Introduction Tumors arising from the intradural extramedullary (IDEM) spinal canal reflect a wide variety of histopathologies. With few exceptions, however, these tumors are histologically benign and amenable to complete surgical resection. Long-term tumor control or cure with preservation or improvement…
Introduction The neurosurgical literature on intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) contains many case reports and few large series, even for the tumors of glial origin, which are the most numerous. Despite occurring at any age group, these lesions are rare…
Introduction Scoliosis broadly refers to an abnormal curvature of the spine. The term scoliosis is commonly used to describe disease in children or adolescents with congenital or idiopathic curvature; however, the nomenclature of “spinal deformity” now encompasses congenital, idiopathic, degenerative,…
Historical Perspective The study of cervical spine deformity has increased tremendously during the past decade as multiple studies have demonstrated the important role cervical spinal alignment plays in quality of life. Furthermore, the relationships between quality of life and sagittal…
Scoliosis refers to an abnormal curvature of the spine due to developmental, degenerative, idiopathic, or iatrogenic changes of subaxial biomechanics in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes. Over much of this past century, the term scoliosis has generally referred to…
Achondroplasia (“without cartilage formation”) is the most common form of dwarfism in humans and is characterized by disproportionately short stature with rhizomelic shortening of the extremities, macrocephaly, midface hypoplasia, and frontal bossing. , This skeletal dysplasia results from defective formation…
The tethered cord syndrome (TCS) results from relative fixation of, most commonly, the caudal spinal cord owing to one of multiple pathologic entities. This fixation prohibits normal physiologic motion, can cause focal ischemia, and, in adults, most often manifests with…
Acknowledgment The authors and editors wish to thank Dr. Edward H. Oldfield and Dr. John Heiss for their contributions to this chapter in the previous edition. Definition and History In 1891, Hans Chiari described three types of cerebellar malformations that…
Craniovertebral junction abnormalities can be developmental, genetic, or acquired in origin. , To effectively treat these disorders when they are symptomatic, the clinician must have a knowledge of the embryology and the functional anatomy of the area. A myriad of…
Penetrating spinal injuries (PSIs) encompass a range of traumatic etiologies, from nonmissile injuries such as knife wounds to high-velocity missile injuries such as rifle shots. Historically, most literature on the treatment of PSIs came from the battle fields. However, with…