Epidemiology and Pathology Cauda equina tumors (CETs) represent a distinct entity of spinal cord neoplasms that arise from the cauda equina, with an estimated prevalence rate is 0.03 per 100,000 persons (in the age-adjusted 2000 US population). According to 2004–07…
Acknowledgments We thank Mr. James Postier, who is a medical illustrator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and created the illustrations used in this chapter. Background Thoracic disc herniation (TDH) is a rare form of degenerative intervertebral disc disease, making…
Historical Background Cervical spondylosis or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) causing cervical myelopathy have been traditionally managed with cervical laminectomy with or without concomitant arthrodesis. Cervical laminoplasty was introduced as a method to avoid postoperative complications associated with…
Health Care Reform in the United States Measuring and improving the quality of surgical health care is an increasingly important goal in understanding the overall value, contribution, and impact surgical care has on the American Healthcare system. The current growth…