Historically, thoracic disc pathology has been treated via open thoracotomy or open
posterior costotransversectomy or lateral extracavitary approaches. However, these …

The anterior vertebral body of the cervicothoracic and thoracic spine houses the vast
majority of pathological processes. The initial impetus for development of anterior surgical …

Background The standard approach to the thoracic disc is through thoracotomy. The video-
assisted thoracoscopic approach has been used as an alternative to the open approach for …

Abstract Treatment of a thoracic disc herniation is limited by the inability to retract the
thoracic spinal cord without causing neurologic deficits. Traditional posterior decompression …

The lateral retropleural approach provides an eloquent, mini-open, safe corridor to address
various pathologies in the thoracolumbar spine, including herniated thoracic discs …

Herniated thoracic discs, unlike their lumbar counterparts, are difficult to read and safely
resect using traditional posterior approaches. Historically, the use of a laminectomy for …

Surgical approaches to the thoracic spine have evolved in recent decades with the
development of advanced instrumentation techniques and an increased emphasis on …

Anterior access to the spinal column is a powerful tool in the armamentarium of spine
surgeons. Direct decompression of anteriorly based compressive pathology is expedient at …

The canonical posterior and anterior approaches to the thoracolumbar spine, although
effective in providing wide exposure, involve clinically significant morbidity and risk of …

Study Design: Retrospective case series. Objective: To identify the indications, techniques,
and outcomes for instrumented fusion during thoracic discectomy. Summary of Background …