Although valuable experimental work has been performed in order to explore the optimum conditions of application of the treatments and to assess their capability to provide enhanced mechanical properties, there is little work done on the theoretical prediction of these optimum parameters. In the present paper, a model is presented to provide an estimation of the residual stresses and surface deformation in order to see the influence of the different parameters in the process. The influence of pulse duration, pulse pressure peak, spot radius, number of shots, overlapped shots and material properties are studied. The great influence of 3D deformation effects in the process is clearly shown as one of the most important limiting factors of the process traditionally neglected in previous literature. Additionally, from the experimental point of view, in the present paper a summary is provided of different results obtained from the most recent LSP experiments carried out by the authors along with some conclusions for the assessment of LSP technology as a profitable method for the extension of fatigue life in critical heavy duty components.

No abstract

Background: Minimally invasive lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) is an increasingly popular surgical technique that facilitates minimally invasive exposure, attenuated blood loss, and potentially improved arthrodesis rates. However, there is a paucity of evidence elucidating the risk of vascular injury associated with LLIF, and no previous studies have evaluated the distance from the lumbar intervertebral space (IVS) to the abdominal vascular structures in a side-bend lateral decubitus position. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the average distance, and changes in distance, from the lumbar IVS to the major vessels from supine to side-bend right and left lateral decubitus (RLD and LLD) positions simulating operating room positioning utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: We independently evaluated lumbar MRI scans of 10 adult patients in the supine, RLD, and LLD positions, calculating the distance from each lumbar IVS to adjacent major vascular structures. Results: At the cephalad lumbar levels (L1-L3), the aorta lies in closer proximity to the IVS in the RLD position, in contrast to the inferior vena cava (IVC), which is further from the IVS in the RLD. At the L3-S1 vertebral levels, the right and left common iliac arteries (CIA) are both further from the IVS in the LLD position, with the notable exception of the right CIA, which lies further from the IVS in the RLD at the L5-S1 level. At both the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels, the right common iliac vein (CIV) is further from the IVS in the RLD. In contrast, the left CIV is further from the IVS at the L4-5 and L5-S1 levels. Conclusion: Our results suggest that RLD positioning may be safer for LLIF as it affords greater distance away from critical venous structures, however, surgical positioning should be assessed at the discretion of the spine surgeon on a patient-specific basis.

No abstract

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) at 3 or more levels remains challenging, with reported high pseudarthrosis rates and implant-related complications. Porous surface polyetheretherketone (PEEK) interbody cages are newer implants for ACDF with limited data available for their use in ACDF procedures at 3 or more levels. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes of porous PEEK devices for ACDF at 3 or more levels.Study Design: Retrospective case series. Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent primary ACDF for degenerative cervical disc disease at 3 or more levels with porous PEEK cages with anterior plate instrumentation were included. Clinical outcome scores, radiographic parameters, pseudarthrosis rates, and cage subsidence rates were assessed. Preoperative and postoperative clinical outcomes and radiographic measures were compared using paired t tests.Results: A total of 33 patients with ACDF at 3 or more levels with porous PEEK cages were included, with minimum 1-year follow-up. Two patients had cage subsidence (6.1%), and 1 patient had pseudarthrosis (3.0%). There were significant postoperative increases in overall cervical lordosis, sagittal vertical axis, fusion segment lordosis, T1 slope, and disc height. Clinical outcomes showed significant improvement from the preoperative visit to the final postoperative follow-up.Conclusions: High rates of fusion (97.0%) were observed in this challenging patient cohort, which compares favorably with previously published rates of fusion in ACDF at 3 or more levels.Clinical Relevance: The optimal management of cervical spinal pathology regarding approach, technique, and implants used is an active area of ongoing investigation. The high levels of radiographic and clinical success utilizing a relatively novel implant material in a high-risk surgical cohort reported here may influence surgical decision making.