Summary of Key Points • Patient positioning is paramount for a successful procedure. • Triggered directional electromyography findings should guide retractor placement anterior to the femoral nerve. • Open (expanded)…
Summary of Key Points • Facet fixation has several advantages over the more frequently used pedicle screw fixation, including lower cost, less dissection, more room for bone graft, lower complication…
Summary of Key Points • Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become increasingly popular among both spine surgeons and patients. • Since the early 2000s, MIS technology (i.e., retractors, instrumentation, interbody…
Summary of Key Points • Construct design is a process that formulates a specific blueprint for an orderly and thoughtful assembly of implantable spinal instrumentation, designed to correct instability, deformity,…
Summary of Key Points • Posterior interbody fusion, combined with segmental instrumentation, has become increasingly popular since it was first described by Mercer in 1936 and expanded upon by Cloward….
Summary of Key Points • Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) provides a biomechanically sound structural intervertebral arthrodesis with a large fusion surface area. • ALIF may indirectly decompress the exiting…
Summary of Key Points • Successful discectomy can be performed from an anterior or posterior approach. • Each approach has specific risks and benefits. • Central herniations typically require an…
Summary of Key Points • Posterolateral fusion techniques are increasingly used in the treatment of degenerative thoracolumbar disease. • Successful fusion is incumbent on the basic physiology of bone healing…
Summary of Key Points • Patient selection is paramount when choosing a lateral approach for a thoracic or lumbar decompression. • Fluoroscopy or stereotactic navigation is critical to define the…
Summary of Key Points • Commonly accepted indications for surgery differ, depending on whether a pure soft disc herniation causes radiculopathy without deficit or whether there are neurologic deficits due…
