Spine

Abstract

Among the wide spectrum of diseases treated by neurosurgeons, few are as gratifying as a good outcome like freedom from pain or disability in a well-selected patient with a spinal problem. Spinal surgery comprises a major part (often up to 70%-80%) of the practice of most general neurosurgeons currently practicing in the USA. The number of spinal operations performed per year in the USA has risen continuously and rapidly over the last 3 decades. With our growing and aging population, this number is almost certain to grow further. Older population means more people with falls and fractures, more tumors in patients who will live longer due to advances in oncology treatment, more degenerative pathologies, and, consequently, more demand to perform procedures to help these patients improve their quality of life. While tremendous advancements have been made in all subspecialties of neurosurgery, this is particularly true in the field of spinal surgery, where new innovations and techniques have totally transformed the landscape over the last 2 decades, helping us take care of more complex problems with shorter hospital stays and less morbidity. The discussion of cutting-edge technologies like robotics, osteobiologics, navigation, and neuromodulation is not the purpose of this section. The purpose of this section is to introduce medical students to the exciting world of spinal pathologies, and cover a breadth of topics like degenerative conditions, tumors, trauma, and emergencies that they are likely to see during their neurosurgical rotation in the clinics and wards. This is geared towards students in their third and fourth years of school, irrespective of their ultimate choice of residency specialty later. Each subsection has a video, case presentation with multiple-choice questions and subsequent explanations, a short didactic text, pearls, and suggested reading. We are confident that this will the students with the of spinal and their to more and as their This and the is and or and patient not and who medical problems to the with and the 3 of the a to and a the not to of the of the of the in this patient will to the the is the of in this of in a field the of to Spinal of the take as or The most of spinal is a less a from or and from is and in up to of While patients to and more in with or pain and are all of the with and a The is is this patient has in the a and and is the of of the This patient with from The and a to the and the patient to the care hospital where a presentation with and discussion of a patient with a This in the of the to this in and the spinal have of up to 2 per hospital and spinal The most are with to of all as and in with with of and over the or not with or or of spinal the of a patient with a and is to the and are with is the the of most spinal in will in the of these will due to and a as of with medical and to will or a and as these the of all patients have or are to have as or with or as is of is to patients who medical or have a and will of the with the of and the of the have and a techniques and is over to the and is not by is to the of in the is the to the of the to or the is a of of the with and the of a of a of or a of due to trauma, or The presentation of these is to with general of and and is of the is the of and these are their in these not is the of choice in these will and will with not and will not the of with and with as with with more of of the in the and the and where the over the the as the with and as patients have a of the from the or from the to of the the and or is to and the is is of the or or the patient is and of the with and with in the and are and are This patient a with The pain and over the with Spinal as is a by like in and The of in these is most and from or a the as the a from to The in the of the and to and spinal over to is the of and will and or is the in and to and the is not is as patients will to medical in with or a and this in up to of and medical to the has been to wit