Fig. 4.1 From foetal to old-age disk – macroscopy of the intervertebral disk. (a) Foetal lumbar spine (36th week of gestation) vs. (b) old-aged spine (86 years) showing the tremendous…

Fig. 2.1 Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564). This portrait is from his book De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, or on the fabric of the human body (Basel: Johannes Oporinus; June 1543),…

Fig. 31.1 Surgical indications of fusion in lumbar stenosis Sagittal orientation of the facet joints Total facetectomy Lumbar stenosis associated with lumbar previous idiopathic scoliotic deformity Degenerative scoliosis Intracanal synovial…

Fig. 19.1 Sagittal lumbar spine MR T2-weighted image depicts a cranially sequestered recurrent disk herniation Fig. 19.2 The disk material does not show an enhancement of contrast media and is…

Fig. 53.1 Posterolateral percutaneous diskectomy The concept of posterolateral percutaneous diskectomy was firstly introduced in 1973. Parvis Kambin conducted percutaneous indirect spinal canal decompression by nucleotomy using Craig’s cannula in…

Fig. 10.1 Degenerative type I marrow changes: sagittal midline T1 (a) and T2 (b) spin-echo images of the lumbar spine. There is decreased signal intensity of the inferior aspect of…

Fig. 35.1 Right-sided paramedian L5–S1 disk herniation with nerve compression amenable to tubular diskectomy (a, b). (c, d) Demonstrate a foraminal herniation that can be addressed through the far lateral…

Fig. 30.1 (a) A 4-cm skin incision (solid arrow) is made in the lateral abdominal region along the fibers of the external oblique muscle. The level of the L4–L5 disk…

Fig. 29.1 Illustration demonstrating the trajectory of transpsoas approach (Image reproduced with permission from Medtronic, Inc: Medtronic Sofamor Danek; 2004. This spinal system incorporates technology developed by Gary K. Michelson,…

Fig. 26.1 A 84-year-old obese female in good health. Spontaneous fracture of the L5 vertebra occurred with simply sitting. The patient noted acute onset of bilateral leg pain when sitting…