Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker’s invites all spine surgeon and specialist responses.
Next question: What spine procedure do you think will see an increased case volume in the outpatient setting?
Please send responses to Carly Behm at cbehm@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CST Tuesday, March 11.
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What’s one textbook all spine surgeons should read?
Hansen Bow, MD, PhD. UCI Health (South Orange, Calif.): One textbook that I believe all spine surgeons should read is “Benzel’s Spine Surgery.” It gives a great introduction and overview to all aspects of spine surgery, including indications, preoperative optimization, surgical technique, and complication management. I thought the Fourth Edition was terrific, with fantastic chapters on the history of ACDF plates in addition to the biology of spinal fusion. It’s impressive how much spine surgery has changed over the past 50 years, and the textbook provides excellent historical context with respect to techniques that were more frequently performed in the past, such as thoracoscopic surgery, Harrington rods, and sublaminar wiring. It also gives insight into where the future is headed, with sections on minimally invasive surgery, motion-preservation surgery and big data.
Jason Cuellar, MD, PhD. Cuellar Spine (Jupiter, Fla.): All spine surgeons should read “Physical Examination of the Spine and Extremities” by Stanley Hoppenfeld. This is a classic textbook on the art of physical examination, which is so important for spine surgeons but more and more seems to be overlooked.
Brian Fiani, DO. Spine Surgeon. (Birmingham, Mich.): “Handbook of Spine Surgery” is the go-to handbook on the current evaluation and surgical management of spinal disorders. I co-authored the chapter on microdiscectomy.
Brian Gantwerker, MD. The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: I am a bit biased, because I know him a little, and wrote a chapter in another of his books, but Dr. Ed Benzel’s “Biomechanics of Spine Stabilization” remains the most important book a trainee or fellow should read. When I was working on a game for spine surgery a few years ago, it was absolutely critical to helping the programmers understand why we do what we do. It was marvelous to revisit and also refresh the physics and engineering of spine surgery. The book remains key to how I got to understand how to break down spine problems, understand the pathology, and to figure out how to handle them. It is a seminal volume, to be sure.
G. Alexander Jones, MD. Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute (Elmhurst and Naperville, Ill.): Ed Benzel’s “Biomechanics of Spine Stabilization.” This covers the fundamental principles of spine biomechanics, and applies those principles to different hardware constructs and fracture patterns. Understanding these concepts really helped me, as a spine surgeon, understand why some construct designs work really well, and others don’t. And, unlike many textbooks, the writing is very concise and down to earth. It’s a must-read for anyone practicing in the field!
Suken Shah, MD. Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware Valley (Wilmington): “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius.
Essentially the diary of the great Roman emperor, he had stunning observations of human behavior, power, dealing with adversity, developing resilience and expressing humility. It has become a classic in the teachings of stoicism.
Surgeons can relate to many of the trials and tribulations, keeping a level head and enjoying everyday life and small things – keeping real what will make you happy.
David Skaggs, MD. Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles): My favorite is “Operative Techniques: Spine Surgery” by Alex Vaccaro, MD, PhD, and Eli Baron, MD.
A new edition just came out. It is concise, practical and well-illustrated. The only problem is my partners “borrow” it so frequently I may need a second copy.
Noam Stadlan, MD. Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute (Skokie and Highland Park, Ill.): I don’t think that there is one specific textbook that all spine surgeons should read. Thankfully, there are many high-quality textbooks available by both neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons. However, I think it is important to have both a broad base of knowledge and highly detailed knowledge of one’s area of concentration; so it is important to read a high-quality textbook cover-to-cover, and also stay up-to-date in the field by reading journals and attending meetings.
Christian Zimmerman, MD. St. Alphonsus Medical Group and SAHS Neuroscience Institute (Boise, Idaho): Upon arriving at the BNI, the first textbook given to me by my mentor Volker Sonntag, MD, was “The Clinical Biomechanics of the Spine.” by Augustus A. White III and Manohar M. Panjabi (1990) This was required reading for both fellows and residents alike. Principled and erudite were renowned elementals of teacher and student at this institution.
