Neurospine

Neurospine provides spine clinicians and researchers with peer-reviewed articles on both basic and clinical investigations of the spine and spinal cord, aimed at enhancing patient management, education, research, and professionalism.

The journal welcomes submissions covering the entire spine, from the craniocervical to the lumbosacral regions, including the following areas: neuroscience and pain research, bone and mineral research, disc and joint research, bio and industrial technology, pathophysiology, risk factors, symptomatology, imaging, treatment, and rehabilitation of spinal, spinal cord and peripheral nerve diseases.

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Distinct Recovery Patterns After Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Comparing Minimally Invasive and Open Approaches Using Mixed-Effects Segmented Regression

Tomoyuki Asada, Eric R. Zhao, Adin M. Ehrlich, Adrian Lui, Andrea Pezzi, Sereen Halayqeh, Tarek Harhash, Olivia C. Tuma, Kasra Araghi, Todd J. Albert, et al.

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):3-13.

Objective: While minimally invasive-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) has shown superiority in key clinical metrics over the open approach, evidence regarding patient-reported outcomes remains limited. This study compared postoperative recovery...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Far-Lateral Transforaminal Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy for Upper Lumbar Disc Herniations

Jin Seop Hwang, Sang Hyub Lee, Dain Jeong, Jae-Won Jang, Yong Eun Cho, Dong-Geun Lee, Choon Keun Park, Chung Kee Chough

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):14-27.

Objective: The upper lumbar region has distinctive anatomical characteristics that contribute to the challenges of performing discectomy. We introduce far-lateral transforaminal unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) lumbar discectomy for central or...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Impact of Paraspinal Muscle Degeneration on Surgical Outcomes and Radiographical Sagittal Alignment in Adult Spinal Deformity: A Multicenter Study

Jun Ouchida, Yoshinori Morita, Sadayuki Ito, Naoki Segi, Ippei Yamauchi, Tokumi Kanemura, Tetsuya Ohara, Taichi Tsuji, Ryuichi Shinjyo, Shiro Imagama, et al.

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):30-37.

Objective: This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the impact of paravertebral muscles (PVMs) degeneration, particularly fat infiltration, on preoperative sagittal imbalance, and postoperative complications and sagittal alignment change in patients...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Open Versus Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery in the Treatment of Single-Level Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: An AO Spine Global Cross-Sectional Study

Luca Ambrosio, Sathish Muthu, Samuel K. Cho, Micheal S. Virk, Juan P. Cabrera, Patrick C. Hsieh, Andreas K. Demetriades, Stipe Ćorluka, S. Tim Yoon, Gianluca Vadalà, et al.

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):40-47.

Objective: This study aims to assess global trends in the use of open surgery versus minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for the treatment of single-level L4–5 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS). Methods: A...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Does Vertebral Cement Augmentation Reduce Postoperative Proximal Junction Complications in Spinal Deformity Corrective Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Dong Li, Xin Sun, Jie Li, Yanjie Xu, Yong Qiu, Zezhang Zhu, Zhen Liu

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):51-66.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of vertebral cement augmentation (VCA) at upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) and UIV+1 in preventing proximal junction complications in correction surgery for adult spinal deformity patients. Methods:...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Comparative Analysis of Romosozumab Versus Vertebroplasty With Denosumab: Efficacy, Safety, and Secondary Bone Mineral Density Outcomes

Hyun Woong Mun, Jong Joo Lee, Hyun Chul Shin, Tae-Hwan Kim, Seok Woo Kim, Jae Keun Oh

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):69-77.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of romosozumab, a bone anabolic agent, versus vertebroplasty, a conventional surgical intervention, in treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). Methods: A...

Review Article

March 31, 2025

Clinical Outcomes and Patient Perspectives in Full Endoscopic Cervical Surgery: A Systematic Review

Wongthawat Liawrungrueang, Sung Tan Cho, Ayush Sharma, Watcharaporn Cholamjiak, Meng-Huang Wu, Lo Cho Yau, Hyun-Jin Park, Ho-Jin Lee

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):81-104.

Objective: Full endoscopic cervical surgery (FECS) is an evolving minimally invasive approach for treating cervical spine disorders. This systematic review synthesizes current evidence on the clinical outcomes and patient perspectives...

Review Article

March 31, 2025

The Utilization of Navigation and Emerging Technologies With Endoscopic Spine Surgery: A Narrative Review

Abhinav K. Sharma, Rafael Garcia de Oliveira, Siravich Suvithayasiri, Piya Chavalparit, Chien Chun Chang, Yong H. Kim, Charla R. Fischer, Sang Lee, Samuel Cho, Jin-Sung Kim, et al.

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):105-117.

Endoscopic spine surgery (ESS) is growing in popularity worldwide. An expanding body of literature demonstrates rapid functional recovery with reduced morbidity compared to open techniques. Both full endoscopic spine surgery,...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Transforaminal Endoscopic Thoracic Discectomy Is More Cost-Effective Than Microdiscectomy for Symptomatic Disc Herniations

Junseok Bae, Pratyush Shahi, Sang-Ho Lee, Han-Joong Keum, Ju-Wan Seok, Yong-Soo Choi, Jin-Sung Kim

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):118-127.

Objective: To analyze costs and cost-effectiveness of transforaminal endoscopic thoracic discectomy (TETD) for the treatment of symptomatic thoracic disc herniation (TDH) and compare it with open microdiscectomy (MD). Methods: This retrospective...

Review Article

March 31, 2025

The Ever-Evolving Regulatory Landscape Concerning Development and Clinical Application of Machine Intelligence: Practical Consequences for Spine Artificial Intelligence Research

Massimo Bottini, Seung-Jun Ryu, Adrian Elmi Terander, Stefanos Voglis, Nicolai Maldaner, David Bellut, Luca Regli, Carlo Serra, Victor E. Staartjes

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):134-143.

This paper analyzes the regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence/machine learning AI/ML-enabled medical devices in the European Union (EU), the United States (US), and the Republic of Korea, with a focus...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Predicting Postoperative Progression of Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament in the Cervical Spine Using Interpretable Radiomics Models

Siyuan Qin, Ruomu Qu, Ke Liu, Ruixin Yan, Weili Zhao, Jun Xu, Enlong Zhang, Feifei Zhou, Ning Lang

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):144-156.

Objective: This study investigates the potential of radiomics to predict postoperative progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) after posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 473...

Original Article

February 27, 2025

Extracellular Ubiquitin Enhances Autophagy and Inhibits Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway to Protect Neurons Against Spinal Cord Ischemic Injury via CXCR4

Hao Feng, Dehui Chen, Huina Chen, Dingwei Wu, Dandan Wang, Zhengxi Yu, Linquan Zhou, Zhenyu Wang, Wenge Liu

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):157-172.

Objective: Neuronal apoptosis is considered to be a critical process in spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite growing evidence of the antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and modulation of ischemic injury tolerance effects of...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Loss of Mass and Surface Topography in 3-Dimensional-Printed Solid Titanium Cages Upon Impaction: An In Vitro Model

Tien Tran, Ian M Singleton, Victor Ungurean Jr, Andrea Rowland, Anna Martin, Oluwatodimu Richard Raji, Dimitriy G. Kondrashov

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):173-184.

Objective: There is increased use of 3-dimensional (3D)-printing for manufacturing of interbody cages to create microscale surface features that promote bone formation. Those features may be vulnerable to abrasion and/or...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Fixation of the Sacroiliac Joint: A Cadaver-Based Concurrent-Controlled Biomechanical Comparison of Posterior Interposition and Posterolateral Transosseous Techniques

Oluwatodimu Richard Raji, Jason E. Pope, Steven M. Falowski, Michael Stoffman, Jeremi M. Leasure

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):185-193.

Objective: Our study aimed to compare the posterior interposition technique against the posterolateral transosseous technique in the same cadaver specimens. Methods: Computer and cadaver models of 2 fixation techniques were developed....

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Risk Factors for “Adjacent-Level Ossification Development” Other Than Short Plate-to-Disc Distance and Clinical Implications for Adjacent-Segment Pathology

Sang Hun Lee, Micheal Raad, David B. Cohen, Khaled M. Kebaish, Lee H. Riley III

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):194-201.

Purpose: To identify factors associated with adjacent-level ossification development (ALOD) after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and associated clinical outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed records of 140 adults who underwent...

Original Article

December 22, 2024

Hand Dexterity Recovery Capacity for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy With Varying Levels of Impairment: A Prospective 1-Year Follow-up Study

Guoyan Liang, Tianying Liao, Yongyu Ye, Yi Cai, Junying Chen, Yunbing Chang

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):202-210.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the hand function recovery capacity of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) patients with different severities of hand dexterity impairment. Methods: Hand functional outcome measures such as...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Dissecting Causal Relationships Between Gut Microbiota, 1400 Blood Metabolites, and Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Yuxi Liu, Daxiong Feng, Hong Zhang, Likun Wang

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):211-221.

Objective: The precise mechanisms driving intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) development remain unclear, but evidence suggests a significant involvement of gut microbiota (GM) and blood metabolites. We aimed to investigate the...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Incidence and Risk Factors of Postoperative Ileus in Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery: A Retrospective Study

Young-Seok Lee, Myeong Jin Ko, Seung Won Park

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):222-230.

Purpose: Postoperative ileus (POI) typically occurs after abdominal surgery but can also affect patients undergoing spinal surgery via the lateral retroperitoneal approach, such as oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF). Therefore,...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Correlation Between the Spinopelvic Parameters and Morphological Characteristics of Pedicle-Facet Joints in Different Lumbar Spondylolisthesis

Baoqiang He, Yebo Leng, Shicai Xu, Yang Li, Jiajun Zhou, Min Kang, Yehui Liao, Minghao Tian, Qiang Tang, Fei Ma, et al.

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):231-242.

Objective: Based on spinopelvic parameters and biomechanical principles, the pedicle-facet joint (PFJ) morphological characteristics of isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis were analyzed, and the mechanism of their onset and progression was...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Postoperative Neurological Complications in Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Systematic Review and Proportional Meta-Analysis

Yam Wa Man, Jedidiah Yui Shing Lui, Chor Yin Lam, Jason Pui Yin Cheung, Prudence Wing Hang Cheung

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):243-263.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of postoperative neurological complications among patients who underwent spinal deformity surgery and to determine the significant risk factors for postoperative neurological complications. Methods: Six databases PubMed,...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Research on the Correlation between Balance Function and Core Muscles in Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Si-Jia Li, Qing Yue, Qian-Jin Liu, Yan-Hua Liang, Tian-Tian Zhou, Xiao-Song Li, Tian-Yang Feng, Tong Zhang

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):264-275.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the correlation between balance function and core muscle activation in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), compared to healthy individuals. Methods: A total of 24...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Comparison of 3 Different Endoscopic Techniques for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Comprehensive Radiological and Clinical Study

Abdullah Merter, Mustafa Özyıldıran, Motohide Shibayama, Zenya Ito, Shu Nakamura, Fujio Ito

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):276-285.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the clinical and comprehensive radiological outcomes of 3 types of endoscopic decompression surgery: unilateral biportal endoscopic lumbar decompression (UBELD), microendoscopic laminotomy (MEL), and percutaneous...

Original Article

March 31, 2025

Anatomical Importance Between Neural Structure and Bony Landmark in Neuroventral Decompression for Posterior Endoscopic Cervical Discectomy

Xin Wang, Tao Hu, Chaofan Qin, Bo Lei, Mingxin Chen, Ke Ma, Qingyan Long, Qingshuai Yu, Si Cheng, Zhengjian Yan

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):286-296.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the anatomical relationship among the nerve roots, intervertebral space, pedicles, and intradural rootlets of the cervical spine for improving operative outcomes and exploring neuroventral...

Original Article

January 22, 2025

Integrated Optical and Magnetic Navigation for Simplified Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: A Novel Approach

Xing-Chen Yao, Jun-Peng Liu, Xin-Ru Du, Li Guan, Yong Hai, Jincai Yang, Aixing Pan

Neurospine. 2025;22(1):297-307.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical benefits of the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system in assisting transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) for the treatment of lumbar...

Current issue

All issues