Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Lived Experience-Centred Word Clouds May Improve Research Uncertainty Gathering In Priority Setting Partnerships, Oliver D. Mowforth, Lance Burn, Danyal Z. Khan, Xiaoyu Yang, Sybil R.L. Stacpoole, Toto Gronlund, Lindsay Tetreault, Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan, Michelle L. Starkey, Iwan Sadler, Ellen Sarewitz, Delphine Houlton, Julia Carter, Paige Howard, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, James D. Guest, Bizhan Aarabi, Brian K. Kwon, Shekar N. Kurpad, James Harrop, Jefferson R. Wilson, Robert Grossman, Emma K. Smith, Angus Mcnair, Michael G. Fehlings, Mark R.N. Kotter, Benjamin M. Davies

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: AO Spine RECODE-DCM was a multi-stakeholder priority setting partnership (PSP) to define the top ten research priorities for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). Priorities were generated and iteratively refined using a series of surveys administered to surgeons, other healthcare professionals (oHCP) and people with DCM (PwDCM). The aim of this work was to utilise word clouds to enable the perspectives of people with the condition to be heard earlier in the PSP process than is traditionally the case. The objective was to evaluate the added value of word clouds in the process of defining research uncertainties in National Institute for …

Improving Awareness Could Transform Outcomes In Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [Ao Spine Recode-Dcm Research Priority Number 1], Benjamin M Davies, Oliver Mowforth, Helen Wood, Zahabiya Karimi, Iwan Sadler, Lindsay Tetreault, Jamie Milligan, Jamie R F Wilson, Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan, Julio C Furlan, Yoshiharu Kawaguchi, Manabu Ito, Carl Moritz Zipser, Timothy F Boerger, Alex R. Vaccaro, Rory K J Murphy, Mike Hutton, Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto, Paul A Koljonen, James Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, Shekar N Kurpad, James D Guest, Jefferson R Wilson, Brian K Kwon, Mark R N Kotter, Michael G Fehlings

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Study design: Literature Review (Narrative).

Objective: To introduce the number one research priority for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM): Raising Awareness.

Methods: Raising awareness has been recognized by AO Spine RECODE-DCM as the number one research priority. This article reviews the evidence that awareness is low, the potential drivers, and why this must be addressed. Case studies of success from other diseases are also reviewed, drawing potential parallels and opportunities for DCM.

Results: DCM may affect as many as 1 in 50 adults, yet few will receive a diagnosis and those that do will wait many years for it. This leads …

Optimizing The Application Of Surgery For Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [Ao Spine Recode-Dcm Research Priority Number 10], Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto, Thiago Montenegro, Benjamin M Davies, So Kato, Yoshiharu Kawaguchi, Manabu Ito, Mehmet Zileli, Brian K Kwon, Michael G Fehlings, Paul A Koljonen, Shekar N Kurpad, James D Guest, Bizhan Aarabi, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, Jefferson R Wilson, Mark R N Kotter, James Harrop

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Study design: Literature Review (Narrative).

Objective: To introduce the number 10 research priority for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Individualizing Surgery.

Methods: This article summarizes the current recommendations and indications for surgery, including how known prognostic factors such as injury time, age, disease severity, and associated comorbidities impact surgical outcome. It also considers key areas of uncertainty that should be the focus of future research.

Results: While a small proportion of conservatively managed patients may remain stable, the majority will deteriorate over time. To date, surgical decompression is the mainstay of treatment, able to halt disease progression and improve neurologic function and …

Developing Peri-Operative Rehabilitation In Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [Ao Spine Recode-Dcm Research Priority Number 6]: An Unexplored Opportunity?, Timothy F Boerger, Allison S Hyngstrom, Julio C Furlan, Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan, Armin Curt, Brian K Kwon, Shekar N Kurpad, Michael G Fehlings, James Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, James D Guest, Jefferson R Wilson, Benjamin M Davies, Mark R N Kotter, Paul A Koljonen

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Study design: Narrative review.

Objective: Degenerative cervical myelopathy is one of the most frequent impairments of the spinal cord encountered internationally in adults. Currently, surgical decompression is the recommended treatment for people with DCM (PwCM) presenting with moderate to severe symptoms or neurological deficits. However, despite surgical intervention, not all patients make a complete recovery due to the irreversible tissue damage within the spinal cord. The objective of this review is to describe the state and gaps in the current literature on rehabilitation for PwCM and possible innovative rehabilitation strategies.

Methods: Literature search.

Results: In other neurological disorders such as …

A New Framework For Investigating The Biological Basis Of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [Ao Spine Recode-Dcm Research Priority Number 5]: Mechanical Stress, Vulnerability And Time, Benjamin M Davies, Oliver Mowforth, Aref-Ali Gharooni, Lindsay Tetreault, Aria Nouri, Rana S Dhillon, Josef Bednarik, Allan R Martin, Adam Young, Hitoshi Takahashi, Timothy F Boerger, Virginia Fj Newcombe, Carl Moritz Zipser, Patrick Freund, Paul Aarne Koljonen, Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, Jefferson R Wilson, Shekar N Kurpad, Michael G Fehlings, Brian K Kwon, James Harrop, James D Guest, Armin Curt, Mark R N Kotter

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Study design: Literature Review (Narrative).

Objective: To propose a new framework, to support the investigation and understanding of the pathobiology of DCM, AO Spine RECODE-DCM research priority number 5.

Methods: Degenerative cervical myelopathy is a common and disabling spinal cord disorder. In this perspective, we review key knowledge gaps between the clinical phenotype and our biological models. We then propose a reappraisal of the key driving forces behind DCM and an individual's susceptibility, including the proposal of a new framework.

Results: Present pathobiological and mechanistic knowledge does not adequately explain the disease phenotype; why only a subset of patients with …

Establishing Diagnostic Criteria For Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [Ao Spine Recode-Dcm Research Priority Number 3], Bryn Hilton, Emma L Gardner, Zhilin Jiang, Lindsay Tetreault, Jamie R F Wilson, Carl Moritz Zipser, K Daniel Riew, James D Guest, James Harrop, Michael G Fehlings, Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, Bizhan Aarabi, Paul A Koljonen, Mark R N Kotter, Benjamin M Davies, Brian K Kwon

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Study design: Narrative review.

Objectives: To discuss the importance of establishing diagnostic criteria in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM), including factors that must be taken into account and challenges that must be overcome in this process.

Methods: Literature review summarising current evidence of establishing diagnostic criteria for DCM.

Results: Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM) is characterised by a degenerative process of the cervical spine resulting in chronic spinal cord dysfunction and subsequent neurological disability. Diagnostic delays lead to progressive neurological decline with associated reduction in quality of life for patients. Surgical decompression may halt neurologic worsening and, in many cases, improves function. …

Developing Peri-Operative Rehabilitation In Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [Ao Spine Recode-Dcm Research Priority Number 6]: An Unexplored Opportunity?, Timothy F. Boerger, Allison S. Hyngstrom, Julio C. Furlan, Sukhvinder Klasi-Ryan, Armin Curt, Brian K. Kwon, Shekar N. Kurpad, Michael G. Fehlings, James S. Harrop, Bizhan Aarabi, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar, James D. Guest, Jefferson R. Wilson, Benjamin M. Davies, Mark R. N. Kotter, Paul A. Koljonen

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Study Design

Narrative review.

Objective

Degenerative cervical myelopathy is one of the most frequent impairments of the spinal cord encountered internationally in adults. Currently, surgical decompression is the recommended treatment for people with DCM (PwCM) presenting with moderate to severe symptoms or neurological deficits. However, despite surgical intervention, not all patients make a complete recovery due to the irreversible tissue damage within the spinal cord. The objective of this review is to describe the state and gaps in the current literature on rehabilitation for PwCM and possible innovative rehabilitation strategies.

Methods

Literature search.

Results

In other neurological disorders such as …

The Impact Of Preoperative Neurological Symptom Severity On Postoperative Outcomes In Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy, Gregory R Toci, Jose A Canseco, Brian A Karamian, Michael Chang, Giovanni Grasso, Kristen Nicholson, Emily M Pflug, Glenn S Russo, Daniel Tarazona, I David Kaye, Mark Kurd, Alan S. Hilibrand, Barrett I. Woods, Jeffrey A Rihn, D Greg Anderson, Kris E Radcliff, Christopher K Kepler, Alex R. Vaccaro, Gregory D. Schroeder

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Study design: The study design is a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To compare patient-reported outcomes between patients with mild versus moderate-to-severe myelopathy following surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Summary of background data: Recent studies have demonstrated that decompression for CSM leads to improved quality of life when measured by patient-reported outcomes. However, it is unknown if preoperative myelopathy classification is predictive of superior postoperative improvements.

Materials and methods: A retrospective review of patients treated surgically for CSM at a single institution from 2014 to 2015 was performed. Preoperative myelopathy severity was classified according to the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association …

Re-Code Dcm (Research Objectives And Common Data Elements For Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy): A Consensus Process To Improve Research Efficiency In Dcm, Through Establishment Of A Standardized Dataset For Clinical Research And The Definition Of The Research Priorities, Benjamin M. Davies, Danyal Z. Khan, Oliver D. Mowforth, Angus G.K. Mcnair, Toto Gronlund, Angelos G. Kolias, Lindsay Tetreault, Michelle L. Starkey, Iwan Sadler, Ellen Sarewitz, Delphine Houlton, Julia Carter, Sukhvinder Kalsi-Ryan, Bizhan Aarabi, Brian K. Kwon, Shekar N. Kurpad, James Harrop, Jefferson R. Wilson, Robert Grossman, Armin Curt, Michael G. Fehlings, Mark R.N. Kotter

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Study Design: Mixed-method consensus process.

Objectives: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common and disabling condition that arises when mechanical stress damages the spinal cord as a result of degenerative changes in the surrounding spinal structures. RECODE-DCM (REsearch Objectives and Common Data Elements for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy) aims to improve efficient use of health care resources within the field of DCM by using a multi-stakeholder partnership to define the DCM research priorities, to develop a minimum dataset for DCM clinical studies, and confirm a definition of DCM.

Methods: This requires a multi-stakeholder partnership and multiple parallel consensus development processes. It …

Isolated Ligamentum Flavum Ossification In Primary Hypoparathyroidism, Amir H. Sohail, Muhammad A. A. Maan, Muhammad S. Khan, Qamar Masood

Section of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

Basckground: The ligamenta flava can undergo ossification and calcification resulting in myelopathy. Only seven cases of ligamentumflavum ossification in association with hypoparathyroidism have been reported, most of which had concurrent osseous changes in other spinal ligaments. Here, we report a patient with hypoparathyroidism who presented ith ligamentum flavum ossification causing both cervical and thoracic myelopathy.

Case description: A 43-year-old male presented with backache, urinary retention, and lower limb weakness for the last few days. Magnetic resonance imaging scan showed ossification of the ligamentum flavum in the cervical and thoracic regions, with severe spinal stenosis. Following spinal decompressive surgery, the patient …

C5 Palsy After Cervical Spine Surgery: A Multicenter Retrospective Review Of 59 Cases., Sara E. Thompson, Zachary A. Smith, Wellington K. Hsu, Ahmad Nassr, Thomas E. Mroz, David E. Fish, Jeffrey C. Wang, Michael G. Fehlings, Chadi A. Tannoury, Tony Tannoury, P. Justin Tortolani, Vincent C. Traynelis, Ziya Gokaslan, Alan S. Hilibrand, Robert E. Isaacs, Praveen V. Mummaneni, Dean Chou, Sheeraz A. Qureshi, Samuel K. Cho, Evan O. Baird, Rick C. Sasso, Paul M. Arnold, Zorica Buser, Mohamad Bydon, Michelle J Clarke, Anthony F. De Giacomo, Adeeb Derakhshan, Bruce Jobse, Elizabeth L. Lord, Daniel Lubelski, Eric M. Massicotte, Michael P. Steinmetz, Gabriel A. Smith, Jonathan Pace, Mark Corriveau, Sungho Lee, Peter I. Cha, Dhananjay Chatterjee, Erica L. Gee, Erik N. Mayer, Owen J. Mcbride, Allison K. Roe, Marisa Y. Yanez, D. Alex Stroh, Khoi D. Than, K. Daniel Riew

Rothman Institute Faculty Papers

STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter, retrospective review of C5 palsy after cervical spine surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Postoperative C5 palsy is a known complication of cervical decompressive spinal surgery. The goal of this study was to review the incidence, patient characteristics, and outcome of C5 palsy in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery.

METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective review of 13 946 patients across 21 centers who received cervical spine surgery (levels C2 to C7) between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, inclusive. P values were calculated using 2-sample t test for continuous variables and χ(2) tests or Fisher exact tests for …

Dens Agenesis And Cervical Vertebral Malformation In A Labrador Retriever Puppy, Elisa Salas, Henry E. Cerny, Seth P. Harris

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Cervical vertebral malformations can cause acute or progressive pain, paralysis, and potentially death. Herein we present a case report of dens agenesis; cervical vertebral malformations of C1, C2, C6, and C7; subluxation of C1 and C2 and C4 and C5; and associated degenerative myelopathy in a 5-month-old female Labrador Retriever puppy. We additionally review current knowledge regarding pathogenesis and treatment.

Tandem Spinal Stenosis: A Case Of Stenotic Cauda Equina Syndrome Following Cervical Decompression And Fusion For Spondylotic Cervical Myelopathy, Brian T. Swanson

Articles - Patient Care

Tandem spinal stenosis is a clinical phenomenon which may cause a functional loss related to neurologic compression in numerous areas of the spinal cord. In this phenomenon, the second area of symptomatic neurologic insult is not revealed until the primary symptomatic area has been treated. This case describes a 71-year-old male referred to physical therapy 4 weeks following a combined anterior/posterior C3/4 decompression and fusion for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Approximately 8 weeks post-operatively (4 weeks after initiation of physical therapy), the patient began to complain of bilateral lower extremity weakness, primarily with climbing stairs. At 12 weeks post-operatively, …