Postoperative Spine: What the Surgeon Wants to Know.
Laura Eisenmenger, Aaron J Clark, Vinil N Shah
Author Information
Laura Eisenmenger: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
Aaron J Clark: University of California, San Francisco, 400 Parnassus Avenue, Third Floor, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Vinil N Shah: University of California, San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, L352, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: Vinil.Shah@ucsf.edu.
Imaging of the postoperative spine is commonly obtained but is often challenging to interpret. Accurate and clinically relevant interpretation requires a strong understanding of the preoperative spinal pathologic condition, the surgical procedure performed, and the expected imaging appearance of postoperative changes. This article reviews common surgical approaches to the degenerative spine, the most appropriate imaging modalities to use, how to optimize imaging protocols, and how to interpret those images. The reader will therefore possess the tools required to effectively assess postoperative spine imaging, identify early and late complications, and provide the surgeon with relevant information to guide patient management.
