This prospective, consecutive, multicentre observational registry aimed to confirm the safety and clinical performance of the SpineJack system for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures (VCF) of traumatic origin. We enrolled 103 patients (median age: 61.6 years) with 108 VCF due to trauma, or traumatic VCF with associated osteoporosis. Primary outcome was back pain intensity (VAS). Secondary outcomes were Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), EuroQol-VAS, and analgesic consumption. 48 hours after surgery, a median relative decrease in pain intensity of 81.5% was observed associated with a significant reduction in analgesic intake. Improvements in disability (91.3% decrease in ODI score) and in quality of life (increase 21.1% of EQ-VAS score) were obtained 3 months after surgery. All results were maintained at 12 months. A reduction in the kyphotic angulation was observed postoperatively (−5.4 ± 6.3°; p < 0.001), remained at 12 months (−4.4 ± 6.0°, p = 0.002). No adverse events were implant-related and none required device removal. Three patients (2.9%) experienced procedure-related complications. The overall adjacent fracture rate up to 1 year after surgery was 2.9%. The SpineJack procedure is an effective, low-risk procedure for patients with traumatic VCF allowing a fast and sustained improvement in quality of life over 1 year after surgery.

Maximal safe resection represents the gold standard for surgery of malignant brain tumors. As regards gross-total resection, accurate localization and precise delineation of the tumor margins are required. Intraoperative diagnostic imaging (Intra-Operative Magnetic Resonance-IOMR, Intra-Operative Computed Tomography-IOCT, Intra-Operative Ultrasound-IOUS) and dyes (fluorescence) have become relevant in brain tumor surgery, allowing for a more radical and safer tumor resection. IOUS guidance for brain tumor surgery is accurate in distinguishing tumor from normal parenchyma, and it allows a real-time intraoperative visualization. We aim to evaluate the role of IOUS in gliomas surgery and to outline specific strategies to maximize its efficacy. We performed a literature research through the Pubmed database by selecting each article which was focused on the use of IOUS in brain tumor surgery, and in particular in glioma surgery, published in the last 15 years (from 2003 to 2018). We selected 39 papers concerning the use of IOUS in brain tumor surgery, including gliomas. IOUS exerts a notable attraction due to its low cost, minimal interruption of the operational flow, and lack of radiation exposure. Our literature review shows that increasing the use of ultrasound in brain tumors allows more radical resections, thus giving rise to increases in survival.

Progressive Systemic Scleroderma (PSS) is a generalized disease of connective tissue involving the skin, as well as other internal organs. The cutaneous signs are characterized by a progressive sclerosis and loss of function or dexterity in the hands. Between 1987 and 1992, 15 patients affected by scleroderma were treated by means of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in order to reduce signs and symptoms related to vascular damage. The follow-up ranged from 12 months to 6 years. The study confirms that SCS is an effective therapy in patients with PSS and Raynaud's phenomenon because of its beneficial effects on the Raynaud episodes, ulcers, pain, vascular sclerosis and hand function. This method may have a primary role in the treatment of this chronic disorder because of the high probability of failure of other medical or surgical therapy.

High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are the most frequent primary malignant brain tumors in adults, which lead to death within two years of diagnosis. Maximal safe resection of malignant gliomas as the first step of multimodal therapy is an accepted goal in malignant glioma surgery. Gross total resection has an important role in improving overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), but identification of tumor borders is particularly difficult in HGGS. For this reason, imaging adjuncts, such as 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) or fluorescein sodium (FS) have been proposed as superior strategies for better defining the limits of surgical resection for HGG. 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is implicated as precursor in the synthetic pathway of heme group. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is an intermediate compound of heme metabolism, which produces fluorescence when excited by appropriate light wavelength. Malignant glioma cells have the capacity to selectively synthesize or accumulate 5-ALA-derived porphyrins after exogenous administration of 5-ALA. Fluorescein sodium (FS), on the other hand, is a fluorescent substance that is not specific to tumor cells but actually it is a marker for compromised blood-brain barrier (BBB) areas. Its effectiveness is confirmed by multicenter phase-II trial (FLUOGLIO) but lack of randomized phase III trial data. We conducted an analytic review of the literature with the objective of identifying the usefulness of 5-ALA and FS in HGG surgery in adult patients.

Costs higher than those for other types of titanium mesh, a longer production process, and the greater expertise needed for this technique are compensated by the achievement of most complex skull reconstructions with a shorter operative time.