Once again, the five members of the editorial board of this renowned work
have done a wonderful job of updating and improving an already excellent
textbook. The editorial board has chosen authors who are nationally and
internationally known and who are experts in their individual fields. The
fifth edition continues the excellence of previous editions with important
updates and chapter editions. The new chapters include topics such as biologic
repair strategies in lumbar disc disease (Chapter 56) and disc and/or nucleus
replacement (Chapter 58). Various new surgical procedures, such as
transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Chapter 24) and minimally invasive
procedures (Chapter 21), are included in this new edition.
I found the basic science section surprisingly readable, with difficult
topics well covered and well explained by the authors. The addition of the key
points in most chapters is a very helpful summary, and the
pearls-and-pitfalls sections that appear in some of the chapters are
also very informative. However, as an avid reader of this textbook, I would
like to have seen all of the chapters organized in this fashion, as
the key points and the pearls and pitfalls are important additions that should
be included in virtually all of the chapters.
The sections covering newer procedures (disc replacement, nucleus
replacement, and the minimally invasive procedures) contain excellent reviews
of the literature and bibliographies. The complications section, which was
edited by Dr. Garfin, was particularly interesting and well illustrated with
diagnostic images and clinical information. Throughout the book, diagrams,
photographs, and anatomical figures are abundant and well placed within the
text, although some of the photographs could be clearer. The color plates are
impressive and helpful, but it would be better for the reader if the plates
were closer to the section referring to them rather than in the middle of the
text. More consistent organization of the chapter bibliographies would be
helpful; for instance, some chapters list references alphabetically while
other chapters list them in the order in which they occur in the text.
Purchase of the textbook also includes access to
,
where the complete two-volume set, including illustrations, is available. I
found the web site to be very user friendly, which adds another valuable
feature to this book.
With this fifth edition, Rothman-Simeone The Spine has once again
exceeded all expectations. It remains very readable, well referenced, and well
illustrated, and it contains complete and current information for any
physician or surgeon involved in the treatment of spinal disorders. This book
is a must-read for all orthopaedic and neurological spinal surgeons as well as
physiatrists and physical therapists who are involved in the treatment of the
spine. The authors should be commended for again setting the bar very high for
textbooks.