A new alarm point of transcranial electrical stimulation motor evoked potentials for intraoperative spinal cord monitoring: a prospective multicenter study from the Spinal Cord Monitoring Working Group of the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research

Clinical article

Sho Kobayashi Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu;

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Yukihiro Matsuyama Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu;

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Kenichi Shinomiya Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yokohama City Minato Red Cross Hospital, Yokohama;

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Shigenori Kawabata Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo;

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Muneharu Ando Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Wakayama Rosai Hospital, Wakayama;

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Tsukasa Kanchiku Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University, Ube;

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Takanori Saito Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kansai Medical University Takii Hospital, Moriguchi;

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Masahito Takahashi Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kyorin University, Tokyo;

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Zenya Ito Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya University, Nagoya;

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Akio Muramoto Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nagoya University, Nagoya;

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Yasushi Fujiwara Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hiroshima City Asa Hospital, Asa;

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Kazunobu Kida Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku;

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Kei Yamada Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume;

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Kanichiro Wada Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki;

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Naoya Yamamoto Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, Yachiyo; and

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Kazuhiko Satomi Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kugayama Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

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Toshikazu Tani Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku;

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Page Range:
102–107
Volume/Issue:
Volume 20: Issue 1
DOI link:
https://doi.org/10.3171/2013.10.SPINE12944
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Object

Although multimodal intraoperative spinal cord monitoring provides greater accuracy, transcranial electrical stimulation motor evoked potential (TcMEP) monitoring became the gold standard for intraoperative spinal cord monitoring. However, there is no definite alarm point for TcMEPs because a multicenter study is lacking. Thus, based on their experience with 48 true-positive cases (that is, a decrease in potentials followed by a new neurological motor deficit postoperatively) encountered between 2007 and 2009, the authors set a 70% decrease in amplitude as the alarm point for TcMEPs.

Methods

A total of 959 cases of spinal deformity, spinal cord tumor, and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) treated between 2010 and 2012 are included in this prospective multicenter study (18 institutions). These institutions are part of the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research monitoring working group and the study group on spinal ligament ossification. The authors prospectively analyzed TcMEP variability and pre- and postoperative motor deficits. A 70% decrease in amplitude was designated as the alarm point.

Results

There were only 2 false-negative cases, which occurred during surgery for intramedullary spinal cord tumors. This new alarm criterion provided high sensitivity (95%) and specificity (91%) for intraoperative spinal cord monitoring and favorable accuracy, except in cases of intramedullary spinal cord tumor.

Conclusions

This study is the first prospective multicenter study to investigate the alarm point of TcMEPs. The authors recommend the designation of an alarm point of a 70% decrease in amplitude for routine spinal cord monitoring, particularly during surgery for spinal deformity, OPLL, and extramedullary spinal cord tumor.

Abbreviations used in this paper:

MEP = motor evoked potential; MMT = manual muscle testing; OPLL = ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament; TcMEP = transcranial electrical stimulation MEP.
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Contributor Notes

Address correspondence to: Sho Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashiku, Hamamatsu City 430-1514, Japan. email: shok@hama-med.ac.jp.

Please include this information when citing this paper: published online November 15, 2013; DOI: 10.3171/2013.10.SPINE12944.

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