Closer Look at Spinal Lesions

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Abstract
In an attempt to gain some new insight into spinal lesions that produce back pain, clinical records of 254 patients admitted to the University Orthopaedic Surgery Service of Yale Medical Center from 1959 through 1963 were reviewed. Twenty of these patients had osteomyelitis and six had tumors of various types. Of the 254 patients, 159 underwent surgery. The third most common surgical procedure was biopsy which was carried out in 22 patients. From our study we are convinced that open surgical biopsy is of value in the diagnosis of obscure lesions of the vertebral bodies and may indeed provide a form of treatment as well as diagnosis. The posterior laminectomy approach may destroy the only remaining supporting structures of the spine; therefore, this "closer look" should be made by the anterior, anterolateral, or lateral approach.

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