CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Infection is a serious complication of spinal surgery that may occur early or late in the postoperative course, although early presentation is much more common. Prevention…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Vertebroplasty was first described in 1984 and has emerged as a popular technique to surgically treat vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). The primary objective of vertebroplasty is…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Pelvic instrumentation may be necessary for the treatment of degenerative disorders of the thoracolumbar spine to obtain and maintain coronal or sagittal balance, or both. Previously,…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are a potential complication resulting from a dural violation during spinal surgery. Persistent CSF leakage leads to either pseudomeningocele formation or a…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Adjacent segment degeneration after spine fusion is a troubling problem because it can lead to increased pain and functional loss, as well as possible revision surgery….
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Reconstruction of the adult spine in the setting of osteoporosis is complex, and the benefits of surgical treatment must be balanced against the potential risks for…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Junctional degeneration of the cervical spine, or adjacent segment disease, is a well-established complication after anterior cervical fusion. Although its cause is still highly debated, many…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: The rate of symptomatic nonunion after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion varies from 5% to nearly 50%. Nonunion can be effectively treated through either an anterior,…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: Adult scoliosis is a common problem. Patients may have both back and leg pain. Spinal stenosis is often the underlying problem, but decompression may lead to…
CHAPTER PREVIEW CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: This chapter describes a minimally disruptive spine procedure called the extreme lateral interbody fusion, or XLIF (NuVasive, Inc., San Diego, Calif.). This technique can be used…
