Researchers analyzed the occurrence of new position-related nerve deficits in spinal surgery, according to News-Medical.
They studied 4,489 patients undergoing spine surgery. The group had reported incidence of peripheral nerve injury from positioning. The study analyzed IOM changes associated with arm and leg positioning.
Here are seven insights:
1. Thirteen of the 4,489 patients developed a new position-related peripheral nerve deficit.
2. Of the patients, 54 percent developed meralgia paresthetica.
3. Forty-six percent of patients developed ulnar neuropathy.
4. Of the patients, 72 developed IOM changes from positioning.
5. Of the patients who didn't develop position-related IOM changes, 0.3 percent developed new position-related nerve deficits.
6. Neither the surgery duration nor the patient-related variable impacted new neuropraxia development.
7. Gurpreet Surinder Gandhoke, MD, won the Sanford J. Larson, MD, PhD, Award at the 2016 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting for this research.