Intra-operative MEP monitoring can work well in the patients with neural axis abnormality.
To explain the intra-operative transcranial motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring can work well in patients with neural axis abnormality (NAA).



One hundred eighteen consecutive NAA and 334 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients who underwent spinal deformity surgery between June 2010 and April 2013 in our spine center were included. The MEP data including the success rate of obtaining a baseline, amplitude, sensitivity and specificity were analyzed.



High-efficiency MEPs baseline could be obtained in 117/118 NAA (74 congenital scoliosis, 32 neuromuscular scoliosis, 8 adult scoliosis, 3 congenital kyphoscoliosis and 1 neurofibromatosis scoliosis) and 334 AIS cases. They had an approximate level in success rate of MEPs baseline (99.2 vs. 99.7 %) and MEPs amplitude (317 μV, n = 118; vs. 312 μV, n = 334). The sensitivity and specificity for MEP were 100 and 98.2 % in patients with NAA. And the MEPs amplitude value fitted positive-skewed distribution in both of NAA and AIS.



Intraoperative MEP monitoring can be used accurately and satisfactorily in NAA patients and show no difference compared with AIS.
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Shujie
S
Wang
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Qianyu
Q
Zhuang
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Jianguo
J
Zhang
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Ye
Y
Tian
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Hong
H
Zhao
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Yipeng
Y
Wang
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Yu
Y
Zhao
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Shugang
S
Li
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Xisheng
X
Weng
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
Guixing
G
Qiu
Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 1 Shuai Fu Yuan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China. shenjianxiong@medmail.com.cn.
Jianxiong
J
Shen
D000293:Adolescent; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000150:complications; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064795:Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring; D008297:Male; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000150:complications; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000150:complications; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
MEP monitoring; Neural axis abnormality (NAA); Success rate of MEPs baseline