title: Surgery: indications and options.
abstract: The challenge is to better define the present role of spine surgery and more completely understand its realistic benefits and consequences. In spite of modern sophistication, spine surgery can still accomplish only the same two broad objectives, decompression and fusion, that have been possible for more than a century. Never vague or tentative, surgery has its place in the narrow spectrum of cases with clearly established, well circumscribed, structural pathology unresponsive to nonsurgical treatment and producing significant persistent disability. Identifying valid indications and options within the plethora of choices requires knowledge of what is available, what can actually be accomplished, and what limitations apply.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Orthopedic and Arthritic Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D016896:Treatment Outcome