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History and Evolution of Anterior Lumbar Spine Access Surgery

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Lumbar Spine Access Surgery

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Abstract

Although the posterior approach has been the mainstay since the inception of spine surgery, it has several key limitations which spurred interest in alternative anatomical approaches. Thus, anterior access to the lumbar spine was first developed nearly a century ago. While the techniques have been refined in several ways, the initial descriptions formed the basis for contemporary anterior, lateral, and oblique surgery. Today, these approaches are used for nearly every form of spine pathology, and their indications continue to widen. Every technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. New developments in 3D navigation, robotics, and data science will allow surgeons to continue to innovate to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA

    Neil Kelly, Francis C. Lovecchio & Sheeraz A. Qureshi

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA

    Sheeraz A. Qureshi

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  1. Neil Kelly
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  2. Francis C. Lovecchio
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  3. Sheeraz A. Qureshi
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Aligned Orthopaedics, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Joseph R. O'Brien

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Jeffrey B. Weinreb

  3. Vascular Surgery, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA, USA

    Joseph C. Babrowicz

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Kelly, N., Lovecchio, F.C., Qureshi, S.A. (2023). History and Evolution of Anterior Lumbar Spine Access Surgery. In: O'Brien, J.R., Weinreb, J.B., Babrowicz, J.C. (eds) Lumbar Spine Access Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48034-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48034-8_2

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-48034-8

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