Among interbody implants used during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), structural allografts and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are the most used spacers. Currently, no consensus has been established regarding the superiority of either implant, with US surgeons preferring structural allografts, whereas UK surgeons preferring PEEK. The purpose of this systematic review (level of evidence, 4) was to compare postoperative and patient-reported outcomes between the use of structural allografts PEEK interbody spacers during ACDF. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane) were searched for articles comparing the usage of structural allograft and PEEK interbody spacers during ACDF procedures from inception to April 10, 2023. The searches were conducted using the keywords “Spine,” “Allograft,” and “PEEK” and were performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. Subsequent quality and sensitivity analyses were performed on the included studies. Nine studies involving 1,074 patients were included. Compared with the PEEK group, the structural allograft group had comparable rates of postoperative pseudoarthrosis (p=0.58). However, when stratified according to the number of levels treated, the 3-level ACDF PEEK group was 3.45 times more likely to have postoperative pseudoarthrosis than the structural allograft group (p=0.01). Subsequent postoperative outcomes (rate of subsidence and change in the preoperative and postoperative segmental disc heights) were comparable between the PEEK and structural allograft groups. Patient-reported outcomes (Visual Analog Scale [VAS] of neck pain and Neck Disability Index [NDI]) were comparable. This study showed that for 3-level ACDFs, the use of structural allografts may confer higher fusion rates. However, VAS neck pain, NDI, and subsidence rates were comparable between structural allografts and PEEK cages. In addition, no significant difference in pseudoarthrosis rates was found between PEEK cages and structural allografts in patients undergoing 1- and 2-level ACDFs.

Lysosomal dysfunction plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and possibly Parkinson-plus syndromes such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). This role is exemplified by the involvement of variants in the GBA1 gene, which results in a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase and is the most frequently identified genetic factor underlying PD worldwide. Pathogenic variants in the SMPD1 gene are a recessive cause of Niemann–Pick disease types A and B. Here, we provide the first report on an association between a loss-of-function variant in the SMPD1 gene present in a heterozygous state (p.Pro332Arg/p.P332R, which is known to result in reduced lysosomal acid sphingomyelinase activity), with PSP-Richardson syndrome in three unrelated patients of Chinese ancestry.

Background: and Purpose Tenecteplase is a thrombolytic agent with pharmacological advantages over alteplase and has been shown to be noninferior to alteplase for acute ischemic stroke in randomized trials. However, evidence pertaining to the safety and efficacy of tenecteplase in patients from different ethnic groups is lacking. The aim of this systematic review and metaanalysis was to investigate ethnicity-specific differences in the safety and efficacy of tenecteplase versus alteplase in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Following an International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO)- registered protocol (CRD42023475038), three authors conducted a systematic review of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases for articles comparing the use of tenecteplase with any thrombolytic agent in patients with acute ischemic stroke up to November 20, 2023. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. Two independent authors extracted data onto a standardized data collection sheet. A pairwise meta-analysis was conducted in risk ratios (RR). Results: From 34 studies (59,601 participants), the rate of complete recanalization was significantly higher (P<0.01) in Asian (RR: 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30 to 2.80) versus Caucasian patients (RR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.14). However, Asian patients (RR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.62) had significantly higher (P=0.01) rates of mortality compared with Caucasian patients (RR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.22). Caucasian patients were also more likely to attain a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 to 2 at follow-up (RR: 1.14, 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.19) compared with Asian (RR: 1.00, 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.05) patients. There was no significant difference in the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (P=0.20) and any intracranial hemorrhage (P=0.83) between Asian and Caucasian patients. Conclusion Tenecteplase was associated with significantly higher rates of complete recanalization in Asian patients compared with Caucasian patients. However, tenecteplase was associated with higher rates of mortality and lower rates of mRS 0 to 2 in Asian patients compared with Caucasian patients. It may be beneficial to study the variations in response to tenecteplase among patients of different ethnic groups in large prospective cohort studies.

KMT2B-linked dystonia (DYT-KMT2B) is a childhood-onset dystonia syndrome typically beginning in the lower limbs and progressing caudocranially to affect the upper limbs with eventual prominent craniocervical involvement. Despite its recent recognition, it now appears to be one of the more common monogenic causes of dystonia syndromes. Here, we present an atypical case of DYT-KMT2B with oromandibular dystonia as the presenting feature, which remained restricted to this region three decades after symptom onset. This appears to be the first reported case of DYT-KMT2B from Southeast Asia and provides further supporting evidence for the pathogenic impact of the KMT2B c.6210_6213delTGAG variant.

INTRODUCTION: Arthroscopic Bankart repair is a widely accepted procedure to treat recurrent shoulder dislocation. This study aims to describe our experience with arthroscopic Bankart repair and its functional outcome. METHODS: 107 patients who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair from 2008 to 2013 were followed up for a minimum of three years and reviewed by an independent observer. 80 consented to being interviewed using the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score (OSIS) and Simple Shoulder Test. RESULTS: 82 shoulders (two bilateral) were studied. Mean age at first dislocation was 19.4 ± 3.4 (12.0-31.0) years. Mean follow-up was 4.4 ± 1.3 (3.0-9.0) years and 2.5 ± 3.0 (0.1-15.4) years elapsed from first dislocation to surgery. 41 (50.0%) patients played overhead or contact sports and 44 (53.7%) played competitive sports before injury; 8 (9.8%) patients reported recurrence of dislocation, which was significantly associated with playing competitive sports before injury (p <0.039), 5 (6.1%) underwent revision surgery and 22 (26.8%) reported residual instability after surgery. 49 (59.8%) patients returned to playing sports, 75 (91.5%) were satisfied with their surgery and 79 (96.3%) were willing to undergo the surgery again. 74 (90.2%) patients had two-year good/excellent OSIS, which was significantly associated with playing competitive sports before injury (p = 0.039), self-reported stability after surgery (p = 0.017), satisfaction with surgery (p = 0.018) and willingness to undergo surgery again (p = 0.024). CONCLUSION Arthroscopic Bankart repair yields good functional outcomes and is associated with high patient satisfaction, although not all patients return to sports.
Humans ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Shoulder Dislocation/complications* ; Joint Instability/surgery* ; Shoulder Joint/surgery* ; Return to Sport ; Patient Satisfaction ; Retrospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Arthroscopy/methods*

Objectives: : We estimated the overall and age-specific percentages of the Korean population with presumed immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as of April 2022 using the national registry. Methods: : We used the national coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and vaccination registry from South Korea, as described to define individuals with a previous history of COVID-19 infection, vaccination, or both, as persons with presumed immunity. Results: : Of a total of 53,304,627 observed persons, 24.4% had vaccination and infection, 58.1% had vaccination and no infection, 7.6% had infection and no vaccination, and 9.9% had no immunity. The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged at a time when the presumed population immunity ranged from 80% to 85%; however, nearly half of the children were presumed to have no immunity. Conclusion : We report a gap in population immunity, with lower presumed protection in children than in adults. The approach presented in this work can provide valuable informed tools to assist vaccine policy-making at a national level.

The Singapore Health Services cluster (SingHealth) radiology film archives are a valuable repository of local radiological cases dating back to the 1950s. Some of the cases in the archives are of historical medical interest, i.e. cerebral angiography in the workup of patients with hemiplegia. Other cases are of historical social interest, being conditions seen during earlier stages of Singapore's development, i.e. bound feet. The archives form a unique portal into the development of local radiology as well as the national development of Singapore. A selection from the archives is published in commemoration of the International Day of Radiology in 2020, as well as the 200th anniversary of the Singapore General Hospital in 2021. This pictorial essay comprises gastroenterology, musculoskeletal and obstetrics and gynaecology cases from the archives.