1. Suk I, Tamargo RJ.  Concealed Neuroanatomy in Michelangelo’s Separation of Light From Darkness in the Sistine Chapel. Neurosurgery 66:851-861, 2010.  First of all, you need to see this as a pdf or printed as color.  Black and white will not do.  I’m not sure I buy the optic nerve thing at the end of the paper, but I am totally convinced about the brainstem/throat connection (read the paper and that sentence will make sense).

2. Columbano L et al. Anatomic Study of the Quadrigeminal Cistern in Patients With 3-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Cisternography. Neurosurgery 66:991-998, 2010.  Seems like a lot of work for not much useful information.

3A. Durieux V, Alain Gevenois P.  Bibliometric Indicators: Quality Measurements of Scientific Publication. Radiology 255 (2), May 2010.

3B. Spearman CM, Quigley MJ et al. Survey of the h index for all of academic neurosurgery: another power-law phenomenon? J Neurosurg, May 14, 2010.

3C. Castillo M. Measuring Academic Output: The H-Index. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 31:783– 86, May 2010.

These three publications tie together nicely as a primer on using the h-index.  The easiest way seems to be using the free Harzing Publish or perish software  (http://www.harzing.com/pop.htm), or with much more effort, using Google Scholar.  Kinda scary have your whole life defined by one number.  Also interesting to be an  academic voyeur by looking up other peoples number.

4. Hemingway H, Philipson P et al. Evaluating the Quality of Research into a Single Prognostic Biomarker: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis of 83 Studies of C-Reactive Protein in Stable Coronary Artery Disease. PLoS Med 7(6): e1000286. doi:10.1371/ journal.pmed.1000286.  I know, a little off the beaten track.  This is something I file away as a good template for how to do a metaanalysis.

5. Dessaud E, Ribes V et al. Dynamic Assignment and Maintenance of Positional Identity in the Ventral Neural Tube by the Morphogen Sonic Hedgehog. PLoS Biol 8(6): e1000382. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000382.  Dynamic and sustained signalling by Shh is required for the patterning of the ventral neural tube, challenging conventional models of morphogen action (that rely solely on the concentration of signal perceived by cells at specific positions in the morphogen gradient).  While I understood about 1 word in 10, the images are impressive. BTW…Osamu Shimomura won the Nobel prize for the development of Luciferins.

6. Kelly MP, Mok JM, Berven S. Dynamic Constructs for Spinal Fusion: An Evidence-Based Review. Orthop Clin N Am 41 (2010) 203–215.  A nice review on a very dry topic, but one that is often misunderstood.  One example: In the cervical spine, with an optimally size graft, the dynamic plating system is bearing only 9% of the load (I suspect most people incorrectly think that the plating system is the thing taking the compressive load).

7. Klineberg E. Cervical. Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Review of the Evidence. Orthop Clin N Am 41 (2010) 193–202.  In a nutshell, not much evidence for all this surgery.

8. Bakker NA et al. Special commentary. International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial 2009: Endovascular Coiling of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms Has No Significant Advantage Over Neurosurgical Clipping. Neurosurgery 66:961-962, 2010. ISAT has demonstrated that endovascular coiling of ruptured intracranial aneurysms has a significant advantage over neurosurgical clipping in the first year after treatment. After 5 years, the benefit seems to have vanished, and no significant difference in either disability or mortality remains between the 2 treatment modalities. Therefore, for everyday clinical practice and decision making, coiling and clipping are to be considered equivalent in the long term (these are neurosurgeons, after all).

9. Hahne AJ, Ford JJ, McMeeken JM. Conservative Management of Lumbar Disc Herniation With Associated Radiculopathy. Spine 2010;35: E488–E504.  Doing nothing is not a bad thing.

10. Clarke JL et al. Leptomeningeal metastases in the MRI era. Neurology 2010;74:1449–1454.  No real change compared to the pre-MRI era….dismal prognosis.

11. Yoshikawa T et al. Disc Regeneration Therapy Using Marrow Mesenchymal Cell Transplantation. Spine 2010;35:E475–E480. Autologous cultured mesenchymal cells placed percutaneously in collagen sponge pieces into degenerated lumbar discs in two patients. No harm, no foul I suppose (although they were hospitalized for 1 month each after the procedure).

12. Ketelslegers IA, et al. A comparison of MRI criteria for diagnosing pediatric ADEM and MS. Neurology 2010;74:1412–1415. 49 children who had had a demyelinating event evaluated with the following MR criteria: Barkhof, KIDMUS, Callen MS-ADEM criteria, and Callen diagnostic MS criteria. Callen MS-ADEM criteria had the best combination of sensitivity (75%) and specificity (95%).  Properties of this criteria are: absence of diffuse bilateral lesion pattern, presence of black holes, 2 or more periventricular lesions.

13. Cortnum S et al. Determining the Sensitivity of Computed Tomography Scanning in Early Detection of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Neurosurgery 66:900-903, 2010. Retrospective study of 499 patients. CT scanning is excellent for diagnosing SAH. The authors suggest leaving out lumbar puncture in the first 3 days after ictus if the results of the CT scan are negative. We see a fair number of patients who are CT neg, LP positive for blood; who then go on to have a negative CTA, in whom neurosurgery still wants a conventional angio performed.  Invariably the angio is also negative.

14. Caron T et al. Spine Fractures in Patients With Ankylosing Spinal Disorders. Spine 2010;35:E458–E464. 122 spine fractures in 112 consecutive patients with ASD showed that the majority were transdiscal extension injuries, most commonly affecting C6–C7. 58 cord injuries, 26 complete.  Mortality was 32%!! The authors advocate early CT and MR imaging and I whole heartedly concur.  These lesions scare me.  They are usually severely osteopenic and defining subtle fractures even by the best quality CT is very difficult.  I recommend MR in nearly everybody with AS if they have had significant trauma.

15. Swanson EW et al. Patient Transport and Brain Oxygen in Comatose Patients. Neurosurgery 66:925-932, 2010. 45 patients with continuous PbtO2 monitoring during the 3 hours before and after 100 head CTs that required intrahospital transport (IHT). They found that (1) ICP and CPP remain stable; (2) mean, minimum, and maximum PbtO2 are reduced; (3) brain hypoxia (PbtO2 <15 mm Hg) is more frequent after IHT; (4) the duration of compromised brain oxygen (PbtO2 <25 mm Hg) or brain hypoxia is significantly longer after IHT (they relied on Ambu bag hand ventilation).