Adjuvant Radiotherapy Significantly Increases Neck Control and Survival in Early Oral Cancer Patients with Solitary Nodal Involvement: A National Cancer Registry Database Analysis

We assessed the role of adjuvant radiotherapy on neck control and survival in patients with early oral cancer with solitary nodal involvement. We identified pT1-2N1 oral cancer patients with or without adjuvant radiotherapy from the 2007–2015 Taiwan Cancer Registry database. The effect of adjuvant radiotherapy on 5-year neck control, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank tests, and Cox regression analysis. Of 701 patients identified, 505 (72.0%) received adjuvant radiotherapy and 196 (28.0%) had surgery alone. Patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy were more likely to be aged <65 years, pT2 stage, poorly graded and without comorbid conditions (all, p < 0.05). The 5-year OS and DFS differed significantly by receipt of adjuvant radiotherapy. Multivariable analysis showed adjuvant radiotherapy significantly associated with better 5-year OS (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.54–0.97; p = 0.0288) and DFS (aHR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48–0.84; p = 0.0016). Stratified analysis indicated the greatest survival advantage for both 5-year OS and DFS in those with pT2 classification (p = 0.0097; 0.0009), and non-tongue disease (p = 0.0195; 0.0158). Moreover, adjuvant radiotherapy significantly protected against neck recurrence (aHR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.18–0.51; p < 0.0001). Thus, adjuvant radiotherapy is associated with improved neck control and survival in these early oral cancer patients.

Reliability of pressure pain threshold to discriminate individuals with neck and low back pain

BACKGROUND: Pressure pain threshold (PPT) is decreased in several musculoskeletal disorders, giving indirect evidence regarding pain status. Despite the fact that PPT has been already proven to be reliable in patients with acute conditions, there is great variability of methods and results observed within studies, and only a few evidences confirming its reliability in chronic conditions. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of PPT in the neck and low back regions to discriminate individuals with neck or low back pain from healthy individuals. Additionally, one secondary aim was to establish the minimum detectable change (MDC) and the standard error of measurement for future clinical studies and interventions. METHODS: In this reliability study, 74 individuals (15 individuals from the neck pain and 17 from the neck control group; 21 individuals from the low back pain and 21 from the low back control group). PPT was measured in the neck region (suboccipital, trapezius and supraspinal muscles) and in the lower back region (paraspinal muscles in the levels of L1, L3 and L5). Intrarater reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coeficient and Bland-Altman. RESULTS: Excellent intra-rater reliability was observed for both (ICC of 0.874 for the neck pain versus ICC of 0.895 in neck control group; ICC of 0.932 for the low back pain group versus ICC of 0.839 for the control group). A small bias was observed for all groups (-0.08 for the neck pain group versus 0.10 in the control group; and 0.32 in low back pain group versus 0.44 in the control group). Minimum detectable change of 0.63 kgf of neck pain and 1.21 kgf of low back pain was calculated. It was found difference in PPT between pain and control groups (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: It may be suggested that the protocol with PPT is reliable and able to discriminate individuals with and without neck and low back pain with a minor measurement error. Therefore, this method may be used to detect possible progress after interventions in patients with neck or low back pain.

Association between motor development of typical children and head and trunk alignment

Introduction: Among the typical motor development, it is considered the neck control as being of great importance. Although there is no consensus of the best positioning for stimulation of neck control, it is clear in the literature the positive association between the prone position and the typical motor development according to the age of infants. Objective: To investigate the association between the kinematic variables related to neck control and bracing with age and motor performance in the prone position of typical children. Methods: 30 children participated in the study. Motor development was assessed by Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS), and the alignment of the head, trunk and upper limb was analyzed through kinematic analysis in the prone position. Results: with the association of the variables: age, AIMS in the prone position and the kinematic variables (inclination of the head, trunk extension, shoulder angle and elbow angle), was observed that the increase in age and the best performance in the prone position corresponding to the inclination of the head. The trunk and elbow extension also increases. Conclusion: there was a positive association between the variables age and motor performance in the prone position of typical children, with kinematics variables the inclination of the head, the trunk and the elbow extension.

Orbitozygomatic Approach Clipping of an Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm: 2-Dimensional Operative Video

Anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms can orient rostrally into the interhemispheric fissure or caudally into the optic chiasm. The majority of these aneurysms project into the interhemispheric fissure. This patient had an ACoA aneurysm with a multilobulated appearance, and the primary lobe projected into the interhemispheric fissure. The cisterns were opened sharply via an orbitozygomatic approach to permit proximal, distal, and neck control. A permanent clip was applied across the aneurysm neck and on a small contralateral aneurysm. Postoperative imaging confirmed complete aneurysm occlusion. The patient gave informed consent for surgery and video recording. Institutional review board approval was deemed unnecessary. Used with permission from Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.

Modified Minerva Cervical Thoracic Orthosis for Postoperative Management of Cricotracheal Resection

The worst complication of cricotracheal resection (CTR) is anastomotic dehiscence, and to limit it, postoperative management at Michigan Medicine included the use of a modified Minerva cervical-thoracic orthosis (MMCTO). To date, there has been no analysis of the risks and benefits of the brace’s use following CTR. We analyze this with our retrospective study. A search with the keywords “cricotracheal resection” and “laryngotracheal reconstruction” was performed in the Electronic Medical Record Search Engine to identify patients retrospectively. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for analysis; t test, χ2, and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze data. Fifteen males and 13 females with a median age of 4 years were identified, and almost 2/3 had a supra- and/or infrahyoid release performed. Postoperatively, 12 had a Grillo stitch and an MMCTO for a mean of 7 days. Most had no complications, but the most common complications were agitation due to brace discomfort and skin irritation. The worst complication was stroke. Our MMCTO’s design allowed for better head and neck control with relative comfortability, and most patients had no complications with its short-term use. Our modification may be useful adjunct in the postoperative management.