Spine surgery has increasingly become a surgical field of its own, with a distinct body of knowledge. This easy-to-use book, written by acknowledged experts, is designed to meet the practical needs of the novice and the busy resident by providing essential information on spine pathology, diagnostic evaluation, surgical procedures, and other treatments. After an opening general section, degenerative spinal disease, pediatric spine conditions, spine trauma, spine tumors, infections, inflammatory disorders, and metabolic conditions are all discussed in more depth. Alongside description and evaluation of surgical options, important background information is included on pathology, presentation, diagnosis, and nonsurgical treatments. Potential complications of surgery are also carefully considered.Spine Surgery Basics will be an invaluable aid for all who are embarking on a career in spinal surgery or require a ready reference that can be consulted during everyday practice.

Dr. Patel serves as the chief of orthopaedic spine surgery at the University of Colorado. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and worked as an engineer before earning a combined master's of arts and medical degree at Washington University in St. Louis. He currently focuses on spinal non-fusion technologies, including disc replacement, dynamic stabilization, alternative bone graft materials for fusion, minimally invasive surgical techniques and computer-assisted surgery. He has extensive clinical and surgical experience with cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal disorders.

General: Anatomy.- Physical Exam: Cervical.- Physical Exam: Lumbosacral.- Imaging Basics (basics of anatomy on radiographic imaging plus bone scans, DEXA, etc.).- Diagnostic Evaluations (injections, EMG, etc).- General Surgical Principles (guidelines for informed consent, patient positioning for surgery, equipment needed, post operative considerations).- Surgical Approaches.- Cervical and Thoracic Instrumentation.- Lumbar and Lumbosacral Instrumentation.- Bone graft and Bone Substitute Biology.- Neuromonitoring.Degenerative Spine: Cervical Disc Herniation and Radiculopathy.- Cervical Stenosis and Myelopathy.- Thoracic Disc Herniation.- Lumbar Disc Herniation.- Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.- Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.- Spondylolysis and Isthmic spondylolisthesis.- Degenerative Disc Disease with and without Facet Arthritis.- Degenerative Spinal Scoliosis/Deformity.Pediatric Spine: Scoliosis.- Kyphosis.- Congenital.- Spondylolysis and Isthmic Spondylolisthesis.- Spondylolysis and Isthmic Spondylolisthesis.- Occipital and Upper cervical spine (Occ-C2).- Sub-axial cervical spine (C2-C7).- Thoracolumbar spine (T1-L2).- Low lumbar spine (L3-L5).- Sacral spine and pelvis.- Acute Spinal Cord Injury.Tumor, Infection, Inflammatory and Metabolic Conditions: Primary spine tumors.- Primary spine tumors.- Metastatic spine tumors.- Primary spine infections.- Intradural spine tumors.- Rheumatoid Arthritis.- Ankylosing Spondylitis and DISH.- Osteoporosis

and the Aging Spine.Complications: Postoperative Infection.- Dural tear.- Neurological injury.- Pseudarthrosis/Nonunion.- Pseudarthrosis/Nonunion.- Medical complications (VTE, Pneumonia, Cardiac Disease, Mortality).