STUDY DESIGN Laboratory cadaveric study. OBJECTIVE To delineate the pertinent surgical anatomy of the diaphragm during access to the anterolateral thoracolumbar junction. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The general anatomy of the thoracic diaphragm is well described. The specific surgical anatomy as it pertains to the lateral and thoracoabdominal approaches to the thoracolumbar junction is not w...

Thoracic and thoracolumbar ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be difficult to treat due to the anatomical position. The purpose of this study was to report the significance of a novel surgical technique that represented two cases of thoracic or thoracolumbar OPLL. The first patient was a 72-year-old woman who had a beak-type OPLL at the T11/12. The second was a 45-ye...

The objective of this study was to assess which patient group had better outcomes for management of single level thoracolumbar spinal fractures. We prospectively collected data on the outcomes of patients having either conservatively managed, traditional open surgery, or minimally interventional surgery (MIS) for treatment of a single level thoracolumbar fracture. All patients had previously as...

OBJECTIVES Classification methods that are currently being used for clinical decision making in thoracolumbar fractures, are limited by reproducibility and prognostic value. Additionally, they do not include kyphosis. As a posttraumatic kyphosis is related to persistent pain, it is of importance to determine a risk of posttraumatic kyphosis based on fracture type and patient characteristics. ...

BACKGROUND Thoracolumbar junction (TLJ) is the transitional area between the lower thoracic spine and the upper lumbar spine. Vertebral compression fractures and proximal junctional kyphosis following spine surgery often occur in this area. Therefore, the study of development and mechanisms of thoracolumbar junctional degeneration is important for planning surgical management. This study aimed ...