Papers by Eric Massicotte
Global spine journal, 2017
A multicenter retrospective case series was compiled involving 21 medical institutions. Inclusion... more A multicenter retrospective case series was compiled involving 21 medical institutions. Inclusion criteria included patients who underwent cervical spine surgery between 2005 and 2011 and who sustained a vertebral artery injury (VAI). To report the frequency, risk factors, outcomes, and management goals of VAI in patients who have undergone cervical spine surgery. Patients were evaluated on the basis of condition-specific functional status using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score, the Nurick scale, and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). VAIs were identified in a total of 14 of 16 582 patients screened (8.4 per 10 000). The mean age of patients with VAI was 59 years (±10) with a female predominance (78.6%). Patient diagnoses included myelopathy, radiculopathy, cervical instability, and metastatic disease. VAI was associated with substantial blood loss (770 mL), although only 3 cases required transfusion. Of the 14 cases,...
Global spine journal, 2017
Multi-institutional retrospective case series of 8887 patients who underwent anterior cervical sp... more Multi-institutional retrospective case series of 8887 patients who underwent anterior cervical spine surgery. Anterior decompression from discectomy or corpectomy is not without risk. Surgical morbidity ranges from 9% to 20% and is likely underreported. Little is known of the incidence and effects of rare complications on functional outcomes following anterior spinal surgery. In this retrospective review, we examined implant extrusions (IEs) following anterior cervical fusion. A retrospective multicenter case series study involving 21 high-volume surgical centers from the AOSpine North America Clinical Research Network. Medical records for 17 625 patients who received cervical spine surgery (levels from C2 to C7) between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, were reviewed to identify occurrence of 21 predefined treatment complications. Following anterior cervical fusion, the incidence of IE ranged from 0.0% to 0.8% across 21 institutions with 11 cases reported. All surgeries invol...
Global spine journal, 2017
A multicenter, retrospective case series. In the past several years, screw fixation of the cervic... more A multicenter, retrospective case series. In the past several years, screw fixation of the cervical spine has become commonplace. For the most part, this is a safe, low-risk procedure. While rare, screw backout or misplaced screws can lead to morbidity and increased costs. We report our experiences with this uncommon complication. A multicenter, retrospective case series was undertaken at 23 institutions in the United States. Patients were included who underwent cervical spine surgery from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2011, and had misplacement of screws requiring reoperation. Institutional review board approval was obtained at all participating institutions, and detailed records were sent to a central data center. A total of 12 903 patients met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. There were 11 instances of screw backout requiring reoperation, for an incidence of 0.085%. There were 7 posterior procedures. Importantly, there were no changes in the health-related quality-of-...
Global spine journal, 2017
A multicenter, retrospective cohort study. To evaluate clinical outcomes in patients with reintub... more A multicenter, retrospective cohort study. To evaluate clinical outcomes in patients with reintubation after anterior cervical spine surgery. A total of 8887 patients undergoing anterior cervical spine surgery were enrolled in the AOSpine North America Rare Complications of Cervical Spine Surgery study. Patients with or without complications after surgery were included. Demographic and surgical information were collected for patients with reintubation. Patients were evaluated using a variety of assessment tools, including the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association scale, Nurick score, Neck Disability Index, and Short Form-36 Health Survey. Nine cases of postoperative reintubation were identified. The total prevalence of this complication was 0.10% and ranged from 0% to 0.59% across participating institutions. The time to development of airway symptoms after surgery was within 24 hours in 6 patients and between 5 and 7 days in 3 patients. Although 8 patients recovered, 1 patient di...
Global spine journal, 2017
This study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Rare complications of cervical spine su... more This study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Rare complications of cervical spine surgery are inherently difficult to investigate. Pseudomeningocoele (PMC), an abnormal collection of cerebrospinal fluid that communicates with the subarachnoid space, is one such complication. In order to evaluate and better understand the incidence, presentation, treatment, and outcome of PMC following cervical spine surgery, we conducted a multicenter study to pool our collective experience. This study was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study of patients who underwent cervical spine surgery at any level(s) from C2 to C7, inclusive; were over 18 years of age; and experienced a postoperative PMC. Thirteen patients (0.08%) developed a postoperative PMC, 6 (46.2%) of whom were female. They had an average age of 48.2 years and stayed in hospital a mean of 11.2 days. Three patients were current smokers, 3 previous smokers, 5 had never smoked, and 2 had unknown smoking status. The majorit...
Global spine journal, 2017
Retrospective multicenter case series study. Because cervical dural tears are rare, most surgeons... more Retrospective multicenter case series study. Because cervical dural tears are rare, most surgeons have limited experience with this complication. A multicenter study was performed to better understand the presentation, treatment, and outcomes following cervical dural tears. Multiple surgeons from 23 institutions retrospectively identified 21 rare complications that occurred between 2005 and 2011, including unintentional cervical dural tears. Demographic data and surgical history were obtained. Clinical outcomes following surgery were assessed, and any reoperations were recorded. Neck Disability Index (NDI), modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA), Nurick classification (NuC), and Short-Form 36 (SF36) scores were recorded at baseline and final follow-up at certain centers. All data were collected, collated, and analyzed by a private research organization. There were 109 cases of cervical dural tears among 18 463 surgeries performed. In 101 cases (93%) there was no clinical s...
Global spine journal, 2017
A multicenter, retrospective review of C5 palsy after cervical spine surgery. Postoperative C5 pa... more A multicenter, retrospective review of C5 palsy after cervical spine surgery. 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. 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 categorical variables. Of the 13 946 cases reviewed, 59 patients experienced a postoperative C5 palsy. The incidence rate across the 21 sites ranged from 0% to 2.5%. At most recent follow-up, 32 patients reported complete resolution of symptoms (54.2%), 15 had symptoms resolve with residual effects (25.4%), 10 patients did not recover (17.0%), and 2 were lost to follo...
World neurosurgery, Jan 5, 2017
Although cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) can be devastating, its relative impact on general... more Although cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) can be devastating, its relative impact on general health remains unclear. Patient responses to the SF-36 PCS/MCS were compared between CSM and other diseases to evaluate their respective impacts on quality of life. Compare SF-36 PCS/MCS scores in CSM to population and disease-specific norms. Retrospective analysis of a prospective, multi-center AOSpine North American CSM Study database. Inclusion criteria were symptomatic disease, age>18, cord compression on MRI or CT myelography, and baseline SF-36 values. SF-36 PCS/MCS in CSM were compared to national normative values and disease-specific norms using student's t-test. ANOVA was used to assess differences across age groups and offsets from age-matched controls. Threshold for significance was p<0.05. 285 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 56.6+12.0 years with male predominance (60%). SF-36 scores revealed significant baseline disability (PCS 34.5+9.8; MCS 41.5± 14....
SPINE, 2016
Study Design. Modified-Delphi expert consensus method. Objective. The aim of this study was to de... more Study Design. Modified-Delphi expert consensus method. Objective. The aim of this study was to develop competencebased spine fellowship curricula as a set of learning goals through expert consensus methodology in order to provide an educational tool for surgical educators and trainees. Secondarily, we aimed to determine potential differences among specialties in their rating of learning objectives to defined curriculum documents. Summary of Background Data. There has been recent interest in competence-based education in the training of future surgeons. Current spine fellowships often work on a preceptorbased model, and recent studies have demonstrated that graduating spine fellows may not necessarily be exposed to key cognitive and procedural competencies throughout their training that are expected of a practicing spine surgeon. Methods. A consensus group of 32 spine surgeons from across Canada was assembled. A modified-Delphi approach refined an initial fellowship-level curriculum set of learning objectives (108 cognitive and 84 procedural competencies obtained from open sources). A consensus threshold of 70% was chosen with up to 5 rounds of blinded voting performed. Members were asked to ratify objectives into either a general comprehensive or focused/ advanced curriculum. Results. Twenty-eight of 32 consultants (88%) responded and participated in voting rounds. Seventy-eight (72%) cognitive and 63 (75%) procedural competency objectives reached 70% consensus in the first round. This increased to 82 cognitive and 73 procedural objectives by round 4. The final curriculum document evolved to include a general comprehensive curriculum (91 cognitive and 53 procedural objectives), a focused/ advanced curriculum (22 procedural objectives), and a pediatrics curriculum (22 cognitive and 9 procedural objectives). Conclusion. Through a consensus-building approach, the study authors have developed a competence-based curriculum set of learning objectives anticipated to be of educational value to spine surgery fellowship educators and trainees. To our knowledge, this is one of the first nationally based efforts of its kind that is also anticipated to be of interest by international colleagues.
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Jan 23, 2015
Although surgery is used increasingly as a strategy to complement treatment with radiation and ch... more Although surgery is used increasingly as a strategy to complement treatment with radiation and chemotherapy in patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC), the impact of surgery on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not well established. We aimed to prospectively evaluate survival, neurologic, functional, and HRQoL outcomes in patients with MESCC who underwent surgical management. One hundred forty-two patients with a single symptomatic MESCC lesion who were treated surgically were enrolled onto a prospective North American multicenter study and were observed at least up to 12 months. Clinical data, including Brief Pain Inventory, ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) impairment scale, SF-36 Short Form Health Survey, Oswestry Disability Index, and EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) scores, were obtained preoperatively, and at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. Median survival time was 7.7 months. The 30-day and 12-month mortality rates wer...
Global Spine Journal, 2015
Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 2006
ABSTRACT
The Spine Journal, 2008
The Spine Journal, Volume 8, Issue 5, Pages 33S-34S, September 2008, Authors:Michael Fehlings, MD... more The Spine Journal, Volume 8, Issue 5, Pages 33S-34S, September 2008, Authors:Michael Fehlings, MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FACS; Branko Kopjar, MD, PhD; Eric Massicotte, MD; Paul Arnold, MD; Tim S. Yoon, MD; Alexander Vaccaro, MD; Eric Woodard, MD; Jens Chapman, MD; ...
Spine, 2013
Study Design. Narrative review. Objective. To identify suitable outcome measures that can be used... more Study Design. Narrative review. Objective. To identify suitable outcome measures that can be used to quantify neurological and functional impairment in the management of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Summary of Background Data. CSM is the leading cause of acquired spinal cord disability, causing varying degrees of neurological impairment which impact on independence and quality of life. Because this impairment can have a heterogeneous presentation, a single outcome measure cannot define the broad range of deficits seen in this population. Therefore, it is necessary to define outcome measures that characterize the deficits with greater validity and sensitivity. Methods. This review was conducted in 3 stages. Stage I: To evaluate the current use of outcome measures in CSM, PubMed was searched using the name of the outcome measure and the common abbreviation combined with "CSM" or "myelopathy." Stage II: Having identified a lack of appropriate outcome measures, we constructed criteria by which measures appropriate for assessing the various aspects of CSM could be identified. Stage III: A second literature search was then conducted looking at specified outcomes that met these criteria. All literature was reviewed to determine specificity and psychometric properties of outcomes for CSM.
Spine, 2013
A prospective observational multicenter study. Objective. To help solve the debate regarding whet... more A prospective observational multicenter study. Objective. To help solve the debate regarding whether the anterior or posterior surgical approach is optimal for patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Summary of Background Data. The optimal surgical approach to treat CSM remains debated with varying opinions favoring anterior versus posterior surgical approaches. We present an analysis of a prospective observational multicenter study examining outcomes of surgical treatment for CSM. Methods. A total of 278 subjects from 12 sites in North America received anterior/posterior or combined surgery at the discretion of the surgeon. This study focused on subjects who had either anterior or posterior surgery (n = 264, follow-up rate, 87%). Outcome measures included the modifi ed Japanese Orthopedic Assessment scale, the Nurick scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey version 2 Physical and Mental Component Scores.
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Papers by Eric Massicotte