Book excerpt: Here's all the practical, must-know information needed to diagnose and manage a full range of spinal disorders. Written with the busy practitioner in mind, this brand-new resource provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary spine surgery, focusing on the key information and procedures needed in the day-to-day practice of spine surgery. Features the expertise of 106 highly renowned clinicians from a wide range of disciplines including orthopaedics, neurosurgery, pediatric neurosurgery, pain management, rehabilitation, and more. Comprehensively covers the full range of spinal pathologies in adults and children. Presents information in brief, highly illustrated chapters, enabling readers to quickly find the information they need. User-friendly format features hundreds of boxes that highlight key concepts in the text. Includes a wealth of tables that summarize disease processes.Explores hot topics in the field such as spinal deformities in osteoporosis · spinal infections · primary spinal tumors · anterior minimally invasive techniques of the lumbar spine · and more. Provides a wealth of clear line drawings on surgical technique. With 112 additional contributors+