Fundamentals of Spine Surgery
Summary of Key Points • Key goals in spine surgery include neural decompression, spinal stabilization, and the restoration of alignment. • The overarching goal of surgery is to restore the…
Pathophysiology of Thoracic Myelopathy: Biomechanics and Deformative Stress
Summary of Key Points • The thoracic spine has unique biomechanical and physiologic features. • The thoracic spine is a relatively rigid transition zone between the more mobile cervical and…
Neural Injury at the Molecular Level
Summary of Key Points • The molecular mechanisms of neural damage due to spinal cord injury and chronic spinal cord compression. • Apoptosis is the primary force driving cellular loss…
Definition and Assessment of Dysfunctional Segmental Motion
Summary of Key Points • Normal motion of spinal segment depends on the structural integrity of the spinal elements. • Pressurized nucleus, taut annular fibers, and healthy ligaments and facets…
Intradiscal Pressure
Summary of Key Points • The nucleus pulposus (NP) is capable of attracting water molecules and expands its volume through swelling. In a healthy normal state, the NP is, thus,…
Practical Anatomy and Fundamental Biomechanics
Summary of Key Points • An overview of the anatomic aspects of the human spinal column is presented. • Geometric features of the vertebrae, intervertebral discs, ligaments, facet joints, and…
Anatomy and Pathophysiology of Acquired and Systemic Spinal Disorders
Summary of Key Points • Predictable and insidious biochemical changes in maturing intervertebral discs lead to degeneration and ultimately biomechanical incompetence of the disc/end plate complex. • Joint destruction and…
History of Spine Surgery
Summary of Key Points • Although most advances in spine surgery occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries, their roots date back several thousand years. During the antique period, some…
Anatomy and Physiology of Congenital Spinal Lesions
Summary of Key Points • The term congenital spinal anomaly describes a broad range of pathologies including defects in neural tissue and the vertebral column. • Congenital spinal anomalies may…
Physical and Neurologic Examination
Summary of Key Points • The history and physical examination is of the utmost importance in determining the correct diagnosis and appropriate surgical plan in patients being evaluated for a…
