Back and neck pain account for up to 30-40% of visits to primary care physicians, and the Department of Neurological Surgery has placed a premium on training in spinal surgery.
Diagnosing and treating disorders of the spine is an integral part of the Case Western Reserve University neurosurgical training program. Cases range from simple lumbar and cervical discectomies to complex spinal reconstruction and instrumentation.
The gamut of cases includes degenerative spinal disease, spinal malignancies, infection, deformity and trauma. We have expertise in dealing with conditions of the craniovertebral junction, including rheumatoid basilar invagination and atlantoaxial subluxations. Operative capabilities are supplemented by a full-time technician for intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials, electromyogram, and nerve stimulation.
We offer a comprehensive range of minimally invasive spinal procedures as well including: tubular access laminectomies and discectomies, percutaneous pedicle screws, interbody fusion techniques including lateral approaches, spinous process spacers, kyphosis ties and spinal cord stimulators.
The Department of Neurosurgery is involved in active clinical trials evaluating the Aseculap Activ-L artificial disc, efficacy of dural sealants following durotomies, and engineering of embryonic spinal cord stem cells for spinal cord injury repair.