The term “minimally invasive spinal surgery” was coined in early 1990 following pub- cation of the first edition of this text entitled Arthroscopic Microdiscectomy: Minimal Intervention in Spinal Surgery, and subsequent establishment of the International Society for Minimal Intervention in Spinal Surgery (ISMISS) under the auspices of the International Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SICOT) in April l990. The orthopedic and neurological surgeons who participated in lectures and hands-on wo- shops both in Philadelphia and abroad have witnessed the evolution of minimally invasive spinal surgery from blind nucleotomy to endoscopic fragmentectomy, decompression of l- eral recess stenosis, foraminoplasty, and spinal stabilization. In Arthroscopic and Endoscopic Spinal Surgery: Text and Atlas, Second Edition, experts describe and illustrate various techniques and approaches that are currently used in this field. In addition, the ongoing research for the betterment of spine care via minimally invasive approaches is briefly reviewed. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to so many of my colleagues who s- ported my efforts in the field of minimally invasive spinal surgery throughout the years. Many of them participated in our teaching symposiums and have provided valuable cont- butions to this text.

In the past few years spine surgery has undergone revolutionary changes leading towards minimally invasive techniques. This book is a survey of microsurgical as well as endoscopic surgical techniques for the treatment of a variety of spinal disorders. The structure of the individual chapters includes terminology, history, surgical principles, advantages/disadvantages, indications, surgical technique, complications and hazards as well as results. However all chapters are focused on a very didactic presentation of surgical steps. Thus, the reader will get familiar with a variety of new techniques some of which are already integrated into clinical routine others still being part of ongoing clinical trials and development.

Percutaneous lumbar discectomy is a new surgical method for treating lumbar disc diseases. The goal of the procedure is decompression of the spinal nerve root by percutaneous removal of the nucleus pulposus under local anesthesia. Probably 20 % of all patients requiring lumbar disc surgery can be successfully treated by this method. During the past two years, percutaneous discectomy has spread rapidly, and it is now performed in most clinical departments engaged in spinal surgery. The first International Symposium on Percutaneous Lumbar Discectomy, held in Berlin in August 1988, covered all current procedures known as "percutaneous discectomy" and the entire range of percutaneous techniques, both clinical and experimental. Its publication is important because of the recency of this new surgical procedure, the outstanding experience of the speakers - including the Japanese, American, and European "pioneers" of the technique - and last but not least the gaps in the knowledge of physicians concerning this topic. This procedure opens up new perspectives in the surgical treatment of degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine.

The latest knowledge for all those dealing with arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment. A standardised structure of the individual chapters facilitates the retrieval of information: diagnosis, therapeutic management including decision-making for conservative and operative treatment, arthroscopic results and surgical techniques. The latter are described in a practical step-by-step manner. 2,000 brilliant figures illustrate each operative step. This comprehensive manual includes rare conditions and provides detailed information on tricks and pitfalls.

Endoscopic technology has advanced to the point where practitioners can now access, visualize, and treat spine pathologies previously only accessible through open surgical approaches. Endoscopic Spine Surgery 2nd Edition provides a comprehensive background on endoscopic spine surgery and covers an unparalleled number of minimally invasive spine procedures that have revolutionized the spine treatment paradigm. Readers will greatly benefit from many years of expertise and wisdom shared by master spine surgeons Daniel Kim, Gun Choi, Sang-Ho Lee, and Richard Fessler, and their expert contributors. Due to the narrow endoscopic view, subtle microanatomical differences in the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical regions are not always easy to visually discern. To address this challenge, the book contains detailed procedural descriptions and images mirroring endoscopic views spine surgeons encounter in the OR. Organized anatomically, 53 chapters guide readers systematically through lumbar, thoracic, cervical, and craniocervical junction procedures for pathologies ranging from low back pain and deformities to tumors, lesions, infections, and trauma. Key Features More than 1000 high quality images including color procedural photographs and medical illustrations provide in-depth visual understanding. Spinal pathologies and procedures delineated in 75 videos accessible via the Media Center - from case studies to step-by-step technique tutorials. Covers the full spectrum of spine endoscopy including percutaneous approaches, microdiscectomy, laminectomy, discectomy foraminotomy, hemilaminectomy, thoracic decompressions, fusion, fixation, and thoracoscopic procedures. The use of state-of-the-art technology such as ultrasonic bone dissectors, endoscopic radiofrequency denervation, the video telescope operating monitor (VITOM), minimally invasive tubular retractors, and 3D stereo-tubular endoscopic systems. Neurosurgical and orthopaedic residents, spine fellows, and seasoned spine surgeons will all greatly benefit from the significant knowledge and insights revealed in this remarkable multimedia resource. This book may also be of interest to neurosurgical and orthopaedic nurses, physical therapists, chiropractors, and medical device professionals.

This book issues all aspects of minimally invasive spine surgery. From interventional techniques such as nerve block to multilevel fusion surgery, the field of minimally invasive surgery is organized by chapter from basics to the end. Each chapter will include various figures and tables, and videos will be added in the surgery-related parts. A special focus will be placed on spinal endoscopic surgery, which has undergone rapid development in recent years. Both full-endoscopic spine surgery and uni-portal bilateral endoscopic will be dealt. Various surgical approaches and procedures will be presented for disc-herniated disease and stenotic legion from cervical to lumbar. The new technology solution such as navigation-guided spine surgery and robot surgery and artificial and augmented reality will be introduced.