During the 1990s, a number of prominent spinal deformity surgeons
collaborated closely with Professor Juergen Harms in the development and study
of anterior spinal deformity surgery. Modern Anterior Scoliosis
Surgery, a multiauthored text edited by Drs. Larry Lenke, Randy Betz, and
Juergen Harms, is an important fruit of these efforts.
Anterior spinal deformity surgery has undergone many improvements from
Dwyer's original instrumentation. This book describes the evolution and the
successes as well as the failures of the various techniques. While the current
pendulum appears to be swaying toward posterior pedicle screw fixation, the
various authors of this book demonstrate that, compared with posterior
surgery, anterior spinal deformity surgery has the potential to save spinal
motion segments and possibly improve patient outcome. This book provides
insight into the infrastructure that is needed to evaluate results. Hopefully,
this type of infrastructure will help to determine the proper role of both
anterior and posterior spinal deformity surgery.
As a multiauthored text, the book suffers from the uneven quality of the
chapters and illustrations, but this does not detract from the overall utility
of the book. There are good descriptions of the various surgical techniques
and implants as well as ample pearls from the experts. The book also contains
reviews and descriptions of anterior strut grafting, vertebral resection,
hemivertebral resection through a posterior approach, spinal osteotomy, and
minimally invasive techniques. The chapters are generally short, clear, and
well illustrated, which should make them helpful for preoperative review. The
sections on perioperative nursing, nutrition, pulmonary care, and
neuromonitoring are especially good, and I recommend them to any member of a
team that is involved in the care of patients with scoliosis.
This book is a useful addition to the library of any orthopaedic department
or hospital in which anterior spinal deformity surgery is performed. It will
be a great resource for any surgeon who performs anterior spinal deformity
surgery as well as for those who assist in the care of these patients.