Diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative neuromonitoring during non-tumor thoracic spine surgeries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background

Thoracic spine surgeries carry a higher risk of neurological complications due to the region’s narrow spinal canal and precarious blood supply, making effective monitoring critical. This study offers the first meta-analysis assessing accuracy and prognostic value of Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) in non-tumor thoracic spinal surgeries, filling a key gap in the literature.

Methods

We adhered to PRISMA-DTA guidelines, conducting a PubMed search for relevant studies. Included studies had over 10 patients and excluded spinal cord tumors. Study quality was evaluated with QUADAS-2. Diagnostic metrics, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve, were calculated using a bivariate model. Comparisons between IONM methods utilized Z-tests and Bayesian meta-analysis. Heterogeneity assessments were also performed to ensure robustness.

Results

Across 19 studies with 3,261 cases, postoperative new neurological deficits occurred in 9.3 % of cases. Multimodal IONM outperformed other methods in detecting these deficits, achieving 82.0 % sensitivity (95 % CI: 66.7–91.2) and 94.7 % specificity (95 % CI: 88.4–97.6), compared to somatosensory evoked potentials (65.5 %, 93.0 %) and transcranial motor evoked potentials (79.7 %, 92.1 %). Its area under the curve reached 94.5 %, highlighting excellent accuracy. Notably, recovered IONM alerts correlated with a less rate of postoperative deficits (10.7–13.8 %).

Conclusion

Multimodal IONM, combining SSEP and TcMEP, surpasses single modalities in detecting and preventing neurological damage in thoracic spine surgeries. Immediate intervention after alerts, evidenced by low deficit rates with recovered alerts, makes it the optimal strategy. Adopting these insights into clinical protocols enhances patient safety and outcomes in this high-risk surgical context.