak after Chiari malformation type I decompression

Travis J. Atchley, Yasaman Alam, Evan Gross, Nicholas M. B. Laskay, Dagoberto Estevez-Ordonez, Philip G. R. Schmalz, and Winfield S. Fisher III

OBJECTIVE

The optimal surgical management of Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) remains controversial and heterogeneous. The authors sought to investigate patient-specific, technical, and perioperative features that may affect the incidence of CSF-related complications including pseudomeningocele and CSF leak at their institution.

METHODS

The authors performed a single-center, retrospective review of all adult patients with CM-I who underwent posterior fossa decompression. Patient demographics, operative details, and perioperative factors were collected via electronic medical record review. The authors performed Fisher’s exact test and independent Student t-tests for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Univariate regression analysis was performed to determine odds ratios. A multivariable regression analysis was performed for those factors with p < 0.10 or large effect sizes (OR ≥ 2.0 or ≤ 0.50) by univariate analysis. The STROBE guidelines for observational studies were followed.

RESULTS

A total of 59 adult patients were included. Most patients were female (78.0%), and the mean body mass index was 32.2 (± 9.0). Almost one-third (30.5%) of patients had a syrinx on preoperative imaging. All patients underwent expansile duraplasty, of which 47 (79.7%) were from autologous pericranium. Arachnoid opening for fourth ventricular inspection was performed in 26 (44.1%) cases. CSF-related complications were identified in 18 (30.5%) of cases. Thirteen (22.0%) patients required readmission and 11 (18.6%) required intervention such as wound revision (n = 5), wound revision with CSF diversion (n = 4), CSF diversion alone (n = 1), or blood patch (n = 1). Three (5.1%) patients required permanent CSF diversion. Male sex (OR 3.495), diabetes mellitus (OR 0.249), tobacco use (OR 2.53), body mass index more than 30 (OR 2.45), preoperative syrinx (OR 1.733), autologous duraplasty (OR 0.331), and postoperative steroids (OR 2.825) were included in the multivariable analysis. No factors achieved significance by univariate or multivariable analysis (all p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The authors report a single-center, retrospective experience of posterior fossa decompression for 59 adults with CM-I. No perioperative or technical features were found to affect the CSF-related complication rate. More standardized practices within centers are necessary to better delineate the true risk factors and potential protective factors against CSF-related complications.

In Neurosurgical Focus Volume 54 (2023): Issue 3 (Mar 2023): Management of Chiari Malformation and Craniocervical Anomalies

Free access

Intraoperative neuromonitoring for pediatric Chiari decompression: when is it useful?

Rajeev D. Sen, Vicente Martinez, Jessica Eaton, Robert N. Holdefer, and Richard G. Ellenbogen

OBJECTIVE

Surgical treatment for symptomatic Chiari I malformation involves surgical decompression of the craniovertebral junction. Given the proximity of critical brainstem structures, intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is employed for safe decompression in some institutions. However, IONM adds time and cost to the operation, and the benefit to the patient has not been defined. Given the diversity in surgical practices, there is no evidence-based standard of care regarding when to use IONM and which modalities are most helpful. The purpose of this study was to review a single-surgeon experience with IONM in order to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of various IONM modalities routinely used in pediatric Chiari I decompression; to examine the associations between patient, clinical, and radiographic characteristics and IONM alerts; and to obtain data regarding the usefulness of these modalities during the surgical process to improve patient outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed for 300 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent suboccipital craniectomy and C1 laminectomy for Chiari decompression performed by a single surgeon over a 15-year period. Clinical, radiographic, and IONM data were collected. Radiographic measurements of the skull base morphological abnormalities, including clival angle, Chamberlain’s line, and Grabb-Oakes line, were compared between patients with and without true IONM signal changes.

RESULTS

A total of 291 cases were included, with an age range of 6 months to 19 years. Among 291 cases, somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were monitored in 291, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in 209, cranial nerve spontaneous electromyography (sEMG) in 290, and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in 110. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, respectively, were as follows: 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, and 1.00 for SSEPs; 1.00, 0.99, 0.67, and 1.00 for MEPs; 0.00, 0.88, 0.00, and 1.00 for sEMG; and not appliable, 1.00, not applicable, and 1.00 for BAEPs. Six patients had true IONM signal changes. These patients had radiographic evidence of more severe concomitant craniocervical instability and basilar invagination, with steeper clival angles (124° vs 146°, p = 0.02) and larger Grabb-Oakes lines (10.1 mm vs 6.7 mm, p = 0.02), when compared with the patients without any true IONM changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative neuromonitoring may be best utilized for patients who show radiographic features of abnormal skull base morphology, defined as a clival angle < 135° or Grabb-Oakes line > 9 mm. When IONM is employed, SSEP and MEP monitoring are the most useful modalities.

In Neurosurgical Focus Volume 54 (2023): Issue 3 (Mar 2023): Management of Chiari Malformation and Craniocervical Anomalies

Free access

Introduction. Stability and motion: addressing the pathology of Chiari malformation and craniocervical junction

David D. Limbrick Jr., Douglas L. Brockmeyer, Atul Goel, and Jennifer M. Strahle

In Neurosurgical Focus Volume 54 (2023): Issue 3 (Mar 2023): Management of Chiari Malformation and Craniocervical Anomalies