Medical Literature Digest

This review discusses practical choices for pedicle screw-rod constructs, highlighting screw geometry (large outer diameter, conical inner diameter with V-threads, dual-core/dual-thread) and placement techniques (undertapping/no tapping, convergent trajectory) to optimize fixation, especially in osteoporotic bone. It reviews alternative fixation (cortical bone trajectory screws, sublaminar bands), cement augmentation strategies (fenestrated screws, biodegradable cements, HA-coated/expandable screws), rod materials and configurations, and preventive measures for proximal junctional kyphosis such as soft landing and vertebroplasty.

Using Web of Science searches to 2025, the authors identified the 50 most-cited cervical deformity articles (citations 502–50), predominantly published in Spine, European Spine Journal, and J Neurosurg: Spine, with common focuses on patient outcomes and surgical technique. Citation-timing analyses showed weak negative associations between citations per year and both time to first and peak citation, and the study offers a reference map of influential work in cervical deformity research.

Reviewing 56 short-term surgical missions (2013–2024), GSO screened 2,745 patients and performed 593 surgeries across multiple countries, engaged local surgeons who progressed to independent complex cases, and reports a reproducible protocol for initiating and sustaining safe, sustainable pediatric spine deformity outreach programs.