Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Surgical Approaches to the Spine

  • Book
  • © 1983

Overview

Authors:
  1. Robert G. Watkins

    1. Southwestern Orthopaedic Medical Group, Inc., Centinela Hospital Medical Center, Inglewood, USA
      Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Southern California, USA
      Spinal Disorders Service, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, USA
      Spinal Cord Injury Service, Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, Downey, USA
      Southern California Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center, USA

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (28 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Anterior Cervical Approaches to the Spine

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 1-6

  3. Transoral Approach to C1-2

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 7-11

  4. Anterior Medial Approach to C1,2,3

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 12-19

  5. Anterior Lateral Approach to the Upper Cervical Spine

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 20-25

  6. Anterior Medial Approach to the Midcervical Spine

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 26-31

  7. Lateral Approach to the Cervical Spine (Verbiest)

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 32-38

  8. Lateral Approach to the Cervical Spine (Hodgson)

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 39-42

  9. Supraclavicular Approach

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 43-49

  10. Lincoln Highway Approach to the Cervical Spine

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 50-56

  11. Cervical-Thoracic Junction

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 57-57

  12. Transaxillary Approach to the Upper Dorsal Spine

    • Roger C. Breslau
    Pages 58-63

  13. Third Rib Resection in the Transthoracic Approach

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 64-68

  14. Thoracotomy Approach

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 69-79

  15. The Thoracolumbar Junction

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 80-82

  16. Tenth Rib: Thoracoabdominal Approach

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 83-88

  17. Eleventh Rib Approach

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 89-95

  18. Twelfth Rib Approach

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 96-100

  19. Anterior Retroperitoneal Flank Approach to L2-5 of the Lumbar Spine

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 101-111

  20. Anterior Retroperitoneal Flank Approach to L5-S1

    • Robert G. Watkins
    Pages 112-116
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

The desire to expose the spine for surgery by anterior approaches at any level between the head and the sacrum is not new. Spinal pathology is often located anterior to the spinal cord and nerve roots in the cervical and thoracic spine, and anterior to the peripheral nerves that emerge from the lumbosacral spine below the first lumbar ver­ tebra. To treat such pathology one prefers to expose the front of the spine directly and widely enough to eradicate the pathology and to have full control of bleeding throughout the procedure. The posterior elements of the spine are important for mechanical stability of the spine, and therefore for the protection of the neural and vascular structures in the spine that would be threatened by instability. Extensive eradication of pathology posterior to the spinal canal and the intervertebral foraminae, including the transverse processes, may leave no adequate bony bed for the surgical creation of a stabilizing osseous fusion. In such a situation, an anterior fusion procedure is the only viable alternative to a posterior or posterolateral fusion. In situations where it is critically important to obtain a stable fusion, as in tuberculosis of the spine, both an anterior and a posterior fusion operation at the same motion segments is, in almost every instance, a guarantee of a stable osseous fusion. One should know both approaches.

Reviews

From the reviews of the second edition:

"This second edition covers new areas like minimally invasive endoscopic approaches … but deals with quite complicated ones as well. … Thanks to the use of colour drawings and photographs, the iconography magnificently illustrates the clearcut text presented in a step-by-step methodical description. … This attractive book will be of a tremendous interest for any adult as well as pediatric orthopaedist or neurosurgeon performing spinal surgery. We can congratulate the authors for this well conceived book and the editor for the quality … ." (C.R. Muller, Acta Orthopaedica Belgica, Vol. 70 (3), 2004)

"Progress in spine surgery combined with the desire to make this work more complete prompted R.G. Watkins to direct this second edition. Several new chapters enrich this work, which now contains 43 chapters, constituting a solid base of work. … The text is enhanced by an abundant of associated iconography with many photographs and drawings … . The text is very didactic, with point-by-point descriptions … . This update is essential for all those who practise spine surgery regularly and constitutes an indisputable reference." (Laurent Balabaud, European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology, Vol. 15 (2), 2005)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Southwestern Orthopaedic Medical Group, Inc., Centinela Hospital Medical Center, Inglewood, USA

    Robert G. Watkins

  • Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Southern California, USA

    Robert G. Watkins

  • Spinal Disorders Service, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, USA

    Robert G. Watkins

  • Spinal Cord Injury Service, Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, Downey, USA

    Robert G. Watkins

  • Southern California Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center, USA

    Robert G. Watkins

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Surgical Approaches to the Spine

  • Authors: Robert G. Watkins

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0155-4

  • Publisher: Springer New York, NY

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 1983

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-4684-0155-4Published: 06 December 2012

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Topics: Surgical Orthopedics, Neurosurgery

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation