Tracey Romero

In a large propensity-matched analysis of patients undergoing elective single-level lumbar fusion, preoperative major depressive disorder (MDD) turned out to be a powerful predictor — not of hardware failure, pseudarthrosis, or mortality — but of something arguably more disruptive to recovery: postoperative psychiatric diagnoses, somatic symptom complaints, and higher healthcare utilization.

If you’ve ever looked at a postop full-length film after a lumbar pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) and thought, “Huh…the neck looks different,” this study says: You’re not imagining things. And more importantly — it’s not random.

The fracture is fixed, the screws look beautiful, the postop CT is pristine…and then the patient throws you a curveball.

You’ve undoubtedly encountered metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) in your practice, but the intricacies of epidural cauda-equina compression (ECEC) have often been left in the shadowy corners of the OR.

The patient arrives with a neatly organized folder of printed Reddit posts, three YouTube testimonials, two “miracle decompression” advertisements, and a firm belief that their innocuous lumbar MRI represents “advanced spinal collapse.”

Adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery is not your straightforward L4–5 decompressions where everyone’s home by dinner.

There's something restorative about stepping away from the noise of daily life and into the natural world. Studies continue to show that going a little wild — submerging yourself in nature — is good for you.

And how many strongly worded trauma texts should be exchanged before the patient finally gets an OR slot?

While there simply is no way to control everything, local pediatricians weigh in on ways to keep your child safe and healthy at summer camp, whether it is a sleep-away experience or a day camp.

The decompression looks fantastic. The gait is smoother. The hands work better. Reflexes have calmed down.