Surgical Management of Spinal Disorders in People with Mucopolysaccharidoses

Analysis of Fast-Track Surgery with Pain Care on Postoperative Pain Improvement and Complication Prevention in Perioperative Spine Surgery Patients

Objective

The study aimed to analyze the effect of fast-track surgery with pain care on the improvement of postoperative pain and the prevention of postoperative complications in perioperative spinal surgery patients.

Methods

A total of 126 patients undergoing spinal surgery from January 2021 to September 2021 were chosen as the study population, and the patients were classified into the regular group, the FTS group, and the combined group by random grouping, with 42 cases in each group. Patients in the regular group used routine perioperative care in spine surgery, patients in the FTS group used the FTS care model, and patients in the combined group combined special pain care on the basis of the FTS group. We compared the numeric rating scale (NRS) and pain severity of patients in the three groups post-op, 30 min, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h after surgery; we compared the time to get out of bed, length of stay, and occurrence of postoperative adverse effects in the three groups, compared the incidence of complications in the three groups, and compared the satisfaction of care in the three groups.

Results

The NRS scores at 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-op in the combined group and FTS group were lower than those in the regular group, and the NRS scores at 12 h and 24 h post-op in the combined group were lower than those in the FTS group (all P < 0.05); the post-op bed activity time, post-op hospitalization time, post-op adverse reaction rate, and post-op complication rate in the combined group and FTS group were shorter or lower than those of the regular group. Nursing satisfaction was higher than that of the regular group, the post-op time to bed activity in the combined group was shorter than that of the FTS group, and nursing satisfaction was higher than that of the FTS group (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The use of FTS with pain care interventions helps relieve postoperative pain in perioperative patients in spine surgery, reduce the incidence of post-op adverse effects and complications in patients, accelerate their postoperative recovery, and improve nursing satisfaction.

Adjunct diagnostic value of radiological findings in mucopolysaccharidosis type IVa-related thoracic spinal abnormalities: a pilot study

Background

In patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), systematic assessment and management of cervical instability, cervicomedullary and thoracolumbar junction spinal stenosis and spinal cord compression averts or arrests irreversible neurological damage, improving outcomes. However, few studies have assessed thoracic spinal involvement in MPS IVa patients. We aimed to evaluate thoracic spinal abnormalities in MPS IVa patients and identify associated image manifestations by CT and MRI study.

Results

Data of patients diagnosed and/or treated for MPS IVa at MacKay Memorial Hospital from January 2010 to December 2020 were extracted from medical records and evaluated retrospectively. Computed tomography (CT), plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of MPS IVa-related spinal abnormalities were reviewed. Spine CT and plain radiography findings of 12 patients (6 males and 6 females with median age 7.5 years, range 1–28 years) revealed two subtypes of spinal abnormalities: thoracic kyphosis apex around T2 (subtype 1, n = 8) and thoracic kyphosis apex around T5 (subtype 2, n = 4). Spine CT and plain radiography clearly identified various degrees of thoracic kyphosis with apex around T2 or T5 in MPS IVa patients. Square-shaped to mild central beaking in middle thoracic vertebral bodies was observed in subtype 1 patients, while greater degrees of central beaking in middle thoracic vertebral bodies was observed in subtype 2 patients.

Conclusions

Spine CT findings clearly identify new radiological findings of thoracic kyphosis apex around T2 or T5 in MPS IVa patients. The degrees of central beaking at middle thoracic vertebral bodies may be a critical factor associated with different image presentations of thoracic kyphosis.

The surgical management of spinal disorders in lysosomal storage diseases: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The skeletal manifestations of lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are largely refractory to available therapeutic modalities. Consequently, there is an increasing need to manage their spinal deformities. The aim was to perform a systematic review to answer the questions, "What are the reported indications for surgery for spinal deformity in patients with LSDs?" and "what are the published surgical management strategies?".

METHODS

Articles that made reference to at least one LSD, a spinal abnormality and surgical management were included. Extracted study data included: study type, sample size, methodology and year of publication. The following clinical information was collected: demographics, spinal abnormalities, and surgical indications, details and outcomes.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven articles were included, with 23 describing surgical management of craniocervical manifestations seen in mucopolysaccharidosis. Radiological evidence of myelopathy at the craniocervical junction and/or progressive clinical neurological compromise were accepted as surgical indications. Prophylactic surgery was proposed by some authors. The recommended surgical technique and whether to stabilise and/or decompress varied between articles and LSD types. Twenty-one articles discussed thoracolumbar pathology, including thoracolumbar kyphosis and scoliosis. Radiological severity, progression of deformity, and presence of neurological deterioration were discussed as surgical indications. Most papers recommended circumferential arthrodesis via combined anterior and posterior approaches.

CONCLUSION

The surgical management of spinal disorders in LSDs remains controversial. Centres managing these patients should be encouraged to have a standardised system of reporting outcomes, to facilitate recommendations for management of the spinal manifestations.

Spinal cord compression in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis

PURPOSE

Spinal abnormalities frequently occur in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) types I, II, IV, and VI. The symptoms are manifold, which sometimes prolongs the diagnostic process and delays therapy. Spinal stenosis (SS) with spinal cord compression due to bone malformations and an accumulation of storage material in soft tissue are serious complications of MPS disease. Data on optimal perioperative therapeutic care of SS is limited.

METHODS

A retrospective chart analysis of patients with MPS and SS for the time period 01/1998 to 03/2021 was performed. Demographics, clinical data, neurological status, diagnostic evaluations (radiography, MRI, electrophysiology), and treatment modalities were documented. The extent of the SS and spinal canal diameter were analyzed. A Cox regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors for neurological outcomes.

RESULTS

Out of 209 MPS patients, 15 were included in this study. The most dominant type of MPS was I (-H) (n = 7; 46.7%). Preoperative neurological deterioration was the most frequent indication for further diagnostics (n = 12; 80%). The surgical procedure of choice was dorsal instrumentation with microsurgical decompression (n = 14; 93.3%). A univariate Cox regression analysis showed MPS type I (-H) to be associated with favorable neurological outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Early detection of spinal stenosis is highly relevant in patients with MPS. Detailed neurological assessment during follow-up is crucial for timeous detection of patients at risk. The surgical intervention of choice is dorsal instrumentation with microsurgical decompression and resection of thickened intraspinal tissue. Patients with MPS type I (-H) demonstrated the best neurological course.

Non-cardiac Manifestations in Adult Patients With Mucopolysaccharidosis

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that results in the absence or deficiency of lysosomal enzymes, leading to an inappropriate storage of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in various tissues of the body such as bones, cartilage, heart valves, arteries, upper airways, cornea, teeth, liver and nervous system. Clinical manifestations can become progressively exacerbated with age and affect their quality of life. Developments in advanced supportive treatment options such as enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may have improved patients' life span. Adult MPS patients require specialist clinical surveillance long-term. In many cases, in addition to the MPS-related health problems, they may develop age-related complications. Considering the complexity of their clinical manifestations and lack of guidelines on the management of adult MPS disorders, multispecialty and multidisciplinary teams' care is essential to diagnose and treat health problems that are likely to be encountered. This review presents non-cardiac clinical manifestations, their pathophysiology, management and long-term outcomes in adult MPS patients.

Clinical outcomes of laminoplasty for patients with lysosomal storage disease including mucopolysaccharidosis and mucolipidoses: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Although the clinical efficacy of laminoplasty in adult cervical spondylotic myelopathy or ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament has been frequently reported, there are only few reports of laminoplasty for patients with lysosome storage diseases (LSDs). Therefore, this study aimed to report the midterm clinical and radiological outcomes of patients with LSDs after cervical laminoplasty.

Methods

Six patients with LSD who underwent laminoplasty with/without C1 laminectomy for cervical myelopathy were enrolled. Clinical evaluations, including the cervical Japanese Orthopedic Association (cJOA) score and visual analog scale (VAS) scores for upper extremity numbness, and radiographic parameters, including C2–C7 lordotic angle, atlanto-dens interval (ADI), and ⊿ADI, were evaluated preoperatively, at 2 years postoperatively, and at the final follow-up.

Results

Five patients had mucopolysaccharidoses (type I: n = 1, II: n = 3, VII: n = 1) and one patient had mucolipidoses type III. The mean age of patients at surgery was 27.5 years, and the mean postoperative follow-up period was 61 months. All mucopolysaccharidoses cases required C1 posterior arch resection with C2–C7 laminoplasty. No critical complications were observed postoperatively. There were no significant differences in C2–C7 angle (p = 0.724) and ⊿ADI (p = 0.592) between the preoperative and final follow-ups. The cJOA score and VAS for numbness significantly improved at the final follow-up (p = 0.004 and p = 0.007, respectively).

Conclusions

The cervical myelopathy in patients with LSD could be safely and effectively treated with laminoplasty with/without C1 posterior arch resection after excluding patients with atlantoaxial instability. Atlantoaxial stability and symptom improvement could be maintained at an average of 5 years postoperatively.

Cervical Disorders in Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA-Morquio disease

Morquio disease or mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man No. 253000) is a rare autosomal recessive disease classified in the group of metabolism inborn errors. The glycosaminoglycans accumulate in chondrocytes, which disturbs bone growth and leads to skeletal manifestations, such as skeletal dysplasia and a short stature. In addition, the disproportionate growth of the trachea can lead to airway insufficiency. We report the case of a 27-year-old man with dwarfism due to Morquio disease, which had resulted in quadriparesis, hyperreflexia, and dyspnea, requiring a "look up to the sky" compensatory position. Imaging studies of the neck showed tracheal tortuosity, spinal stenosis, myelopathy, and neurogenic arthropathy (Charcot joint). The patient was treated with occipital-cervical-thoracic instrumentation. However, postoperative tracheal correction was required. Considering the wide spectrum of clinical features in those with mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA, individualized multidisciplinary treatment is recommended.

Mucopolysaccharidoses I and II: Brief Review of Therapeutic Options and Supportive/Palliative Therapies

Purpose. Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are group of inherited lysosomal storage diseases caused by mutations of enzymes involved in catalyzing different glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). MPS I and MPS II exhibit both somatic and neurological symptoms with a relatively high disease incidence. Hematopoietic stem cell therapy (HSCT) and intravenous enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) have had a significant impact on the treatment and comprehension of disease. This review is aimed at providing a comprehensive evaluation of the pros and cons of HSCT and ERT, as well as an up-to-date knowledge of new drugs under development. In addition, multiple disease management strategies for the uncontrollable manifestations of MPS I and MPS II to improve patients' quality of life are presented. Findings. Natural history of MPS I and MPS II shows that somatic and neurological symptoms occur earlier in severe forms of MPS I than in MPS II. ERT increases life expectancy and alleviates some of the somatic symptoms, but musculoskeletal, ophthalmological, and central nervous system (CNS) manifestations are not controlled. Additionally, life-long treatment burdens and immunogenicity restriction are unintended consequences of ERT application. HSCT, another treatment method, is effective in controlling the CNS symptoms and hence has been adopted as the standard treatment for severe types of MPS I. However, it is ineffective in MPS II, which can be explained by the relatively late diagnosis. In addition, several factors such as transplant age limits or graft-versus-host disease in HSCT have limited its application for patients. Novel therapies, including BBB-penetrable-ERT, gene therapy, and substrate reduction therapy, are under development to control currently unmanageable manifestations. BBB-penetrable-ERT is being studied comprehensively in the hopes of being used in the near future as a method to effectively control CNS symptoms. Gene therapy has the potential to “cure” the disease with a one-time treatment rather than just alleviate symptoms, which makes it an attractive treatment strategy. Several clinical studies on gene therapy reveal that delivering genes directly into the brain achieves better results than intravenous administration in patients with neurological symptoms. Considering new drugs are still in clinical stage, disease management with close monitoring and supportive/palliative therapy is of great importance for the time being. Proper rehabilitation therapy, including physical and occupational therapy, surgical intervention, or medications, can benefit patients with uncontrolled musculoskeletal, respiratory, ophthalmological, and neurological manifestations.