Handbook of Spine Surgery

Ali A. Baaj, Praveen V. Mummaneni, Juan S. Uribe, Alexander R. Vaccaro and Mark S. Greenberg November 2011. 1st Edition. Thieme: New York. 480 pp$89.99 ISBN: (Americas): 9781604064193. ISBN: (EUR, Asia, Africa, AUS): 9781604064193. 124 illustrations softcover Rating: ****

Department of Neurological Surgery, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, and Chief of Neurosurgical Spine and Education, Winthrop University Hospital, Bronx, NY, USA

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In the Handbook of Spine Surgery published by Thieme Medical Publishers Inc. (copyright 2012), the five editors, Dr. Ali A. Baaj, Dr. Praveen V. Mummaneni, Dr. Juan S. Uribe, Dr. AlexanderR. Vaccaro, and Dr. Mark S. Greenberg, provide a thorough 415-page overview of spinal surgery in paperback. The 85 authors who contributed chapters to this handbook, including the editors, were predominantly neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons at all stages of academic proficiency.

The four major topics reviewed in this handbook included: 1. clinical spinal anatomy, 2. clinical spine surgery, 3. spinal pathology, and 4. surgical techniques. Each chapter is typically 6–8 pages, with the occasional chapter ranging in length from 4 to 16 pages. Several short topics are included in each chapter typically beginning with Key Points and ending with Pearls. At the very end of each chapter is a Common Clinical Questions section (mostly three questions), followed by a short list of the most relevant references (e.g. 3–7), and finally, an answer section. Anatomical and surgical illustrations vary in quality from adequate (rare) to good (most frequent) and excellent (slightly less frequent). Some chapters include well-organized and uniform tables. The editors have ensured that the tables are of good quality/accuracy and are presented in a consistent format. Appropriate neurodiagostic studies are also included. The quality of the plain X-ray studies is substandard, and the editors may have benefitted by alternatively including clear illustrations. The quality of the MR and CT studies, however, throughout the text is typically very good to excellent.

I commend the authors for o providing a balanced view of the indications, results, and complications of the multitude of operative procedures presented. Additionally, the chapters dealing with operative approaches include Technique and Complications sections The Technique section is typically divided into multiple subheadings: operating room set up, exposure, and decompression with/without fusion. The Complications section provides a summary of the most frequently encountered problems. In the latter section, unfortunately, the authors do not more thoroughly comment on the type/frequency of complications encountered with minimally invasive surgery [MIS], thus leaving the unintended impression/conclusion that the MIS is “more effective.”

In short, the various chapters of the Handbook of Spine Surgery provide good to excellent introductory summaries of their respective topics. The format provides largely good/excellent illustrations and neurodiagnostic studies, and similarly maintains good/excellent quality tables presented with marked uniformity. This handbook will serve as a good/excellent introduction and basic guide to the various direct (e.g. spinal surgical procedures) or indirect topics (e.g. spinal monitoring) associated with spine surgery. Nevertheless, I would encourage readers, largely residents, to consult secondary academic texts and articles to increase the depth of their knowledge prior to caring for patients with spinal disorders.