Introduction Anterior and lateral approaches to the lumbar spine are performed with increasing frequency and for a wider range of indications. To avoid complications and maximize patient outcomes, a clear…
Introduction This chapter provides an overview of the contemporary literature on lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) instrumentation based on the Spine Patient Outcome Research Trial, Swedish Spinal Stenosis Study, and a…
Introduction The typical lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae that are connected in series and permit motion between each segment. Each lumbar vertebra is an anatomically complex structure that consists…
Introduction As with any surgical procedure, interbody fusions are associated with unique complications. Given the wide variety of approaches utilized when performing an interbody fusion, it is important to recognize…
The Clinician in Court I. CASE EXAMPLE Without warning, a therapist receives a subpoena to testify in court the following week. At first, she is sure that a mistake has…
Clinicians and Lawyers I. CASE EXAMPLES A. CASE EXAMPLE 1 Arriving one evening on an inpatient ward of a community mental health center, after transfer from the emergency room of…
Forensic Evaluations I. CASE EXAMPLES A. CASE EXAMPLE 1 A 25-year-old man appears at the inpatient admissions office of a community mental health center escorted by two police officers. The…
Competence and Substitute Decision-Making I. CASE EXAMPLES A. CASE EXAMPLE 1 A 38-year-old clinical psychologist is voluntarily hospitalized after unexplained and seemingly self-injurious behavior occurring at a religious retreat house…
Malpractice and Other Forms of Liability I. CASE EXAMPLES A. CASE EXAMPLE 1 After attending a continuing education program at which the problems of antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome were discussed, a…
Legal Issues in Inpatient Psychiatry I. CASE EXAMPLES A. CASE EXAMPLE 1 A 23-year-old man is tolerated by his family despite a slow slide into a withdrawn, catatonic state, until…
