UNASSIGNED: Lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy (LRFN) effectively alleviates zygapophyseal joint-mediated pain by coagulating medial branch nerves to disrupt nociceptive signaling pathways. The concomitant denervation of multifidus fibers has led to concern that LRFN may increase segmental instability and accelerate degenerative changes in patients with certain pre-existing spinal pathologies. There is a paucity of literature evaluating whether LRFN increases the progression of spinal curvature in patients with adult scoliosis.
UNASSIGNED: Compare the lumbosacral Cobb angle progression rate in patients with adult scoliosis who underwent LRFN to the annual progression rate of 0.83 ± 1.1° expected by natural history.
UNASSIGNED: Cross-sectional study.
UNASSIGNED: Consecutive patients diagnosed with adult scoliosis who underwent LRFN to treat zygapophyseal joint-related low back pain were identified. Patient demographics, LRFN procedure details, and radiographs confirming scoliosis were collected from electronic medical records. Pre- and post-LRFN radiographs were used to calculate the average annual rate of Cobb angle progression. Data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test and a linear regression model.
UNASSIGNED: Sixty patients (mean age 69.2 ± 11.6 years; 70.0 % female) met the criteria and were included in the analyses. The mean time to radiographic follow-up was 35.0 ± 22.7 months post-LRFN. The average Cobb angle progression was 0.54 ± 3.03° per year and did not differ significantly from the known natural progression rate of 0.83 ± 1.1° per year. None of the included covariates (body mass index, LRFN laterality, and number of levels denervated) were significantly associated with the average annual Cobb angle progression rate.
UNASSIGNED: Our results suggest that LRFN has no appreciable effect on the rate of Cobb angle progression in patients with adult scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Ondansetron, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist, has been proven to be effective in the prevention of spinal-induced hypotension for elective cesarean section.
METHODS: A total of 138 primigravida parturients scheduled for elective cesarean section were randomly assigned to three groups. Groups ONDA4 and ONDA8, respectively, received 4 and 8 mg of ondansetron in 100 mL normal saline, before spinal anesthesia with 1.7 mL ropivacaine 0.75% and 15 mcg of fentanyl, whereas the CONTROL group received an equal volume of normal saline. Noninvasive blood pressure and heart rate were recorded upon arrival, before and after spinal injection, and thereafter every minute for a time period of 10 minutes along with total doses of phenylephrine (mcg) or ephedrine (mg). Time required for the spinal anesthesia to achieve a sensory and motor block at the T4 level and Bromage 3 scale respectively, as well as to regress to the T7 level and a Bromage 1 scale were noted. Maternal nausea/vomiting or shivering, umbilical artery pH, and neonatal Apgar score at 1 and 5 min were also recorded.
RESULTS: There were no differences between groups in systolic, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate (p=0.355, p=0.550, p=0.474 respectively), doses of phenylephrine or ephedrine, (p=0.920, p=0.142 respectively), time for the block to reach T4 (p=0.889) and Bromage scale 3 (p=0.269), or to regress to T7 (p=0.273) and Bromage scale 1 (p=0.392), the incidence of nausea/vomiting (p=0.898/p=0.365), umbilical artery pH (p=0.739), neonatal Apgar score at 1 and 5 min (p=0.936 and p=0.907 respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed no significant effect of two different doses of ondansetron, in preventing maternal hypotension, following spinal anesthesia with ropivacaine for cesarean section.

Background and objectives Spinal anesthesia stands as a cornerstone for patients undergoing lower segment cesarean section (LSCS), offering advantages like faster onset and high block density. Levobupivacaine, known for its high potency and long-acting nature, has a slower onset. The safety of intrathecal fentanyl or midazolam is evaluated as an adjuvant to levobupivacaine in parturients. This study aims to compare the duration of postoperative analgesia provided by fentanyl or midazolam added to 0.5% hyperbaric levobupivacaine in elective cesarean sections. Secondary objectives include evaluating the onset and duration of sensory and motor blockade and the incidence of nausea and vomiting. Identifying the more effective adjuvant will help optimize spinal anesthesia protocols, improve postoperative outcomes, and enhance patient comfort and recovery. Methods This study was conducted at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chennai, India, over six months (May 1, 2023, to October 1, 2023). A total of 90 patients undergoing elective LSCS received spinal anesthesia in a prospective randomized double-blinded controlled trial. Patients were allocated to three groups: Group A received levobupivacaine with fentanyl, Group B received levobupivacaine with midazolam, and Group C received levobupivacaine with normal saline. Block characteristics, postoperative analgesia, hemodynamic stability, and complications were assessed. Assessments were conducted at specified time points: intraoperatively, every five minutes for the first 30 minutes, every 10 minutes for the next hour, every two hours for six hours, and every four hours up to 24 hours postoperatively. Statistical analysis utilized one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results Group B (levobupivacaine with midazolam) exhibited a shorter time to sensory block onset (88 seconds) compared to Groups A and C (both 145 seconds) (p < 0.001). Group A (levobupivacaine with fentanyl) showed a shorter time to maximum motor block (p = 0.045) than Groups B and C. The sensory block duration was significantly longer in Group A (127.5 minutes) compared to Group B (60 minutes) and Group C (69 minutes) (p < 0.001). Motor block duration was also prolonged in Group A (251 minutes) compared to Group B (147 minutes) and Group C (177 minutes) (p = 0.045). The first analgesic requirement was delayed in Group A (248 minutes), whereas Groups B (115 minutes) and C (90 minutes) (p < 0.001) required more frequent analgesia. Group A experienced a higher incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Conclusion Midazolam accelerated sensory block onset, while fentanyl prolonged anesthesia duration without significantly affecting motor block. Fentanyl delayed the first analgesic requirement, whereas midazolam reduced postoperative nausea, vomiting, and shivering.

BACKGROUND: Spinal anesthesia (SA) is a conventional method for proper nerve block in abdominopelvic and lower extremity surgeries. Compared to general anesthesia, SA has reduced perioperative complications significantly. The hyperbaric type of bupivacaine hydrochloride (HB) induces spinal anesthesia more efficiently with a lower incidence of life-threatening adverse reactions like Perioperative hemodynamic changes and respiratory depression. More investigations are needed to define the best dosage that provides adequate anesthesia while reducing adverse effects for each surgical procedure.
METHODS: This double-blinded randomized clinical trial compared the consequences of the (12.5mg,15mg,20mg) dosages of HB-bupivacaine in elective lower limb orthopedic surgery. Using block randomization, we allocated 60 participants to three (n = 20) study groups. Utilizing the same protocol of anesthesia induction, outcome variables assumed and measured as the incidence of the adverse effects (Hypotension, Anxiety, Bradycardia, Nausea and Vomiting(N/V), Hypoventilation, and Decreased o2 saturation), and the requirement for intervention to control the unwanted reaction. Addressing that, outcome variables were measured 10 times perioperatively. One-way ANOVA test, the chi2 test, or repeated measures ANOVA test with the Bonferroni adjustment were utilized as appropriate.
RESULTS: We found that the incidence of hypotension (P-value:0.02) and the N/V (P-value < 0.001) are associated with the HB-bupivacaine dosage. Contrary, our findings indicate that the incidence of apnea, bradycardia, and hypoventilation did not exhibit a significant dose-dependent pattern between the groups. Repeated measures analysis revealed significant intergroup differences for Herat rate, systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure (group*time Pvalue < 0.001). The observed differences were more prominent 10-30 min after injection of HB-bupivacaine. The regression model claimed that gender (P-value:0.002) and drug dosage (P-value:0.03) significantly predict the incidence of adverse effects.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results, suggest that the administration of the 12.5mg HB-bupivacaine provides adequate anesthesia while minimizing the risk of adverse events for lower limb orthopedic surgeries lasting up to 180 min.
BACKGROUND: The study was registered at the Clinical Trial Registry Center (IRCT20160202026328N7), Registered on 2022.01.10.

UNASSIGNED: Spinal involvement is a common but serious complication of human brucellosis. However, information on the risk factors associated with spinal involvement in individuals with brucellosis is limited.
UNASSIGNED: This retrospective case-control study aimed to determine the potential risk factors associated with spinal complications in inpatients with brucellosis.
UNASSIGNED: During the study period, brucellosis was diagnosed in 377 patients, of whom 108 (28.64%) showed spinal involvement. Those with spinal involvement were significantly older than patients in the control group (mean age [standard deviation], 53.25 [10.48] vs 43.12 [13.84] years, respectively; P < .001). The diagnostic delays were significantly longer in patients with spinal involvement than in the control group (mean delay [standard deviation], 11.17 [13.55] vs 6.03 [8.02] weeks; P = .001). Age >40 years (odds ratio, 5.42 [95% confidence interval, 2.65-11.05]; P < .001) and diagnostic delay >4 weeks (2.94 [1.62-5.35]; P < .001) were independently associated with spinal involvement in brucellosis. The lumbar spine at the L3-5 level was the most affected (152 of 249 [61.04%]). Back pain (92 of 108 in case patients vs 21 of 108 in controls; P < .001) and splenomegaly (23 vs 42 of 108, respectively; P = .005) differed significantly between the 2 groups.
UNASSIGNED: Age >40 years and diagnostic delay >4 weeks increased the risk of spinal involvement in brucellosis. Therefore, the time from symptom onset to diagnosis should be shortened, using effective measures to reduce spinal involvement risk.

BACKGROUND: Retrospective studies suggest that spinal movement disorders, especially tonic spasms, are prevalent in NMOSD. However, there have been no prospective studies evaluating spinal movement disorders in NMOSD, MOGAD, and idiopathic transverse myelitis (ITM).
METHODS: Patients referred to a tertiary neuroimmunology clinic for spinal cord demyelination (excluding MS) were evaluated. All patients answered a movement disorders survey and underwent a movement disorder-focused exam. Movement disorders were compared among patients with NMOSD with and without AQP4-IgG, MOGAD, and ITM. Patients with and without involuntary movements were also compared to identify predictors of spinal movement disorders.
RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were evaluated from 2017 to 2021 (71% females, median age 49 years, range 18-72 years, median disease duration 12 months, range 1-408). Of the total, 49% had ITM, 21% had NMOSD without AQP4-IgG, 19% had NMOSD with AQP4-IgG, and 11% had MOGAD. Movement disorders were present in 73% of the total patients and were most frequent in NMOSD with AQP4-IgG (92%) and least frequent in MOGAD (57%). The most frequent spinal movement disorders were tonic spasms (57%), focal dystonia (25%), spinal tremor (16%), spontaneous clonus (9.5%), secondary restless limb syndrome (9.5%), and spinal myoclonus (8%). Multivariate analysis showed that longitudinally extensive myelitis and AQP4-IgG are independent risk factors for the development of spinal movement disorders, while MOG-IgG and African American race were associated with a lower risk of developing these movement disorders.
CONCLUSIONS: Spinal movement disorders are highly prevalent in non-MS demyelinating disorders of the spinal cord. Prevalence rates exceed those reported in MS and retrospective NMOSD studies.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide, with approximately 10 million cases annually. Focus has been on pulmonary TB, while extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) has received little attention. Diagnosis of EPTB remains challenging due to the invasive procedures required for sample collection. Spinal TB (STB) accounts for 10% of EPTB and often leads to lifelong debilitating disease due to devastating spinal deformation and compression of neural structures. Little is known about the extent of disease, although both isolated STB and a disseminated form of STB have been described. In our Spinal TB X cohort study, we aim to describe the clinical phenotype of STB using whole-body 18FDG-PET/CT, identify a specific gene expression profile for different stages of dissemination and compare findings to previously described gene expression signatures for latent and active pulmonary TB.
METHODS: A single-centre, prospective cohort study will be established to describe the distributional pattern of STB detected by whole-body 18FDG-PET/CT and gene expression profile of patients with suspected STB on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at point of diagnosis, six months, and 12 months. Blood biobanking will be performed at these time points. Specimens for microbiology will be obtained from sputum/urine, from easily accessible sites of disease (e.g., lymph nodes, abscess) identified in the first 18FDG-PET/CT, from CT-guided biopsy and/or surgery. Clinical parameters and functional scores will be collected at every physical visit. Data will be entered into RedCap® database; data cleaning, validation and analysis will be performed by the study team. The University of Cape Town Ethics Committee approved the protocol (243/2022).
CONCLUSIONS: The Spinal TB X cohort study is the first prospective cohort study using whole-body 18FDG-PET/CT scans in patients with microbiologically confirmed spinal tuberculosis. Dual imaging techniques of the spine using 18FDG-PET/CT and magnetic resonance imaging as well as tissue diagnosis (microbiology and histopathology) will allow us to develop a virtual biopsy model. If successful, a distinct gene-expression profile will aid in blood-based diagnosis (point of care testing) as well as treatment monitoring and would lead to earlier diagnosis of this devastating disease.
BACKGROUND: The study has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05610098).

BACKGROUND:  Sequential combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA) is probably the greatest advancement in the central neuraxial block in this decade for geriatric patients due to the potential advantages of both spinal and epidural anesthesia. This study was designed to compare the clinical effects of sequential CSEA versus spinal and epidural anesthesia in geriatric patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).
METHODS:  Ninety patients aged 65 to 80 years were randomly allocated into three groups of 30 each. Group A (n=30) patients were administered spinal anesthesia with 2.5 ml of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine, group B (n=30) received epidural anesthesia with 15 ml of 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine, and group C (n=30) received sequential CSEA with 1 ml of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine and 6 ml of 0.5% isobaric bupivacaine given through epidural route to extend the block up to T10. Patients were observed for hemodynamic parameters, sensory and motor block, total dose required to establish the desired level, and patient satisfaction score.
RESULTS: None of the patients were excluded in the study. Group A patients reported rapid onset of sensory block (3.08±11.57 minutes) compared to group B (11.57±1.48 minutes), and group C (5.47±1.25 minutes). The onset of motor block was expeditious in group A (8.08±1.0 minutes) compared to group B (20.33±1.86 minutes) and group C (15.53±1.31 minutes). Patients in group B had maximum hemodynamic stability but with delayed onset and were technically more complex than group A. Patients in group C were hemodynamically more stable than group A. They had a faster onset of action with decreased doses of local anesthetic drug required compared to group B.
CONCLUSIONS: Sequential CSEA is a safe, effective, and reliable technique that combines the advantages of both spinal and epidural while minimizing their disadvantages. It has the advantage of stable hemodynamic parameters along with the provision of prolongation analgesia for geriatric patients undergoing TURP surgery.

UNASSIGNED: Spinal anesthesia is considered to be the safest method of anesthesia for cesarean sections in patients with preeclampsia. Patients with preeclampsia are at an increased risk of experiencing severe hypotension following spinal anesthesia, which could have more profound and deleterious effects on both the fetus and the mother. However, bupivacaine, the most commonly used drug, can induce severe hypotension even at low doses. The purpose of this study is to minimize post-spinal hypotension in both the mother and the fetus.
UNASSIGNED: To determine and compare the reduction in hypotension following spinal anesthesia in patients with preeclampsia between the ropivacaine and bupivacaine groups.
UNASSIGNED: In a randomized clinical trial, a total of 90 parturients with preeclampsia undergoing spinal anesthesia were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 groups: One receiving ropivacaine and the other receiving bupivacaine. The dose of spinal ropivacaine was 15 mg of a 0.5% solution, and the dose of bupivacaine was also 15 mg of a 0.5 % solution. Hemodynamic parameters, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, were recorded following the administration of spinal anesthesia. Pain scores and the time until the return of motor movement were also documented.
UNASSIGNED: For statistical analysis, the t-test, Chi-square, and ANOVA tests were utilized to compare the groups. Demographic variables, including maternal age, gestational age, parity, and gravidity, were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The trend of mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly lower in the bupivacaine group compared to the ropivacaine group at all measured time points in the study (P < 0.05). The amount of ephedrine used after spinal anesthesia was significantly different at 2 and 4 minutes in the ropivacaine group compared to the bupivacaine group (P = 0.012, P = 0.025). Post-operative pain scores at 1 hour in recovery were not significantly different between the ropivacaine and bupivacaine groups (P = 0.015). The time to knee movement was also significantly shorter in the ropivacaine group compared to the bupivacaine group (P < 0.001).
UNASSIGNED: Ropivacaine reduces the incidence of hypotension in spinal anesthesia compared to bupivacaine for cesarean section in patients with preeclampsia. This is attributed to a lower occurrence of spinal-induced hypotension, improved hemodynamic control, reduced ephedrine usage, and faster patient ambulation. A future study could focus on investigating different dosages of both drugs with a larger number of participants.

UNASSIGNED: Ondansetron reduces the median effective dose (ED50) of prophylactic phenylephrine to prevent spinal-induced hypotension (SIH) during cesarean delivery. However, the exact dose response of phenylephrine in combination with prophylactic ondansetron for preventing SIH is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the dose-response of phenylephrine to prevent SIH in cesarean delivery when 4 mg of ondansetron was used as a preventive method.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 80 parturients were enrolled and divided randomly into four groups (n = 20 in each group) who received either 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5 μg/kg/min of prophylactic phenylephrine. Ten minutes before the initiation of spinal induction, 4 mg prophylactic ondansetron was administered. The effective dose of prophylactic phenylephrine was defined as the dose required to prevent hypotension after the period of intrathecal injection and up to neonatal delivery. The ED50 and ED90 of prophylactic phenylephrine and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using probit analysis.
UNASSIGNED: The ED50 and ED90 for prophylactic phenylephrine to prevent SIH were 0.25 (95% CI, 0.15 to 0.30), and 0.45 (95% CI, 0.39 to 0.59) μg/kg/min, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the side effects and neonatal outcomes between the four groups.
UNASSIGNED: The administration of 4 mg of prophylactic ondansetron was associated with an ED50 of 0.25 (95% CI, 0.15~0.30) and ED90 of 0.45 (95% CI, 0.39~0.59) μg/kg/min for phenylephrine to prevent SIH.