Characterization of neurophysiologic alerts during anterior cervical spine surgery.
METHODS
A retrospective review of neurophysiologic alerts during anterior cervical surgery.


OBJECTIVE
To examine incidence and types of neurophysiologic alerts and their correlation with new postoperative neurologic deficits after anterior cervical discectomy or corpectomy procedures.


BACKGROUND
Although multimodality neurophysiologic monitoring has been shown to predict iatrogenic neurologic injuries in scoliosis surgeries, their role in degenerative or trauma-related anterior cervical spine surgery is still unclear.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 1,445 patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy or corpectomy and arthrodesis with neurophysiologic monitoring that included transcranial electrical motor-evoked potentials (tceMEP), somatosensory-evoked potentials (SSEP), and spontaneous electromyography (EMG). Intraoperative alerts were analyzed for type, perceived cause, actions taken to reverse or minimize the possible spinal cord injury, and any new postoperative neurologic deficits.


RESULTS
There were 267 (18.4%) procedures that had either minor (spontaneous, sustained EMG) or major (tceMEP/SSEP amplitude reduction) alerts. Patients who underwent corpectomies had 28% increased risk of having a major neurophysiologic alert compared with those who had discectomies. Diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy or trauma increased the risk of having a major neurophysiologic alert 30% and 76%, respectively, compared with cervical radiculopathy. Eight surgeries were aborted due to persistent tceMEP/SSEP amplitude loss, but none resulted in new postoperative neurologic deficits. Two patients had halo-vest applied due to early termination of surgery. One of these patients ultimately could not receive definitive surgical stabilization.


CONCLUSIONS
Diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy or trauma and cervical corpectomy procedures increase the risk for having major intraoperative alerts. In case of persistent tceMEP/SSEP amplitude loss, consider delaying potentially harmful interventions, such as premature termination of the procedure or methylprednisolone infusion, until a new neurologic deficit is verified with an awake-clinical examination.
Lee
Joon Y
JY
Department of Orthopaedics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. joonyunglee@yahoo.com
Hilibrand
Alan S
AS
Lim
Moe R
MR
Zavatsky
Joseph
J
Zeiller
Steven
S
Schwartz
Daniel M
DM
Vaccaro
Alexander R
AR
Anderson
D Greg
DG
Albert
Todd J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000503:physiopathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D028761:Withholding Treatment
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008775:Methylprednisolone