Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34754582›Full record

ReviewSurgical neurology international2021

Medicolegal corner (spine): Contraindicated use of DuraSeal in anterior cervical spine led to quadriplegia.

Nancy E Epstein, John Lancione Esq

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Surgical neurology international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Nancy E EpsteinDepartment of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY and c/o Dr. Marc Agulnick, 1122 Frankllin Avenue Suite 106, Garden City, New York, United States.
John Lancione EsqThe Lancione Law Firm, Rocky River, Ohio, United States.
Stony Brook University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe package insert for DuraSeal (Integra LifeSciences, Princeton NJ) states it is

methodsA spinal surgeon interpreted a geriatric patient's MR as showing severe C3-C4 to C5-C6 anterior cord compression due to disc disease/spondylosis. However, he never reviewed the CT report/images that documented marked ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) with multiple signs of dural penetrance.

resultsThe anterior C4, C5 corpectomy, and C3-C6 strut fusion/plating resulted in a massive, irreparable cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Despite the contraindications, the surgeon mistakenly applied DuraSeal which caused the patient's postoperative quadriplegia (i.e., as documented on the delayed postoperative MR scan). Following a secondary surgery consisting of a laminectomy/posterior fusion, the patient was still quadriplegic. Further, as he requested no postoperative MR scan and performed no subsequent corrective surgery (i.e., anterior removal of DuraSeal), the patient remained permanently quadriplegic.

conclusionDuraSeal is directly contraindicated for use in the anterior cervical spine, with/without a CSF leak. Here, utilizing DuraSeal for anterior cervical OPLL surgery resulted in permanent quadriplegia, and was below the standard of care.

Indexed as

Anterior cervical surgeryCerebrospinal fluid leakCorpectomyDuraSealFibrin sealantFusionOssification of the posterior longitudinal ligamentQuadriplegia

Identifiers

PMID34754582
PMCPMC8571335
OpenAlexW3206307591

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.