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Academic career progression in AANS/CNS Spine Section award recipients

Aladine A. Elsamadicy, Josiah J. Z. Sherman, Samuel Craft, Michael Virk, Benjamin D. Elder, Christopher M. Bonfield, Laura A. Snyder, Wilson Z. Ray, Kristen E. Jones, and Won Hyung A. Ryu

OBJECTIVE

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Joint Spine Section awards highlight outstanding abstracts submitted to the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves by trainees interested in spine surgery, although the academic trajectory of awardees has not been studied. The aim of this study was to assess the academic career progression of prior recipients of the Journalistic and Academic Neurosurgical Excellence (JANE), Mayfield, and Kuntz research awards.

METHODS

Prior JANE, Mayfield, and Kuntz award recipients were identified using awardee records accrued between 1984 and February 2022. Awardee sex, country of residence, specialty, subspecialty focus, and current academic appointment status (if applicable) were searched online. Awardee h-indices and number of peer-reviewed publications were assessed via Google Scholar profiles (or Scopus if unavailable) and PubMed, respectively. Receipt of federal research funding as principal investigator (PI) was determined using the websites of the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. The abstract-to-publication rate was assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 7 JANE awards, 57 Mayfield awards, and 149 Kuntz awards were identified. Of the JANE awardees, all recipients were male. Of the 4 unique JANE awardees who completed training, 2 (50.0%) held academic appointments at the time of the study. All of the JANE abstracts were published in peer-reviewed journals. The mean h-index of all JANE awardees was 28 and the mean number of publications was 126. None of the awardees have received federal research funding. Of the Mayfield awards, 98.2% were awarded to males. Of the 43 unique Mayfield awardees who completed training, 20 (46.5%) held faculty appointments at academic medical centers. All of the Mayfield abstracts since 2011 were published in peer-reviewed journals. The mean h-index of all Mayfield awardees was 26 and the mean number of publications was 82. Five Mayfield awardees received National Institutes of Health funding as PI, and 7 awardees received Department of Defense funding as PI. Of the Kuntz awards, 95.3% were awarded to males. Most awards were given to current residents and fellows (46.3%). Of the 55 unique Kuntz awardees who completed training, 31 (56.4%) held faculty appointments at academic medical centers. The abstract-to-publication rate of the total Kuntz abstracts was 70.5%. The mean h-index of all Kuntz awardees was 15 and the mean number of publications was 58. Five Kuntz awardees (3.4%) received federal research funding as PI.

CONCLUSIONS

Many recipients of the JANE, Mayfield, and Kuntz Joint Spine Section awards have successfully translated award abstracts into peer-reviewed publications. Furthermore, approximately one-third of the awardees are active in academic neurosurgery, with some having secured federal research funding.

In Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine Publish Before Print

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Analysis of visual impairment score in a series of 48 tuberculum sellae meningiomas operated on via the endoscopic endonasal approach

Ilaria Bove, Domenico Solari, Manuel Colangelo, Gianluca Lorenzo Fabozzi, Felice Esposito, Fausto Tranfa, Paolo Cappabianca, and Luigi Maria Cavallo

OBJECTIVE

Tuberculum sellae meningioma (TSM) represents a complex skull base tumor. The primary goals of surgical treatment are represented by maximal safe resection and visual recovery; therefore, appropriate patient selection is critical to optimize results. In the last 2 decades, the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) has appeared as a successful and viable strategy for the management of these tumors. The authors identified preoperative factors associated with extent of resection and visual outcome after EEA for TSM.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, the authors analyzed patients who underwent extended endoscopic endonasal surgery for TSM between January 2005 and April 2022 at the Division of Neurosurgery, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy. Tumor size, vessel encasement, and optic canal involvement were classified according to University of California, San Francisco, score. Visual acuity and visual fields were analyzed according to the visual impairment score (VIS), defined as a four-level classification: grade 1 (VIS 0–25), grade 2 (VIS 26–50), grade 3 (VIS 51–75), and grade 4 (VIS 76–100). Ophthalmological functions were tested preoperatively and during the early postoperative period (within 6 months after surgery) and late postoperative period.

RESULTS

A total of 48 patients were enrolled. Forty-one (85.4%) patients experienced blurred vision or visual field defect as a presenting sign. Gross-total resection was achieved in 40 (83.3%), near-total resection in 2 (4.2%), and subtotal resection in 6 (12.5%). Visual defect improved in 82.9% (34/41) of cases, 12.2% (5/41) had no significant changes, and 2.4% (1/41) had worsened visual defect. The mean change in VIS was 42% (95% CI 58.77–31.23). Visual outcome was poorer when preoperative VIS (VIS-pre) was greater than 25 (p = 0.02). Six postoperative CSF leaks occurred (12.5%), and 1 patient (2.1%) required revision surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The EEA is a safe and effective approach for TSM removal, with the advantage of preserving optic apparatus vascularization, and can promote gross-total resection and visual improvement. The authors have defined four categories based on VIS that relate to postoperative outcome: the lower the VIS-pre, the higher the rate of postoperative VIS improvement. This finding may be useful for predicting a patient’s visual outcome at the preoperative stage.

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

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Assistance amidst air alerts and angst: Ukraine unbroken

Eisha Christian, Myroslava Romach, and James T. Rutka

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

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Combined endovascular and skull base surgical management of pediatric craniocervical pathology: a case series

Jonathan P. Scoville, Matthew C. Findlay, Evan Joyce, Nikita Alexiades, Elena Kurudza, Philipp Taussky, and Douglas L. Brockmeyer

OBJECTIVE

Pathological bony abnormalities of the craniocervical region in children sometimes require surgical intervention as part of their management. Rarely, abnormal skeletal or vascular anatomy can render traditional surgical techniques ineffective because of the risk of injury to the vertebral artery. To mitigate these risks, a combined endovascular and skull base approach was devised. The authors describe their experience using vertebral artery sacrifice as an adjunctive surgical method to reduce the risk of inadvertent vertebral artery injury during surgical correction of pediatric craniocervical deformity.

METHODS

Three patients underwent vertebral artery sacrifice for structural craniocervical pathologies (1 male, 2 females; ages 12, 14, and 3 years). One patient presented with basilar invagination odontogenic brainstem compression, and the other 2 patients presented with congenital cervical fusion. All patients underwent endovascular left vertebral artery sacrifice after passing balloon test occlusion.

RESULTS

No adverse effects from the vertebral artery sacrifice were observed. At the last follow-ups (35, 30, and 32 months), all 3 patients had a satisfactory outcome with no adverse effects as a result of their sacrificed artery.

CONCLUSIONS

Endovascular vertebral artery sacrifice followed by skull base approaches can be used to effectively and safely treat craniocervical pathology from a variety of pediatric skeletal abnormalities.

In Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics Publish Before Print

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Evaluation of spatial precision and accuracy of cone-beam CT using an in vitro phantom model

Leonardo Favi Bocca, Jakov Tiefenbach, Claire Sonneborn, Olivia Hogue, Kristina Dorn, Tracy Painter, Ricardo S. Centeno, Kenneth B. Baker, and Andre G. Machado

OBJECTIVE

High accuracy and precision are essential in stereotactic neurosurgery, as targeting errors can significantly affect clinical outcomes. Image registration is a vital step in stereotaxis, and understanding the error associated with different image registration methods is important to inform the choice of equipment and techniques in stereotactic neurosurgery. The authors aimed to quantify the test-retest reliability and stereotactic accuracy of cone-beam CT (CBCT) compared with the current clinical gold-standard technique (i.e., CT).

METHODS

Two anthropomorphic phantom models with 40 independent unique steel spheres were developed to compare CBCT frame and stereotactic space registration with the clinical gold standard (CT). The cartesian coordinates of each sphere were compared between the imaging modalities for test-retest reliability and overall accuracy.

RESULTS

Both imaging modalities showed similar levels of fiducial deviation from the expected geometry. The equivalence test demonstrated mean differences between CT and CBCT registration of −0.082 mm (90% CI −0.27 to 0.11), −0.045 mm (90% CI −0.43 to 0.34), and −0.041 mm (90% CI −0.064 to 0.018) for coordinates in the x-, y-, and z-axes, respectively. The mean euclidean distance difference between the two modalities was 0.28 mm (90% CI 0.27–0.29).

CONCLUSIONS

Accuracy and precision were comparable between CBCT and CT image registrations. These findings suggest that CBCT registration can be used as a clinically equivalent substitute to gold-standard CT acquisition.

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

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Infragalenic triangle as a gateway to dorsal midbrain and posteromedial thalamic lesions: descriptive and quantitative analysis of microsurgical anatomy

Sahin Hanalioglu, Muhammet Enes Gurses, Giancarlo Mignucci-Jiménez, Nicolas I. González-Romo, Ethan A. Winkler, Mark C. Preul, and Michael T. Lawton

OBJECTIVE

Anatomical triangles provide neurosurgeons with the specificity required to access deep targets, supplementing more general instructions, such as craniotomy and approach. The infragalenic triangle (IGT), bordered by the basal vein of Rosenthal (BVR), precentral cerebellar vein (PCV), and the quadrangular lobule of the cerebellum, is one of a system of anatomical triangles recently introduced to guide dissection to brainstem cavernous malformations and has not been described in detail. This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the anatomical parameters of the IGT and present key nuances for its microsurgical use.

METHODS

A midline supracerebellar infratentorial (SCIT) approach through a torcular craniotomy was performed on 5 cadaveric heads, and the IGT was identified in each specimen bilaterally. Anatomical measurements were obtained with point coordinates collected using neuronavigation. Three cadaveric brains were used to illustrate relevant brainstem anatomy, and 3D virtual modeling was used to simulate various perspectives of the IGT through different approach angles. In addition, 2 illustrative surgical cases are presented.

RESULTS

The longest edge of the IGT was the lateral edge formed by the BVR (mean ± SD length 19.1 ± 2.3 mm), and the shortest edge was the medial edge formed by the PCV (13.9 ± 3.6 mm). The mean surface area of the IGT was 110 ± 34.2 mm2 in the standard exposure. Full expansion of all 3 edges (arachnoid dissection, mobilization, and retraction) resulted in a mean area of 226.0 ± 48.8 mm2 and a 2.5-times increase in surface area exposure of deep structures (e.g., brainstem and thalamus). Thus, almost the entire tectal plate and its relevant safe entry zones can be exposed through an expanded unilateral IGT except for the contralateral inferior colliculus, access to which is usually hindered by PCV tributaries. Exposure of bilateral IGTs may be required to resect larger midline lesions to increase surgical maneuverability or to access the contralateral pulvinar.

CONCLUSIONS

The IGT provides a safe access route to the dorsal midbrain and reliable intraoperative guidance in the deep and complex anatomy of the posterior tentorial incisura. Its potential for expansion makes it a versatile anatomical corridor not only for intrinsic brainstem lesions but also for tumors and vascular malformations of the pineal region, dorsal midbrain, and posteromedial thalamus.

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

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Intraoperative application and early experience with novel high-resolution, high-channel-count thin-film electrodes for human microelectrocorticography

Hao Tan, Angelique C. Paulk, Brittany Stedelin, Daniel R. Cleary, Caleb Nerison, Youngbin Tchoe, Erik C. Brown, Andrew Bourhis, Samantha Russman, Jihwan Lee, Karen J. Tonsfeldt, Jimmy C. Yang, Hongseok Oh, Yun Goo Ro, Keundong Lee, Mehran Ganji, Ian Galton, Dominic Siler, Seunggu Jude Han, Kelly L. Collins, Sharona Ben-Haim, Eric Halgren, Sydney S. Cash, Shadi Dayeh, and Ahmed M. Raslan

OBJECTIVE

The study objective was to evaluate intraoperative experience with newly developed high-spatial-resolution microelectrode grids composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), and those composed of platinum nanorods (PtNRs).

METHODS

A cohort of patients who underwent craniotomy for pathological tissue resection and who had high-spatial-resolution microelectrode grids placed intraoperatively were evaluated. Patient demographic and baseline clinical variables as well as relevant microelectrode grid characteristic data were collected. The primary and secondary outcome measures of interest were successful microelectrode grid utilization with usable resting-state or task-related data, and grid-related adverse intraoperative events and/or grid dysfunction.

RESULTS

Included in the analysis were 89 cases of patients who underwent a craniotomy for resection of neoplasms (n = 58) or epileptogenic tissue (n = 31). These cases accounted for 94 grids: 58 PEDOT:PSS and 36 PtNR grids. Of these 94 grids, 86 were functional and used successfully to obtain cortical recordings from 82 patients. The mean cortical grid recording duration was 15.3 ± 1.15 minutes. Most recordings in patients were obtained during experimental tasks (n = 52, 58.4%), involving language and sensorimotor testing paradigms, or were obtained passively during resting state (n = 32, 36.0%). There were no intraoperative adverse events related to grid placement. However, there were instances of PtNR grid dysfunction (n = 8) related to damage incurred by suboptimal preoperative sterilization (n = 7) and improper handling (n = 1); intraoperative recordings were not performed. Vaporized peroxide sterilization was the most optimal sterilization method for PtNR grids, providing a significantly greater number of usable channels poststerilization than did steam-based sterilization techniques (median 905.0 [IQR 650.8–935.5] vs 356.0 [IQR 18.0–597.8], p = 0.0031).

CONCLUSIONS

High-spatial-resolution microelectrode grids can be readily incorporated into appropriately selected craniotomy cases for clinical and research purposes. Grids are reliable when preoperative handling and sterilization considerations are accounted for. Future investigations should compare the diagnostic utility of these high-resolution grids to commercially available counterparts and assess whether diagnostic discrepancies relate to clinical outcomes.

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

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The longitudinal risk of hemorrhage of melanoma brain metastases after Gamma Knife radiosurgery

Sukwoo Hong, Samantha M. Bouchal, Megan M. J. Bauman, Cecile Riviere-Cazaux, Andrew D. Pumford, Paul D. Brown, Elizabeth S. Yan, Scott L. Stafford, Svetomir N. Markovic, Michael J. Link, Terry C. Burns, Ignacio Jusue-Torres, Bruce E. Pollock, and Ian F. Parney

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to analyze the hemorrhagic risk of melanoma brain metastases after Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS).

METHODS

A prospective institutional database was retrospectively queried to identify patients who underwent GKRS for melanoma brain metastases between 1990 and 2021. Lesional hemorrhage was defined as definite or possible based on radiologists’ readings, and severity was graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events.

RESULTS

Two hundred ninety-one patients with 1083 lesions treated in 419 sessions were identified. The mean (± SD) patient age was 60 ± 15 years, and 61% were male. The median follow-up period for overall survival (OS) was 11 (range 0–214) months with 581 patient-years. Definite/possible lesional hemorrhages occurred in 13% of lesions, with grade 3 hemorrhages observed in 4% of lesions. Surgical intervention was required in 2% of cases (5% of patients), and all resected lesions were pathologically consistent with melanoma. A decreased risk of definite/possible lesional hemorrhage was associated with a later time period between 2015 and 2021 (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.266–0.75, p = 0.0021), increased marginal dose (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83–0.99, p = 0.037), antiplatelet use post-GKRS (OR 0.195, 95% CI 0.083–0.46, p < 0.001), and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT; OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.344–0.82, p = 0.0042). After 2015, more patients received anticoagulation, B-Raf proto-oncogene inhibitors, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, and fewer received bevacizumab (p < 0.001). The cumulative risk of lesional hemorrhage was 17%–20% at 36 months from GKRS, with 95%–96% of cases occurring within 12 months. The median patient OS was 11 (95% CI 9–13) months, and multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that antiplatelet agents (hazard ratio [HR] 0.66, 95% CI 0.45–0.96, p = 0.031) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.26–0.48, p < 0.001) were associated with longer OS, while WBRT (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.02–1.81, p = 0.037) and definite/possible hemorrhage (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.04–1.85, p = 0.024) were associated with shorter OS.

CONCLUSIONS

The definite hemorrhage risk of melanoma brain metastases after GKRS was 17% in the first 3 years and 95% of the lesional hemorrhage occurred within the 1st year. Surgical intervention was needed in 5% of patients. Antiplatelet agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors were associated with improved OS, while definite/possible hemorrhage was associated with worse OS.

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

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Malignant primary tumors of scalp with cranial extension: multidisciplinary surgical strategies and outcomes

Kristin M. Huntoon, Rory R. Mayer, Daniel K. Fahim, Saloni Kumar, David M. Adelman, and Ian E. McCutcheon

OBJECTIVE

Malignant cancers arising in the scalp may exhibit calvarial invasion, dural extension, and rarely cerebral involvement. Typically, such lesions require a multidisciplinary approach involving both neurosurgery and plastic surgery for optimal resection and reconstruction. The authors present a retrospective analysis of patients with scalp malignancies who underwent resection and reconstruction.

METHODS

Patients presenting with scalp malignancies (1993–2021, n = 84) who required neurosurgical assistance for tumor resection were prospectively entered into a database. These data were retrospectively reviewed for this case series. The extent of neurosurgical resection was classified into four levels of involvement: scalp (level I), calvarial (level II), dural (level III), or intraparenchymal (level IV). Complications and evidence of local, locoregional, or regional recurrence were documented.

RESULTS

Patients underwent level I (n = 2), level II (n = 61), level III (n = 13), and level IV (n = 8) resections. Pathologies consisted of primarily squamous cell carcinoma (n = 50, 59.5%), basal cell carcinoma (n = 11, 13.1%), and melanoma (n = 9, 10.7%), with infrequent lesions including sarcoma, atypical fibroxanthoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. For cases requiring a cranioplasty, 92.2% were done using titanium mesh and 7.8% with methylmethacrylate. At a mean follow-up of 35.5 ± 45.9 months, the overall survival was 48.8% (n = 41) and recurrence-free survival was 31.0% (n = 43). Scalp-based reconstruction involving plastic surgery was performed in 75 (89.3%) patients. The most commonly used free flap was a latissimus dorsi muscle flap (n = 46, 61.3%). One or more postoperative complications occurred in 21.4% of all patients, the most common being wound dehiscence or delayed wound healing in 13% (n = 11).

CONCLUSIONS

A multidisciplinary approach with aggressive neurosurgical resection is associated with good outcomes in patients with primary malignant scalp tumors, despite invasive disease on presentation. This analysis suggests that aggressive resection (level II and higher) is effective at reducing locoregional recurrence and is not associated with a higher risk of complications relative to resection without craniectomy. As most patients require scalp reconstruction to close the postresection defect, usually with vascularized free tissue transfer, involving a plastic surgeon in the surgical planning and execution is essential.

In Journal of Neurosurgery Publish Before Print

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Medicare procedural costs in ambulatory surgery centers versus hospital outpatient departments for spine surgeries

Vincent P. Federico, James W. Nie, Divesh Sachdev, Timothy J. Hartman, Noe Trevino, Samy Gabriel, Alexander J. Butler, Gregory D. Lopez, Howard S. An, Matthew W. Colman, and Frank M. Phillips

OBJECTIVE

Multiple studies have demonstrated the safety of outpatient spine surgery, with reports of equivalent to improved patient outcomes compared with inpatient procedures. This has resulted in the increased use of outpatient surgery over time. However, there remains a paucity of literature evaluating the difference in costs between ambulatory surgery center (ASC)– and hospital outpatient department (HOPD)–based procedures for Medicare beneficiaries.

METHODS

Publicly available data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services were accessed via the Medicare Procedure Price Lookup tool. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were used to identify spine-specific procedures approved for the outpatient setting by CMS. Procedures were grouped into decompression (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar), fusion/instrumentation (cervical, lumbar, and sacroiliac), and kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty cohorts, as well as an overall cohort. Data regarding total costs, facility fees, surgeon reimbursement, Medicare payments, and patient copayments were extracted for each procedure. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate means and standard deviations. Differences between ASC- and HOPD-associated costs were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test.

RESULTS

Twenty-one individual CPT codes approved by Medicare for the ASC and/or HOPD setting were identified. Decompression procedures were associated with a significantly lower total cost ($4183 ± $411.07 vs $7583.67 ± $410.89, p < 0.001), facility fees ($2998 ± $0 vs $6397 ± $0, p < 0.001), Medicare payments ($3345.75 ± $328.80 vs $6064.75 ± $328.80, p < 0.001), and patient payments ($835.58 ± $82.13 vs $1515.58 ± $82.13, p < 0.001) in ASCs compared with HOPDs. Fusion/instrumentation procedures had significantly lower facility fees ($10,436.6 ± $2347.51 vs $14,161 ± $2147.07, p = 0.044) and Medicare payments ($9501.2 ± $1732.42 vs $13,757 ± $2037.58, p = 0.009) in ASCs, as well as a trend toward lower total costs ($11,876.8 ± $2165.22 vs $15,601.2 ± $2016.06, p = 0.076). Patient payments in the HOPD setting were significantly lower in the fusion/instrumentation cohort ($1843.6 ± $73.42 vs $2374.4 ± $433.48, p = 0.009). In the kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty cohort, there was no statistically significant difference between ASCs and HOPDs, despite lower overall costs in the ASC for all variables. Surgeon fees were the same regardless of setting for all procedures (p > 0.99). When combining decompression, fusion/instrumentation, and kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty CPT codes into a single cohort, ASC setting was associated with significant cost savings in total cost, facility fees, Medicare payments, and patient payments.

CONCLUSIONS

In general, performing spine surgeries in ASCs is associated with cost savings compared with HOPDs. This was demonstrated for decompression and fusion/instrumentation, and kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty Medicare-approved outpatient procedures.

In Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine Publish Before Print