This week in Spine

Aug 17–23, 2026 · 4 new studies, 6 reviews · Spine archive · All weeks

The new Spine research The Reduction sent the week of Aug 17–23, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.

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New research

  1. Back Pain in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Retrospective Review of Psychosocial Factors and Treatment Strategies.

    Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics · Aug 04 2026 · PubMed

    In 869 pediatric back pain patients, behavioral health diagnoses—not structural spine pathology—independently predicted symptom persistence, supporting a biopsychosocial approach to management.

  2. Cervical myelopathy responses to extracts derived from combustible cigarettes and heated tobacco products: in vivo and in vitro evidence.

    Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine · Jul 31 2026 · PubMed

    In rat and cell models, extracts from both combustible cigarettes and heated tobacco products worsened motor/sensory deficits and neuronal damage in cervical myelopathy, suggesting HTPs are not a safer alternative for these patients.

  3. Natural Progression Patterns of Lumbar Spondylolysis and Low-grade Spondylolisthesis in Late Adolescents: A Multicentral, Non-interventional, Longitudinal Cohort Study.

    Spine · Jul 20 2026 · PubMed

    In late adolescents with spondylolysis/low-grade spondylolisthesis, slip progression is rare (7%) but disc degeneration and low back pain progress in over half over a decade, especially with L5 lesions, sarcopenia, or sedentary behavior—supporting targeted long-term monitoring.

  4. Impacts of Prior Lumbar Laminectomy and Fusion on Long Segment Thoracolumbar Fusion for Adult Spinal Deformity.

    Spine · Jul 20 2026 · PubMed

    Prior overlapping lumbar fusion (not prior laminectomy alone) nearly triples revision risk after long-segment thoracolumbar fusion for adult spinal deformity, warranting distinct preoperative counseling.

Recent reviews

  1. Diagnosis and Management of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

    Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Dec 15 2025 · PubMed

    This review outlines evolving diagnosis and surgical management of degenerative cervical myelopathy, favoring earlier surgical intervention and highlighting shifts from laminectomy toward laminoplasty/fusion and disk arthroplasty to reduce complications.

  2. Patient Comorbidities, Their Influence on Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery, and Recommendations to Reduce Unfavorable Outcomes.

    Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Dec 15 2024 · PubMed

    This review examines how multiple medical comorbidities increase complication and mortality risk after lumbar fusion surgery and offers strategies for optimizing patients perioperatively to improve outcomes.

  3. Coccydynia: A Review of Anatomy, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

    JBJS Reviews · May 01 2024 · PubMed

    This review covers coccydynia's anatomy, multifactorial causes, diagnostic approach, and range of treatment options, emphasizing that outcomes depend on identifying the underlying etiology.

  4. Upper Extremity Fragility Fractures.

    Journal of Hand Surgery (American) · Feb 2021 · PubMed

    This review outlines current recommendations for hand surgeons on evaluating and managing osteoporosis and preventing secondary fractures in patients with upper extremity fragility fractures.

  5. Pathomechanisms and Predisposing Factors for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A Narrative Review.

    JBJS Reviews · Sep 2020 · PubMed

    This narrative review discusses proposed pathomechanisms and predisposing factors—including age, sex, facet joint orientation, and pelvic incidence—underlying degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, without abstract-based findings beyond a call for further study.

  6. Dropped Head Syndrome: An Update on Etiology and Surgical Management.

    JBJS Reviews · Jan 2020 · PubMed

    This review outlines the varied neuromuscular and age-related causes of dropped head syndrome and notes that surgical cervical fusion generally yields favorable long-term outcomes despite higher complication rates.

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