Dr. Vaccaro is a well-known spine surgeon who has edited and published an
extremely informative, well-organized, and well-illustrated text dealing with
the diagnosis and treatment, both nonoperative and surgical, of disorders of
the spine. The attractiveness of this text is its simplicity as well as its
organization into outlines, brief descriptions, and simplified illustrations.
The references are well chosen and not so voluminous that one has to search
through long lists of them to glean the classic articles related to each
topic. Various sections are supplied with algorithms, which allow the reader
to organize diagnosis and treatment modalities easily. In addition, because of
the simplicity and the outline format of the text, it is very easy to digest
and review the salient points of each subject. Another major attraction of the
book is that it presents a core of knowledge that can be utilized by all
levels of physicians, including spine surgeons, residents, fellows, and
medical students, yet it is very inclusive.
I would highly recommend this text for everyone. It should be included in
the libraries of medical schools, hospitals, and training programs as well as
being retained for personal use.