Addition of motor-evoked potentials during EMG for LIF may detect neurologic injury

SAN DIEGO — Although neurologic injuries may occur during lateral interbody fusion despite intraoperative electromyography neuromonitoring, the addition of motor-evoked potentials may help detect potential nerve injuries, according to a presenter at the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery Annual Meeting.

Yu-Po Lee, MD, said standard electromyography neuromonitoring (EMG) can reliably detect potential neurological injuries during lateral interbody fusion (LIF) surgery.

“With MEPs [motor-evoked potentials], we were able to detect potential injuries that we did not detect with standard EMG,” Lee said.

Lee and colleagues studied 113 patients with a minimum 2-year follow-up. VAS pain scores and Oswestry Disability Index scores improved postoperatively, Lee said.

Standard EMG was available in 110 cases of the 113 cases. The addition of MEPs with the standard EMGs detected conductive changes in three cases, which were believed to be due to a developing ischemic injury, Lee said. – by Robert Linnehan

Reference:

Lee YP, et al. Paper #253. Presented at: International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery Annual Meeting. April 15-17, 2015; San Diego.

Disclosure: Lee reports receiving miscellaneous non-income support from DePuy.