Scholars@Duke
Neill Yun Li

Neill Yun Li

Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Surgery
neill.li@duke.edu
308 Research Dr, Levine Science Research Center B323A, Durham, NC 27710
308 Research Dr, Levine Science Research Center, Durham, NC 27710

Selected Publications

Injury and Biological Factors Impact Shoulder Function following Autogenous Grafting of Spinal Nerves for Pan-Brachial Plexus Reconstruction.

Journal Article Plast Reconstr Surg · November 1, 2024 BACKGROUND: Shoulder function after spinal nerve grafting in pan-brachial plexus injuries (pan-BPI) is not well described. The authors evaluated shoulder abduction (ABD) and external rotation (ER) after spinal nerve grafting to the suprascapular nerve, axi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Complications and Reoperation Following Surgery for Concurrent Carpal Tunnel and Cervical Spine Compression.

Journal Article Hand (N Y) · September 2024 BACKGROUND: Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may also have cervical radiculopathy (CR) or vice versa, potentially requiring carpal tunnel release (CTR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). This study evaluates whether there is an i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Nerve Coaptation in 2023: Adjuncts to Nerve Repair Beyond Suture

Journal Article Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online · September 1, 2024 Effective nerve coaptation entails tensionless repair of healthy fascicles with intact fascicular architecture and a well-vascularized environment, supportive of the regenerative cellular behaviors of neurons, immune cells, and Schwann cells. Suture coapta ... Full text Cite

Update to Management of Acute Scaphoid Fractures.

Journal Article J Am Acad Orthop Surg · August 1, 2023 The scaphoid is the most commonly fractured carpal bone. With high clinical suspicion and negative radiographs, expedient evaluation by CT or MRI has been recommended. When treating nondisplaced or minimally displaced scaphoid waist and distal pole fractur ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk of Dislocation and Revision Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients With Prior Lumbar Fusion With Spinopelvic Fixation.

Journal Article J Arthroplasty · April 2023 BACKGROUND: The effect of spinopelvic fixation in addition to lumbar spinal fusion (LSF) on dislocation/instability and revision in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) has not been reported previously. METHODS: The PearlDiver Research ... Full text Link to item Cite

Upper Extremity Neuropathies Following Severe COVID-19 Infection: A Multicenter Case Series.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · March 2023 OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to examine presentation, injury patterns, and clinical course, for COVID-19-related peripheral nerve injury following mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study of patients with COVID-19 compli ... Full text Link to item Cite

Understanding Health Economics in Hand Surgery.

Journal Article J Hand Surg Am · March 2023 Rising health care costs in the United States, besides evolving payment models that place emphasis on value instead of volume, have led to an increasing number of studies evaluating hand surgery from an economic perspective. To better understand such econo ... Full text Link to item Cite

Effect of Hospital Characteristics on Performance of Pediatric Digit Replantation in the United States.

Journal Article J Hand Microsurg · February 2023 Introduction  Utilize a national pediatric database to assess whether hospital characteristics such as location, teaching status, ownership, or size impact the performance of pediatric digit replantation following traumatic digit amputation in the United S ... Full text Link to item Cite

Matrilin-2 within a three-dimensional lysine-modified chitosan porous scaffold enhances Schwann cell migration and axonal outgrowth for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Journal Article Front Bioeng Biotechnol · 2023 Background: Matrilin-2 is a key extracellular matrix protein involved in peripheral nerve regeneration. We sought to develop a biomimetic scaffold to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration by incorporating matrilin-2 within a chitosan-derived porous scaffol ... Full text Link to item Cite

Restoration of hamstring function following sciatic nerve resection at the greater sciatic foramen with reconstruction involving acellular nerve allograft and vascularized sural nerve autograft: A case report.

Journal Article Microsurgery · November 2022 Segmental loss of the sciatic nerve secondary to oncologic resection or trauma is detrimental to hamstring and leg function. The diameter of this nerve and the length of its axons spanning the lower extremity create significant challenges in reconstruction ... Full text Link to item Cite

Four-Corner Arthrodesis versus Proximal Row Carpectomy: Risk Factors and Complications Associated with Prolonged Postoperative Opioid Use

Journal Article Journal of Hand and Microsurgery · April 1, 2022 Introduction This article compares opioid use patterns following four-corner arthrodesis (FCA) and proximal row carpectomy (PRC) and identifies risk factors and complications associated with prolonged opioid consumption. Materials and Methods The PearlDive ... Full text Cite

A Nationwide Epidemiological Analysis of Finger Infections Presenting to Emergency Departments in the United States From 2012 to 2016.

Journal Article Hand (N Y) · March 2022 Background: There is a paucity of literature exploring the epidemiology of finger infections presenting to emergency departments (EDs) on a national scale. The purpose of this study was to determine the national incidence of and risk factors for finger inf ... Full text Link to item Cite

Variability in Hand Surgery Training Among Plastic and Orthopaedic Surgery Residents.

Journal Article J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev · January 4, 2022 BACKGROUND: A career in hand surgery in the United States requires a 1-year fellowship after residency training. Different residency specialty programs may vary in case volume. The purpose of this study was to characterize variation in hand surgery trainin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Understanding Health Economics in Joint Replacement Surgery.

Journal Article Orthopedics · 2022 The number of arthroplasty procedures has been rising at a significant rate, contributing to a notable portion of the nation's health care spending. This growth has contributed to an increase in the number of health care economic studies in the field of ad ... Full text Link to item Cite

Tumor: Stroma Interaction and Cancer.

Journal Article Exp Suppl · 2022 The understanding of how normal cells transform into tumor cells and progress to invasive cancer and metastases continues to evolve. The tumor mass is comprised of a heterogeneous population of cells that include recruited host immune cells, stromal cells, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Temporal and Geographic Trends in Medicare Reimbursement of Primary and Revision Shoulder Arthroplasty: 2000 to 2020.

Journal Article J Am Acad Orthop Surg · December 15, 2021 INTRODUCTION: A comprehensive understanding of the trends for financial reimbursement of shoulder arthroplasty is important as progress is made toward achieving sustainable payment models in orthopaedics. This study analyzes Medicare reimbursement trends f ... Full text Link to item Cite

Influence of Preseason Versus In-Season Play on Achilles Tendon Injuries in the National Football League.

Journal Article Orthop J Sports Med · December 2021 BACKGROUND: A ruptured Achilles tendon (AT) can sideline a player for 6 to 12 months and reduce their power rankings by more than 50%. Previous research has compared AT rupture rates in different game conditions. PURPOSE: To determine environmental and phy ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pediatric Digit Replantation Following Traumatic Amputation: Nationwide Analysis of Patient Selection, Outcomes, and Cost.

Journal Article Hand (N Y) · September 2021 Background: Indications for replantation following traumatic digit amputations are more liberal in the pediatric population than in adults, but delineation of patient selection within pediatrics and their outcomes have yet to be elucidated. This study uses ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiology of Peripheral Nerve Injuries in Sports, Exercise, and Recreation in the United States, 2009 - 2018.

Journal Article Phys Sportsmed · September 2021 OBJECTIVE: To assess rates of peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) in sport, exercise, and recreational activities. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was used to query nerve injuries presenting to emergency departments across t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Understanding Health Economics in Spine Surgery.

Journal Article JBJS Rev · March 5, 2021 »: The United States has faced substantial increases in health-care expenditure, with specifically large increases in spine surgery costs. »: Many different formulas are utilized to determine value in spine surgery, including cost- benefit analyses, cost-e ... Full text Link to item Cite

Gorham Disease Limited to the Left Upper Extremity Without Hand Involvement.

Journal Article J Hand Surg Am · February 2021 In this case report, we present a young female patient with a history of Gorham disease, who sustained pathologic fractures of the left radius and ulna after a low-impact fall. Massive osteolysis of the left forearm and wrist was noted on plain radiographs ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk of Postoperative Complications and Revision Surgery Following Robot-assisted Posterior Lumbar Spinal Fusion.

Journal Article Spine (Phila Pa 1976) · December 15, 2020 STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective Study. OBJECTIVE: This investigation examined matched cohorts of lumbar spinal fusion (LSF) patients undergoing robot-assisted and conventional LSF to compare risk of revision, 30-day readmission, 30-day complications, and posto ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patients Who Undergo Primary Lumbar Spine Fusion After Recent but Not Remote Total Hip Arthroplasty Are at Increased Risk for Complications, Revision Surgery, and Prolonged Opioid Use.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · December 2020 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a recent history of total hip arthroplasty (THA) on primary lumbar spine fusion (LSF) for concurrent hip and spine disease. METHODS: A total of 98,242 patient records from the PearlDiver Database were evaluated and divi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Postoperative complication rates and hazards-model survival analysis of revision surgery following occipitocervical and atlanto-axial fusion.

Journal Article N Am Spine Soc J · October 2020 BACKGROUND: Complication rates following occipitocervical and atlanto-axial fusion are high. While methods to fuse the upper cervical spine levels have evolved, complication rates and surgical survivorship of occipitocervical fusion versus atlanto-axial fu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Distal-Less Homeobox 5 Is a Therapeutic Target for Attenuating Hypertrophy and Apoptosis of Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells.

Journal Article Int J Mol Sci · July 8, 2020 Chondrocyte hypertrophy is a hallmark of osteoarthritis (OA) pathology. In the present study, we elucidated the mechanism underlying the relationship between the hypertrophy/apoptotic phenotype and OA pathogenesis in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem ce ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Surgical Treatment of Patients With Dual Hip and Spinal Degenerative Disease: Effect of Surgical Sequence of Spinal Fusion and Total Hip Arthroplasty on Postoperative Complications.

Journal Article Spine (Phila Pa 1976) · May 15, 2020 STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: To determine how lumbar spinal fusion-total hip arthroplasty (LSF-THA) operative sequence would affect THA outcomes. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Outcomes following THA in patients with a history of lumbar spina ... Full text Link to item Cite

Increased Risk of Chronic Opioid Use and Revision After Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion in Patients with Prior Shoulder Arthroscopy.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · March 2020 OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare differences in the outcomes of patients who undergo anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) with and without a history of shoulder arthroscopy. METHODS: The PearlDiver Patient Records Database (www ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cost-Effectiveness of Initial Revision Digit Amputation Performed in the Emergency Department Versus the Operating Room.

Journal Article Hand (N Y) · March 2020 Background: The objective of this study was to determine the comparative cost-effectiveness of performing initial revision finger amputation in the emergency department (ED) versus in the operating room (OR) accounting for need for unplanned secondary revi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk of Revision Shoulder Surgery, Complications, and Prolonged Opioid Use in Patients Undergoing Shoulder Arthroscopy Who Have Previously Undergone Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Journal Article Arthroscopy · February 2020 PURPOSE: To compare postoperative complications, rates of revision, and opioid use of those who undergo shoulder arthroscopy with and without previous anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). METHODS: The PearlDiver database from 2007 to 2017 was us ... Full text Link to item Cite

Characterization and Fate of Unpublished Research Articles Reported by Orthopedic Surgery Residency Applicants.

Journal Article J Surg Educ · 2020 OBJECTIVE: As the competitiveness of matching to an orthopedic residency continues to increase, applicants attempt to bolster their application by participating in research activities. However, due to the brief duration of medical school, applicants' artic ... Full text Link to item Cite

SDF-1 preconditioned HPC scaffolds mobilize cartilage-derived progenitors and stimulate meniscal fibrocartilage repair in human explant tissue culture.

Journal Article Connect Tissue Res · 2020 Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterize the influence of SDF-1 on cell migration/adhesion and temporal gene expression of human cartilage mesenchymal progenitor cells (C-PCs); and to utilize SDF-1 conditioned mesenchymal progenitors to stimu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Performance After Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Shoulder Instability in the National Basketball Association.

Journal Article Orthop J Sports Med · December 2019 BACKGROUND: Although nonoperative management after shoulder instability injury allows an athlete to return to play sooner than operative intervention, higher rates of recurrence have been observed after nonoperative management. However, no study has invest ... Full text Link to item Cite

Critical Assessment of the Contemporary Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Application Process.

Journal Article J Bone Joint Surg Am · November 6, 2019 BACKGROUND: Matching into orthopaedic surgery residency in the United States has become an increasingly competitive process because of the large number of well-qualified applicants. Over the past several years, applicants have sought to maximize their chan ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiology and Video Analysis of Achilles Tendon Ruptures in the National Basketball Association.

Journal Article Am J Sports Med · August 2019 BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of literature regarding risk factors and mechanisms of Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures in the National Basketball Association (NBA). PURPOSE: To identify the risk factors and outcomes of AT ruptures in NBA athletes. Furthermore ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Trapezium Dislocation: Case Presentation, Review of the Literature, Radiographic Analysis, Proposed Classification, and Treatment.

Journal Article Hand (N Y) · May 2019 BACKGROUND: Trapezium dislocations are rare injuries. METHODS: A PubMed search of the term "trapezium dislocation" was conducted. Publications reporting a complete trapezium dislocation were included in the review. RESULTS: The PubMed search resulted in 16 ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiology of Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries in Throwing Versus Contact Athletes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association: Analysis of the 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 Seasons.

Journal Article Orthop J Sports Med · April 2019 BACKGROUND: The management and outcomes of elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries in throwing athletes have been well investigated. However, less is known regarding the management, severity, and outcomes of such injuries in contact athletes. PURPOS ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of obesity on operative treatment and inpatient outcomes of paediatric limb fractures.

Journal Article Bone Joint J · April 2019 AIMS: The aim of this study was to utilize a national paediatric inpatient database to determine whether obesity influences the operative management and inpatient outcomes of paediatric limb fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Kids' Inpatient Database (KI ... Full text Link to item Cite

Human Cartilage-Derived Progenitors Resist Terminal Differentiation and Require CXCR4 Activation to Successfully Bridge Meniscus Tissue Tears.

Journal Article Stem Cells · January 2019 Meniscus injuries are among the most common orthopedic injuries. Tears in the inner one-third of the meniscus heal poorly and present a significant clinical challenge. In this study, we hypothesized that progenitor cells from healthy human articular cartil ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Epidemiology of Achilles Tendon Ruptures in the United States: Athletic and Nonathletic Injuries From 2012 to 2016.

Journal Article Orthop J Sports Med · November 2018 BACKGROUND: Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures are one of the most common tendon ruptures, but there have been no studies investigating these injuries in the United States (US) using data representative of the entire US population. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpo ... Full text Link to item Cite

Incidence, Timing, and Risk Factors for Secondary Revision After Primary Revision of Traumatic Digit Amputations.

Journal Article J Hand Surg Am · November 2018 PURPOSE: Primary revision amputation is the most common treatment method for traumatic digit amputations in the United States. Few studies have reported secondary revision rates after primary revision amputation. The primary aim of our study was to identif ... Full text Link to item Cite

Season-Ending Shoulder Injuries in the National Collegiate Athletic Association: Data From the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program, 2009-2010 Through 2013-2014.

Journal Article Am J Sports Med · July 2018 BACKGROUND: Examination of the incidence of shoulder season-ending injury (SEI) in the collegiate athlete population is limited. PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of shoulder SEI in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and to investigate t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Hospital competitive intensity and perioperative outcomes following lumbar spinal fusion.

Journal Article Spine J · April 2018 BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Interhospital competition has been shown to influence the adoption of surgical techniques and approaches, clinical patient outcomes, and health care resource use for select surgical procedures. However, little is known regarding these d ... Full text Link to item Cite

Obesity's Influence on Operative Management of Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures.

Journal Article J Pediatr Orthop · March 2018 BACKGROUND: As childhood obesity remains an ongoing issue for the United States there has been an increasing number of studies detailing its effect on fracture complexity, management, and outcomes. This study utilizes a national database to examine whether ... Full text Link to item Cite

Polymicrobial pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis of the index finger and first ray resulting from autophagia.

Journal Article J Orthop · September 2017 Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (PFT) is a well known infectious condition of the hand, involving the inoculation of the flexor tendon sheath with microorganisms. Many cases have been reported, common causes including direct inoculation by a puncture wound a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Theme Discussion of "Hierarchical Diagnosis and Treatment System"

Journal Article Chinese General Practice · June 1, 2016 Full text Cite

Osteopontin mediates an MZF1-TGF-β1-dependent transformation of mesenchymal stem cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts in breast cancer.

Journal Article Oncogene · September 10, 2015 Interactions between tumor cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment significantly influence cancer growth and metastasis. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is known to be a critical mediator of the CAF phenotype, and ... Full text Link to item Cite

Tumor-stroma interaction and cancer progression

Chapter · January 1, 2014 The understanding of how normal cells transform into tumor cells and progress to invasive cancer and metastases continues to evolve. The tumor mass is comprised of a heterogeneous population of cells that include recruited host immune cells, stromal cells, ... Full text Cite

An MAPK-dependent pathway induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Twist activation in human breast cancer cell lines.

Journal Article Surgery · August 2013 BACKGROUND: Twist is an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor that instigates cell invasion. Our research has shown that osteopontin (OPN) regulates the EMT factor Twist. The underlying signaling pathway is unknown. We hypothesized t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Osteopontin up-regulates critical epithelial-mesenchymal transition transcription factors to induce an aggressive breast cancer phenotype.

Conference J Am Coll Surg · July 2013 BACKGROUND: Tumor cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) develop cellular properties leading to stroma invasion and intravasation. We have previously shown in a xenograft breast cancer model that blocking osteopontin (OPN), a secreted pho ... Full text Link to item Cite

Opposing action of conantokin-G on synaptically and extrasynaptically-activated NMDA receptors.

Journal Article Neuropharmacology · June 2012 Synaptic and extrasynaptic activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) has distinct consequences on cell signaling and neuronal survival. Since conantokin (con)-G antagonism is NR2B-selective, which is the key subunit involved in extrasynaptic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, TGF-β, and osteopontin in wound healing and tissue remodeling after injury.

Journal Article J Burn Care Res · 2012 Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process essential to wound healing and tissue remodeling after a thermal burn or other injury. EMT is characterized by phenotypic changes in epithelial cells that render them apolar, with decreased cell-cell adh ... Full text Link to item Cite