Neurospine

Neurospine provides spine clinicians and researchers with peer-reviewed articles on basic and clinical investigation of spine and spinal cord to enhance patient management, education, clinical or experimental research, and professionalism.

The journal will consider submissions in areas on craniocervical to lumbosacral spine including the followings: neuroscience and pain research, bone and mineral research, disc and joint research, bio and industrial technology, pathophysiology, risk factors, symptomatology, imaging, treatment, rehabilitation of spine, spinal cord and peripheral nerve diseases.

Review Article

March 31, 2020

Gene Therapy Approach for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: An Update

Yoshiki Takeoka, Takashi Yurube, Kotaro Nishida

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):3-14.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is the primary cause of back pain and associated with neurological disorders including radiculopathy, myelopathy, and paralysis. The currently available surgical treatments predominantly include the excision of...

Review Article

March 31, 2020

Wnt3a and wnt5a as Potential Chondrogenic Stimulators for Nucleus Pulposus Cell Induction: A Comprehensive Review

Tibo Nico Emmie Volleman, Jordy Schol, Kosuke Morita, Daisuke Sakai, Masahiko Watanabe

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):19-35.

Low back pain remains a highly prevalent pathology engendering a tremendous socioeconomic burden. Low back pain is generally associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, a process involving the deterioration of...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Correlation of Early Outcomes and Intradiscal Interleukin-6 Expression in Lumbar Fusion Patients

John D. Koerner, Dessislava Z. Markova, Greg D. Schroeder, Christopher L. Antonacci, Joseph Mendelis, Alexander R. Vaccaro, D. Greg Anderson, Chris K. Kepler

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):36-41.

Objective: To determine if there is correlation between intradiscal levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and early outcome measures in patients undergoing lumbar fusion for painful disc degeneration. Methods: Intervertebral disc tissue was...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Direct and Intervertebral DiscMediated Sensitization of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons by Hypoxia and Low pH

Junxuan Ma, Despina Stefanoska, Sibylle Grad, Mauro Alini, Marianna Peroglio

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):42-59.

Objective: Ischemia-related risk factors are consistently correlated with discogenic pain, but it remains unclear how the ischemia-associated hypoxia and acidosis influence the peripheral sensory nervous system, namely the dorsal root...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Actions of Prostaglandins on Human Nucleus Pulposus Metabolism Inferred by Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibition of Cytokine Activated Cells

Nam Vo, Brandon Couch, Joon Lee, Gwendolyn Sowa, James Kang, Studer Rebecca

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):60-68.

Objective: Low back pain is frequently treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but little is known about intervertebral disc metabolism of the prostaglandins that are diminished by these drugs. Hence,...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Rabbit Annulus Fibrosus Cells Express Neuropeptide Y, Which Is Influenced by Mechanical and Inflammatory Stress

Malcolm E. Dombrowski, Adam S. Olsen, Nicholas Vaudreuil, Brandon K. Couch, Qing Dong, Michelle Tucci, Joon Y. Lee, Nam V. Vo, Gwendolyn Sowa

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):69-76.

Objective: Rabbit annulus fibrosus (AF) cells were exposed to isolated or combined mechanical and inflammatory stress to examine the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY). This study aims to explore the...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Exogenous Stimulation of Human Intervertebral Disc Cells in 3-Dimensional Alginate Bead Culture With BMP2 and L51P: Cytocompatibility and Effects on Cell Phenotype

Rahel D. May, Daniela A. Frauchiger, Christoph E. Albers, Willy Hofstetter, Benjamin Gantenbein

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):77-87.

Objective: Spinal fusion surgery is a common treatment modality for various pathologic conditions of the spine. The bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) analogue L51P acts as a general inhibitor of...

Review Article

March 31, 2020

Robotic Spine Surgery and Augmented Reality Systems: A State of the Art

Gianluca Vadalà, Sergio De Salvatore, Luca Ambrosio, Fabrizio Russo, Rocco Papalia, Vincenzo Denaro

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):88-100.

Instrumented spine procedures have been performed for decades to treat a wide variety of spinal disorders. New technologies have been employed to obtain a high degree of precision, to minimize...

Review Article

November 4, 2019

Biomaterials in Spinal Implants: A Review

Andrew Warburton, Steven J. Girdler, Christopher M. Mikhail, Amy Ahn, Samuel K. Cho

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):101-110.

The aim to find the perfect biomaterial for spinal implant has been the focus of spinal research since the 1800s. Spinal surgery and the devices used therein have undergone a...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Telerobotic Spinal Surgery Based on 5G Network: The First 12 Cases

Wei Tian, Mingxing Fan, Cheng Zeng, Yajun Liu, Da He, Qi Zhang

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):114-120.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and feasibility of 5th generation wireless systems (5G) telerobotic spinal surgery in our first 12 cases. Methods: A total of...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Polyetheretherketone Versus Titanium Cages for Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature

Elie Massaad, Nida Fatima, Ali Kiapour, Muhamed Hadzipasic, Ganesh M. Shankar, John H. Shin

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):125-135.

Objective: Lumbar fusion with implantation of interbody cage is a common procedure for treatment of lumbar degenerative disease. This study aims to compare the fusion and subsidence rates of titanium...

Original Article

April 12, 2019

Rigid-Plating and Cortico-Cancellous Allograft Are Effective for 3-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes

Philip K. Louie, Andrew C. Sexton, Danel D. Bohl, Ehsan Tabaraee, Steven M. Presciutti, Benjamin C. Mayo, Justin C. Paul, Comron Saifi, Howard S. An

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):146-155.

Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with radiographic changes and clinical outcomes following 3-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using rigidplate constructs and cortico-cancellous allograft. ACDF has demonstrated...

Original Article

July 5, 2019

Radiological and Clinical Outcomes of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion in Older Patients: A Comparative Analysis of Young-Old Patients (Ages 65–74 Years) and Middle-Old Patients (Over 75 Years)

Chi Hyung Lee, Dong Wuk Son, Su Hun Lee, Jun Seok Lee, Soon Ki Sung, Sang Weon Lee, Geun Sung Song

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):156-163.

Objective: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the most commonly performed procedure for degenerative cervical spondylosis. Because of its relatively low invasiveness and surgical procedure, old age is not...

Original Article

July 9, 2019

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A 7-Letter Coding System That Supports Decision-Making for the Surgical Approach

Luca Papavero, Gregor Schmeiser, Ralph Kothe, Bronek Boszczyk, Oliver Heese, Yoshiharu Kawaguchi, Anna MacDowall, Claes Olerud, Nikolaos Paidakakos, Anastasios Panagiotou, et al.

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):164-171.

Objective: To validate with a prospective study a decision-supporting coding system for the surgical approach for multilevel degenerative cervical myelopathy. Methods: Ten cases were presented on an internet platform, including clinical...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Effect of the Presence and Type of Plate Augmentation on Postoperative Dysphagia Among Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Spondylosis: A Randomized Trial

Tom J. O’Donohoe, Lisa Mililli, Alison Magee, Christopher Thien, Yi Yuen Wang

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):174-183.

Objective: To determine the effect of anterior plating on postoperative dysphagia (POD) among adult patients undergoing elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical spondylosis and determine the potential...

Original Article

February 5, 2020

Evaluation of Postoperative Mental Health Outcomes in Patients Based on Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Physical Function Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Joon S. Yoo, Nathaniel W. Jenkins, James M. Parrish, Thomas S. Brundage, Nadia M. Hrynewycz, Franchesca A. Mogilevsky, Kern Singh

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):184-189.

Objective: To assess the relationship of preoperative physical function, as measured by Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Physical Function (PROMIS PF), to improvement in mental health, as evaluated by Short...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

The Impact of Modic Changes on Preoperative Symptoms and Clinical Outcomes in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Patients

James D. Baker, Garrett K. Harada, Youping Tao, Philip K. Louie, Bryce A. Basques, Fabio Galbusera, Frank Niemeyer, Hans-Joachim Wilke, Howard S. An, Dino Samartzis

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):190-203.

Objective: To assess the impact of Modic changes (MC) on preoperative symptoms, and postoperative outcomes in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of prospectively...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Timing of Surgery in Tubular Microdiscectomy for Lumbar Disc Herniation and Its Effect on Functional Impairment Outcomes

Alessandro Siccoli, Marlies P. de Wispelaere, Marc L. Schröder, Victor E. Staartjes

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):204-212.

Objective: While it has been established that surgery for lumbar disc herniation, excluding emergent indications, should only be performed after weeks of conservative treatment, it has also been established that...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

The Influence of Mechanic Factors in Disc Degeneration Disease as a Determinant for Surgical Indication

Gulden Demirci Otluoğlu, Deniz Konya, Zafer Orkun Toktas

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):215-220.

Objective: Low back pain is the most common reason for physician visit in Western population. It’s one of the factors that affect health-related quality of life. Intervertebral disc degeneration is...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Image-Based Markers Predict Dynamic Instability in Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis

William Slikker III, Alejandro A. Espinoza Orías, Grant D. Shifflett, Joe Y.B. Lee, Krzysztof Siemionow, Sapan Gandhi, Louis Fogg, Dino Samartzis, Nozomu Inoue, Howard S. An

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):221-227.

Objective: To identify possible radiographic predictors markers of dynamic instability including disc height (DH), disc degeneration, and spondylosis in the setting of degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). Methods: A retrospective review with prospectively...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Less Opioid Consumption With Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF): A Comparison to Standard Minimally-Invasive TLIF

Hsuan-Kan Chang, Meng Huang, Jau-Ching Wu, Wen-Cheng Huang, Michael Y. Wang

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):228-236.

Objective: The concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is relatively new to the neurosurgical field. The introduction of an ERAS protocol in lumbar fusion surgery has aimed to accelerate...

Original Article

July 24, 2019

Use of Opioids and Other Analgesics Before and After Primary Surgery for Adult Spinal Deformity: A 10-Year Nationwide Study

Frederik Taylor Pitter, Matt Sikora, Martin Lindberg-Larsen, Alma Becic Pedersen, Benny Dahl, Martin Gehrchen

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):237-245.

Objective: To report the 1-year pre and postoperative analgesic use in patients undergoing primary surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) and assess risk factors for chronic postoperative opioid use. Methods: Patients...

Original Article

March 31, 2020

Opioids and Spinal Cord Stimulators: Pre- and Postoperative Opioid Use Patterns and Predictors of Prolonged Postoperative Opioid Use

Lawal Labaran, Jomar N.A. Aryee, Joshua Bell, Nikhil Jain, Varun Puvanesarajah, Michael Raad, Amit Jain, Jonathan Carmouche, Hamid Hassanzadeh

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):246-253.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare trends and differences in preoperative and prolonged postoperative opioid use following spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation and to determine factors associated...

Original Article

February 1, 2020

Comparison of the Safety and Effectiveness of Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy for Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation Under Epidural Anesthesia and General Anesthesia

Zhiqiang Ren, Shenghua He, Jiao Li, Yeguang Wang, Juyi Lai, Zhitao Sun, Hualong Feng, Jian Wang

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):254-259.

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) under epidural anesthesia (EA) and general anesthesia (GA) for treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: A retrospective study...

Original Article

February 5, 2020

The Navigated Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Accuracy Rate, Effect on Surgical Time, and Complications

Zhuo Xi, Dean Chou, Praveen V. Mummaneni, Shane Burch

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):260-267.

Objective: The oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) can be done with either fluoroscopy or navigation. However, it is unclear how navigation affects the overall flow of the procedure. We wished...

Original Article

January 26, 2020

Lower Extremity Motor Deficits Are Underappreciated in Patient-Reported Outcome Measures: Added Value of Objective Outcome Measures

Martin Nikolaus Stienen, Nicolai Maldaner, Marketa Sosnova, Holger Joswig, Marco Vincenzo Corniola, Luca Regli, Gerhard Hildebrandt, Karl Schaller, Oliver Pascal Gautschi

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):270-280.

Objective: The patient-reported outcome measure (PROM)-based evaluation in lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD) is today’s gold standard but has limitations. We studied the impact of lower extremity motor deficits (LEMDs)...

Original Article

October 15, 2019

A New Shielding Curtain for Protection of Intraoperative Radiation During Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Se Hoon Park, Myeong Jin Ko, Yong Sook Park, Jaehan Yun, Hongsik Byun, Seung Won Park

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):288-293.

Objective: Gradually increasing number of minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), there is an increasing risk of radiation exposure to medical personnel during the surgery. We measured the radiation exposure of...

Original Article

July 11, 2019

Re-examining the Spectrum of Lumbosacral Transitional Dysmorphisms: Quantifying Joint Asymmetries and Evaluating the Anatomy of Screw Fixation Corridors

Niladri Kumar Mahato

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):294-303.

Objective: Although a wide range of sacral dysmorphisms has been documented with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) variations, quantitative characterization of the upper segment morphology and articular anatomy across the array...

Original Article

February 1, 2020

Oxford Cobbometer Versus Computer Assisted-Software for Measurement of Cobb Angle in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Tarek Elfiky, Nirmal Patil, Mohamed Shawky, Ahmed Siam, Raafat Ragab, Yasser Allam

Neurospine. 2020;17(1):304-311.

Objective: The objective was to compare Cobb angle measurements performed using an Oxford Cobbmeter and digital computer software (Surgimap) in a series of 83 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. Methods: Two...

The Relationship Between Preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Scores With Postoperative Improvements in Physical Function After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion James M. Parrish, Nathaniel W. Jenkins, Nadia M. Hrynewycz, Thomas S. Brundage, Kern Singh [Accepted] Original article(Clinical) February 5, 2020 PDF	Perioperative Anesthesia Lean Implementation is Associated With Increased Operative Efficiency in Posterior Cervical Surgeries at a High-Volume Spine Center Simon Gashaw Ammanuel, Andrew Kai-Hong Chan, Anthony M DiGiorgio, Mohanad Alazzeh, Kelechi Nwachuku, Leslie C. Robinson, Errol Lobo, Praveen V. Mummaneni [Accepted] Original article(Clinical) February 5, 2020 PDF
Analysis and Temporal Evolution of Extubation Parameters for Patients Undergoing Single Stage Circumferential Cervical Spine Surgery Ricardo B.V. Fontes, Mena G. Kerolus, Ryan B. Kochanski, Rajeev K. Garg, Anthony DelaCruz, Vincent C. Traynelis [Accepted] Original article(Clinical) February 2, 2020 PDF	Novel Technique for C1–2 Interlaminar Arthrodesis Utilizing a Modified Sonntag Loop-Suture Graft With Posterior C1–2 Fixation Robert Mawunyo Koffie, Alexandra Giantini Larsen, Benjamin L. Grannan, Muhamed Hadzipasic, Vijay Yanamadala, Ganesh M. Shankar, Laura Van Beaver, John H. Shin [Accepted] Technical note February 2, 2020 PDF
Demographic Trends in Paddle Lead Spinal Cord Stimulator Placement: Private Insurance and Medicare Beneficiaries Lawal Labaran, Joshua Bell, Varun Puvanesarajah, Nikhil Jain, Jomar N. Aryee, Micheal Raad, Amit Jain, Jonathan Carmouche, Hamid Hassanzadeh [Accepted] Original article(Clinical) February 1, 2020 PDF	Dual S2 Alar-Iliac Screw Technique With a Multirod Construct Across the Lumbosacral Junction: Obtaining Adequate Stability at the Lumbosacral Junction in Spinal Deformity Surgery Paul J. Park, James D. Lin, Melvin C. Makhni, Meghan Cerpa, Ronald A. Lehman, Lawrence G. Lenke [Accepted] Case report November 4, 2019 PDF
A Sufficient Surgical Window for Deep-Seated Extracranial Schwannomas in the Craniocervical Junction by the Anterolateral Approach Yu-ichiro Ohnishi, Nobuhiko Nakajima, Sho Fujiwara, Takashi Moriwaki, Hideyuki Arita, Haruhiko Kishima [Accepted] Technical note November 4, 2019 PDF	Neurologic Deficit during Halo-Gravity Traction in the Treatment of Severe Thoracic Kyphoscoliotic Spinal Deformity Martin H. Pham, Meghan Cerpa, Melvin C. Makhni, John Alexander Sielatycki, Lawrence G. Lenke [Accepted] Case report August 25, 2019 PDF
Bicortical Screw Purchase at Upper Instrumented Vertebra (UIV) Can Cause UIV Fracture After Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Finite Element Analysis Study Seong-Hyun Wui, Seung-Jae Hyun, Bokku Kang, Ki-Jeong Kim, Tae-Ahn Jahng, Hyun Jib Kim [Accepted] Original article(Basic) July 11, 2019 PDF	Robot-Assisted Microendoscopic Discectomy for Lumbar Disc Herniation: Operative Technique Sultan Alsalmi, Abdulgadir Bugdadi, Abdu Alkhyari, Johann Peltier, Michel Lefranc [Accepted] Original article(Clinical) July 9, 2019 PDF