Miller's Review Spine Flashcards
Ortho spine review
SPECT CT commonly used to evaluate ___
Spondylolysis. SPECT is a bone scan overlying a CT scan
Most common lumbar levels of spondylosis
L4-5 > L5-S1 > L3-L4
MRI findings in lumbar spondylosis
As the nucleus pulposis degenerates, you get decreased T2 signal in the disc (dark disc disease)
Physical exam maneuvers for discogenic back pain
Straight leg raise with radicular symptoms and femoral stretch with radicular symptoms
1st step in pathway of disc degeneration
Tear in annulus fibrosus
Nerve block for facetogenic back pain
Medial branch of dorsal rami
Most common direction for disc herniations
Posterolateral, adjacent to the stout posterior longitudinal ligament
Most common nerve compressed in lumbar disc herniation?
L5 root. L4-L5 disc herniation is the most common, posterolateral is most common, so it compresses the traversing L5 nerve root (not the exiting L4 nerve root at the L4-L5 level)
What nerve root is likely compressed at this disc herniation at L4-L5?
This is a far lateral herniation that would compress the EXITING nerve root at L4-L5, which is L4.
Indications for operative management in lumbar disc hernation?
Cauda equina, weakness or failure of conservative management. DO NOT FUSE unless they have instability
Indications for fusion with herniatic lumbar disc
Multiple recurrent HNP
Treatment of single recurrent herniated disc?
Microdiscectomy without fusion
Outcomes in far lateral disc herniation treated with Wiltse approach
Not as well as central disc herniation treatment, persistent radiculopathy in some
How does vascular claudication differ from neurogenic claudication
In vascular claudication patients have no pain when standing still, they have pain when walking up a hill (better going uphill in neurogenic, worse going down hill), pain on stationary bike and pain starts in feet (buttock in neurogenic)
Surgical management of lumbar stenosis
Don’t need to fuse unless evidence of instability or severe foraminal stenosis that may render the segment unstable with facet resection
SPORT trial for lumbar stenosis
Surgery did better than non-op group
Pediatric spondylolysis prognosis
If Meyerding grade I or II by skeletal maturity, they do not slip more. Grades III and IV tend to progress.
6 types of spondylolisthesis
Dysplastic (presents ages 4-6 w/high grade slip, kyphosis and neurologic sx), isthmic, degenerative, traumatic, pathologic and iatrogenic
Treatment of high grade dysplastic spondylolisthesis in a child?
Fusion. Can do L5-S1 in situ fusion which leaves residual deformity, but reduces risk to L5 nerve root with reduction of the slip
When do adolescents with low grade isthmic spondylolysis get nerve compression symptoms?
As they age, the disc degenerates and they get “up down” foraminal stenosis
Surgical treatment of adult isthmic spondylolisthesis
Interbody fusion improves rates of fusion
Most common level for degenerative spondylolisthesis
L4-L5
Cause of degenerative spondylolisthesis
Incompetent facet joints lead to spondylolisthesis, compression is usually central or lateral recess
Surgical treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis
Decompression only if <5mm movement on flex-ext views. If unstable, fusion
Most common level for isthmic spondylolisthesis
L5-S1
PVR threshold in cauda equina
<200cc is not cauda equina, >500 = cauda equina, in between we don’t know
Best study to evaluate recurrent HNP
MRI WITH CONTRAST, scar will enhance with contrast, recurrent disc will not light up
Approach with highest risk of nerve root injury in lumbar spine surgery
TLIF approach
% of facet to keep to limit instability when not fusing
Maintain >50% of both facets
What decreases the risk of pseudoarthrosis after lumbar fusion?
Instrumentation
Treatment of post-discectomy diskitis
MRI with contrast, if it lights up in the disc, treatment is IR biopsy and medical management
Key physical exam finding to differentiate thoracic myelopathy from cervical myelopathy
Thoracic myelopathy will have UMN signs in the lower extremities, but not in the upper extremities like cervical myelopathy
Surgical treatment of thoracic myelopathy
May require thoracotomy because you can’t retract to cord at the thoracic level enough to get at the disc space
Indication for operative management of osteodiskitis
Impending mechanical/neurological instability, concomitant epidural abscess, unable to get IR biopsy or failure of full medical management
Continue antibiotics while drains in?
Not indicated
Most common region of spine involved in metastatic disease
Thoracic (70%), lumbar (20%), cervical (10%)
Most commonly involved column in spinal mets?
Anterior column
Next step in patients with an intradural spinal mets
Brain MRI to look for primary lesion causing drop down mets
Treatment of lymphoma in the spine?
Typically non-surgical, it is very radiosensitive
Indications for surgical stabilization of the spine in metastatic disease
Cord compression, unrelenting pain despite max treatment, need for open biopsy, mechanical instability and radio-insensitive tumors (renal cell)
Primary tumors of the spine seen in the posterior elements?
ABC, osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma
Operative management of spine ABC
En bloc resection may not be possible, may need extended curettage and grafting +/- post op XRT if you can’t get it all (worry is that these can dedifferentiate into sarcoma after XRT)
What is your diagnosis?
Hemangioma. The prison bars on the sagittal and polka dots on the axial are characteristic.
Management of vertebral plana in eosinophilic granuloma
Bracing to prevent kyphosis, can do low dose XR; however, vertebrae may reconstitute up to 30%
Most common axial site of giant cell tumor?
Sacrum, then clivus
Treatment of giant cell tumor in the spine?
Excision and bone grafting (has high local recurrence rate), no XRT due to malignant transformation risk
Surgical management of chordoma
Resection and reconstruction, no XRT because it is radioresistant
Most common site of thoracolumbar fractures
T11-L2 where fixed thoracic spine transitions to flexible lumbar spine
Prognosis of sacral sparing spinal cord injury?
Residual sensation around S2-S5 = incomplete cord injury and may get more recovery than a complete ASIA A.
Diagnosis of vertebral compression fractures
Anterior column <50% height loss, middle column intact.
Treatment of VCF
Nonsurgical, kyphoplasty if fail initial non-op management
Diagnosis of burst fracture
Fracture of anterior and middle columns +/- posterior column involvement.
Risk of lamina fracture in burst fracture?
Possible dural tear and nerve entrapment (77%), need to be careful during initial approach
Treatment of burst fracture
If intact neuro and PLC -> bracing/non-op regardless of retropulsion or vertebral height loss. If neuro deficit, fracture dislocation or PLC injury w/progressive kyphosis -> surgery
ASIA classification
A) complete B) sacral sparing C) 50% <3/5 strength D) 50% 3 or more/5 strength E) Normal
Treatment of bony vs. ligamentous chance fracture
Bony = brace in extension. Ligamentous = less likely to heal = surgery
Spine GSW antibiotic indications
No abdominal injury = PO. Solid organ injury = PO abx. Hollow organ injury = IV abx 7-14 days + tetanus.
Indications for operative management in spine GSWs
Abdominal organ injury or progressive neuro deterioration. If bullet is in canal and T12 or above, observe. If below T12 consider removing if residual neuro sx
Spinal cord syndrome with ipsilateral motor loss and contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation? Prognosis?
Brown-Sequard. Best prognosis for ambulation, 99% will regain ambulatory status.
Spinal cord syndrome in elderly with hyperextension and UE involvement > LE.
Central cord
Spinal cord syndrome with associated vascular injury, motor loss, proprioception preserved? Prognosis?
Anterior cord, seen in large aortic reconstructions. Worst prognosis for ambulation.
Spinal cord syndrome with motor intact and loss of proprioception?
Posterior cord syndrome (Tabes dorsalis from syphilis)
Autonomic dysreflexia
Thoracic injury above T5 with severe hypertension, flushing, sweating, blurred vision caused by obstructed urinary catheter or fecal impaction. Can also present after an undiagnosed fracture.
Where should the C7 plumb line fall?
Center of C7 body line should cross T12/L1 junction and posterior corner of L5-S1. Poor balance becomes an issue when 7cm anterior.
What are lumbar lordosis, sacral slope, pelvic tilit and pelvic incidence? Which value is fixed?
Pelvic incidence is a fixed value.
Calculating pelvic incidence
PI = SS + PT
LL – PI goal with deformity correction
Within 10 degrees of each other
PT goal with deformity correction
<25 degrees
SVA target in deformity correction
0 in young patients, more in elderly because it can lead to PJK if at 0
Contraindication for Ponte osteotomy
Non-mobile disc. Correction in this osteotomy happens through the disc, so it wont work if the disc is degenerative. You must do a PSO or VCO in this group.
What parts are removed in a Ponte osteotomy?
½ of the lamina and bilateral superior facets, this will get you 10 degree correction per level