Monkeypox is a currently re-emerging disease in the world and several cases have been detected in Lebanon. For this reason, an assessment of the knowledge and attitude of the Lebanese population towards monkeypox and smallpox or monkeypox vaccines had to be done. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire developed from previous literature among a sample of Lebanese residents. It recorded the sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities of the participants and analyzed the patterns of knowledge and attitudes in Lebanon. Among 493 participants, it was found that there is a generally low knowledge of and an average attitude toward monkeypox. However, knowledge is better with higher educational levels, COVID-19 vaccination, and residency in the south of Lebanon and poorer with marriage and residency in Beirut. Attitude is better in females but poorer with higher educational levels. Several other effectors have been devised too. As for vaccination, taking the smallpox vaccine as a proactive measure is predicted with previous COVID-19 vaccination and better attitude but not in the residents of the north of Lebanon and married Lebanese residents. Higher educational levels and a better attitude were positive predictions of taking the monkeypox vaccine whenever it is developed. This study revealed low level of knowledge and attitude towards monkeypox and its vaccines, which can be a rich resource when proactive measures are developed.

Lumbar disc herniation is common in spine surgery, and endoscopic lumbar discectomy (ELD) offers a minimally invasive alternative with reduced complications. However, the learning curve of ELD, particularly between interlaminar and transforaminal techniques, remains a challenge. To determine the learning curve for both interlaminar and transforaminal ELD in terms of operative time, and analyze factors that affect it. Single-center retrospective study of 376 patients who underwent ELD between January 2013 and March 2024. In the cohort, 319 were in the interlaminar group and 57 in the transforaminal group. The learning curves were analyzed by CUSUM. The data regarding surgical technique, operative time, and postoperative outcome were analyzed. The learning curve reached a plateau at 50 cases for the interlaminar technique and 23 cases for the transforaminal technique. Operative time was significantly lower for the transforaminal approach compared to the interlaminar approach: 69.18 ± 28.85 min versus 78.71 ± 28.86 min, p = 0.022. A second learning curve could not be demonstrated for the interlaminar approach in the long term. Operative time was influenced variably by factors such as age, gender, and level of herniated disc between the two techniques. Both the interlaminar and transforaminal ELD are minimally invasive techniques with different learning curves. The transforaminal approach shows a steeper learning curve and shorter operative time. The interlaminar approach did not show a second learning curve in the long term.

Introduction: Femoral neck fractures in older adults are associated with appreciable short-term mortality, yet long-term survival after hip arthroplasty is incompletely characterized. We analyzed early mortality risk factors and 5- and 10-year mortality after hemi-arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty (THA) for femoral neck fractures. Materials and Methods: In this single-center retrospective cohort, 397 consecutive patients underwent arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture in 2014 and 2015. Mean age was 83.3 years and 70.3% were women. Demographic data, Charlson Comorbidity Index, Parker Mobility Score, medication history, operative and anesthetic details, transfusion, and peri-operative complications were extracted. Survival status up to 10 years was obtained from hospital and civil registries. p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 397 patients were included. When categorized by age and ASA scores into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups, mortality rates increased with higher risk (p < 0.001). The mortality rate at 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years postoperatively was 3.5%, 7.1%, 14.1%, 48.36% and 71.03%, respectively; mean time-to-death was 3.3 years. At 30 days, mortality was higher in males, those on clopidogrel, in patients with lower mobility (lower Parker Score), higher morbidity (higher Charlson Score), NNIS score of 1, higher ASA, patient who underwent hemiarthroplasty, and patients with medical complications post-op. Additional 90-day risks were antivitamin K therapy, immunosuppressants, and continuous spinal anesthesia; 1-year risks also encompassed advanced age, prolonged hospital stay, and peri-operative transfusion. Conclusions: Arthroplasty after femoral neck fracture is associated with high mortality rate; only half of patients survive 5 years and fewer than one-third reach 10 years. Mortality rate is affected by many risk factors, both non-modifiable factors and modifiable peri-operative variables. Targeted optimization of modifiable peri-operative factors and multidisciplinary geriatric-orthopedic care may improve outcomes in this frail population.

Lumbar disc herniation can be debilitating. Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (PED) is an emerging minimally invasive alternative to microdiscectomy, performed through either an interlaminar (IL) or transforaminal (TF) approach. There is existing evidence comparing these two approaches for managing the most common herniation level, L4-L5, but it lacks consistency and clear conclusions. Therefore, a meta-analysis is necessary to determine if one approach is superior to the other. Medline, Cochrane, and Google Scholar (pages 1–20) were searched until August 1, 2025, following PRISMA guidelines. The data extracted included overall complications, reoperation rates, operative time, length of stay (LOS), and improvements in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) at least one year after surgery. Six studies involving 456 patients (276 TF; 180 IL) were included. No significant differences were found between the two approaches regarding overall complications (OR = 1.81; 95 % CI: 0.51–6.44; p = 0.36), reoperation rates (OR = 2.10; 95 % CI: 0.38–11.70; p = 0.40), operative time (MD = 0.73; 95 % CI: −14.83–16.29; p = 0.93), or LOS (MD = 0.03; 95 % CI: −0.13–0.19; p = 0.69). Similarly, improvements in ODI (MD = −1.06; 95 % CI: −2.63–0.52; p = 0.19), back pain (MD = 0.29; 95 % CI: −0.61–1.19; p = 0.53), and leg pain (MD = −0.44; 95 % CI: −1.19–0.31; p = 0.25) showed no significant differences. Both approaches produce similar results regarding overall complications, reoperation rates, operative time, LOS, and PROMs. The choice of approach should thus be based on surgeon experience, patient-specific anatomy, and resource availability.