This comprehensive text on operative approaches to the spine contains thirteen chapters, all by well recognized spine surgeons. Chapters 1 through 6 are devoted to the cervical spine, chapters 7 through 12 cover the thoracic and lumbosacral spine, and the final chapter describes approaches for obtaining autologous bone graft.
The chapters describing the anterior and posterior approaches to the upper cervical spine and the cervicothoracic junction are clearly written and provide superb detail. They will serve as an excellent reference when the use of such a rare approach is indicated.
The chapters describing the anterior and posterior approaches to the thoracic and lumbosacral spine are concise and easy to read but do not provide any new information for the experienced surgeon who treats spinal deformities on a routine basis. However, they will be an excellent source of information for surgeons-in-training and for those who perform such operations infrequently. The Atlas of Spine Surgery, by Winter et al., describes these approaches in clearer detail.
Although the illustrations by Ashley are simplistic, they will be of more benefit to the reader than the reproductions of photographs that are provided throughout the text.
This worthwhile reference text should be included in the libraries of orthopaedic training programs. It will be a valuable resource for spine surgeons who want to review the approaches to the upper cervical and cervicothoracic spine, but it will be of limited value to the general orthopaedic surgeon who is interested in the common posterior approach to the lumbar spine.
Paul A. Glazer, M.D.
Boston Orthopaedic Group
Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts