Advanced Concepts in Lumbar Disc Degenerative Disease
Book is the first treatise in Portuguese on this subject of great economic and social repercussion
The first treatise - originally published in Portuguese - on lumbar degenerative disc disease has been launched. The book is called “Advanced Concepts in Lumbar Disc Degenerative Disease” and has four co-editors: João Luiz Pinheiro Franco (São Paulo, Brazil), Alexander R. Vaccaro (Philadelphia, USA, reviewer for the Journal of Neurosurgery-Spine, one of the most respected people in the world in this area of knowledge), Edward Benzel (Full Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Cleveland, Cleveland Clinics, one of the best hospitals in the USA; Benzel is considered by many to be one of the fathers of spinal biomechanics) and Heinz-Michael Mayer (Munich, Germany, a disciple of Mario Brock - as well as Dr. João Luiz - and recent President of the Society of Spine Surgery. João Luiz - and recent President of the German Spine Society and the European Spine Society).
The book, with 37 chapters and more than 80 international contributors, was designed after four years of experience by Dr. João Luiz Pinheiro Franco in neurosurgical university services in Europe and visits to services in the USA. In the following text, the Brazilian neurosurgeon gives a brief editorial on the new publication. To read CADERNO ZERO of the book, which includes forewords by Professors Alexander Vaccaro, Edward Benzel, Heinz-Michael and Dr. João Luiz Pinheiro Franco, visit the following link: http://www.sbn-neurocirurgia.com.br/documentos/Pinheiro Franco.pdf
“The book begins with French Professor Yves Coppens, discoverer in 1975 of the australopithecine LUCY (at the time the oldest bipedal Hominidae), telling in his chapter “We've been standing for 10 Million Years” the geoclimatic and anatomical reasons involved in the progressive acquisition of bipedal posture. Next, Prof. Gusmão et al review historical concepts of the lumbar degenerative disc disease, For example, it shows that the maneuver we know today as the Lasègue has been practiced since the time of the Egyptian pharaoh Imhotep.
Then Luiz Roberto Aguiar et al talk about anatomical concepts and pathogenic insights into the intervertebral disc. Chapter 4 is written by Andreas Nerlich, a highly respected pathologist from Munich, who has won the internationally renowned Volvo Award (twice) for his studies on the pathophysiology of lumbar disc degeneration, and provides the latest knowledge on the subject. In chapter 5, by Prof. Kehrli (Chairman of Neurosurgery in Strasbourg) et al, we outline the current known epidemiological patterns and the fundamental role of genetics in the development of lumbar degenerative disc disease. Chapter 6, by Prof. Dietemann (Chairman in Radiology at Strasbourg) et al, presents in detail the main imaging findings of the degenerative lumbar spine. Chapter 7 unravels the myths and legends of Discography and is written by one of the members of the International Spine Injection Society, Prof. Rick Derby from California. Chapter 8, written by myself and Dr. Esposito from Strasbourg, extensively reviews the literature on Modic actions in MRI images, seeking to understand whether or not there are correlations with clinical practice. Chapter 9, a Point of View chapter, is by Prof. Michael himself Modic (Chairman of Radiology at the Cleveland Clinic) and explains his current vision of the actions that bear his name.
Chapter 10, starting a new section of the book, discusses the psychosocial aspects and work-related issues (and loss of work...) concerning lumbar disc disease. This and the following chapter (Cost-Effective Spine Surgery - Reality or Paradox?) were written by Professor Daniel Resnick, from Madison (USA), author of the famous “Guidelines” on lumbar fusion, published in an entire issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery a few years ago. This last chapter - Cost-Effective Spine Surgery - Reality or Paradox? - is important not only for us surgeons, but also for the payers involved.
Chapter 12 “Legal Aspects in the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Disease” brings together various aspects of our profession that “we always wanted to know, but never saw... in writing”. Dr. Traynelis, the author and former President of the Cervical Spine Research Society, even attended the last SBN congress. Chapter 13, by Prof. Helton Defino, former President of the Brazilian Spine Society, shows the importance of evaluating the results of surgeries, using validated scales and not retaining the “patient got better...or worse...”. Chapters 14 and 15 explain the conservative treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease, with chapter 15 being written by one of the most renowned rheumatologists in Europe, Professor Michel Benoist (from Paris), who is the annual reviewer of the main articles published in the European Spine Journal. The next session is entitled “....Doubts, Decisions and Techniques” and has the chapters “When to Operate When Not to Operate - Advanced Concepts” (16) and “To Fuse or Not to Fuse? That's the question” (17). There are also chapters on “Bone substitutes”, which show the existing options for iliac crest bone removal (Jonathan Grauer et al, Yale University, USA); chapter 20 by Edward Benzel with concepts of spinal biomechanics and, after that, chapters on anterior fusion techniques (ALIF - Seth Zeidman, N.Y.); TLIF minimally invasive (Richard Assaker -Lille, France), and PLIF (Gilles Perrin, Lyon), and finally the “point of view” chapter by Rick Sasso, from Indianapolis.
The following session begins with the chapter by Pierre Roussouly et al in which we describe the fundamental notions of sagittal balance of the spine, These are concepts that every spine surgeon today needs to know. Chapter 25 discusses spinal osteotomy techniques, which will probably be more and more in demand in the not too distant future, given the failure to observe fundamental issues related to maintaining/obtaining lumbar lordosis. The subject of apartment back, a harmful consequence of not observing these conditions, is discussed in the final chapters of the book by Professor Donlin Martin Long (Chairman of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University for over 20 years), in his chapter Lessons from a Lifetime. Returning to the chronology, chapter 26, by H-Michael Mayer (author of the following treatise on the subject), breaks down what is available today on Minimally invasive techniques for the spine lumbar. Chapters 27 to 29 deal with disc arthroplasty, or lumbar artificial disc; from its historical beginnings in Germany (Frank Kandziora, Germany) to its biomechanics (Edward Benzel) and its present (Haid, Atlanta). Chapter 30, written by another disciple of Mario Brock, Meisel, from Halle, shows the latest in cell transplantation, stem cells, for disc regeneration.
After the point of view chapter, by Jean-Paul Steib from Strasbourg, we have the penultimate session, which brings the latest evidence on non-fusion techniques for the spine, such as dynamic systems (Barrey and Perrin, Chairman of Neurosurgery in Lyon) and the interspinous devices (written by the conceptualizer, Jacques Senegas) and, finally, the final section of the book presents, in an absolutely informal way and, as the name of the section itself announces, LESSONS OF A LIFE, the lessons of a lifetime of four sacred monsters of international spinal surgery: Donlin Martin Long (Johns Hopkins, Baltimore), Heinz-Michael Mayer (Munich), Robert Mulholland (Nottingham, England), and Edward Benzel.”
