nuchal_thickness [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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A [[retrospective]] [[review]] of 180 patients who underwent [[posterior cervical spine surgery]] at the University of [[Florida]] was performed. [[Nuchal thickness]] was measured, from the ventral most point of the [[spinous process]] of [[C5]] to the [[skin]] on mid-sagittal [[preoperative]], imaging. [[Diabetes]] status, [[BMI]], [[smoking]] status, duration of [[anesthesia]], prior, [[operation]]s, and subcutaneous layer thickness was also collected. [[Infection]]s were, identified according to the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) definitions for [[SSI]]. [[Univariate]] and [[multivariate]] analyses were performed by a biostatistician.

Twenty patients (11%) had SSI. Smoking status, the nuchal thickness of greater, than 55 mm or less than 29.8 mm, and subcutaneous fat thickness were all associated, with SSI. Age (OR 0.99, p = 0.45), diabetes (OR 0.50, p = 0.37), BMI (OR 1.03, p = 0.35), and use of intraoperative antibiotic powder (OR 0.62, p = 0.35) were not associated with, infection. On multivariate analysis (adjusted for smoking status), nuchal thickness, (p < 0.0001), subcutaneous fat thickness (p < 0.0001), and the ratio of subcutaneous fat to, nuchal thickness (p < 0.0001) all remained associated with SSI.

Nuchal thickness and subcutaneous fat thickness are associated with SSI, in patients undergoing posterior cervical spine surgery. The risk of infection increases with very thin and very thick nuchal measurements
((Porche K, Lockney DT, Gooldy T, Kubilis P, Murad G. Nuchal thickness and increased risk of surgical site infection in posterior cervical operations. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2021 Apr 25;205:106653. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.106653. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33984797.)).