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Introduction and History of Spinal Implantology

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Handbook of Orthopaedic Trauma Implantology

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Abstract

History of treatment of spinal ailments can be traced back to about 3000 BC in ancient Egypt. Since then, study and description of spinal anatomy, biomechanics and treatment of spinal conditions evolve slowly. Basic idea to use metallic implants in spinal disorders developed in last quarter of the nineteenth century. Evidence of treatment of spinal diseases was found in Egyptian, Sumerian, Mesopotamian, as well as Indian civilizations. First written reference to spinal disorders was found in “Edwin Smith papyrus”. The torch bearers of the study on spine at Greek era were Hippocrates and Galen of Pergamon. During early Roman period, Aurelius Cornelius Celsus described neurological lesion after spinal cord injury. Byzantine period (330–1453 AD) was also remarkable for study of spine. Paulus of Aegina did the first documented laminectomy. Due to the prohibition on study of human cadavers and the looming of dark age, progress of spinal surgery had almost stopped in the medieval period. However, Avicenna or Ibn Sina of Arabian peninsula and Albucasis did some remarkable work during that period. With the study of spinal biomechanics by Leonardo de Vinci (1452–1519), interest on study of spine again shifted to the legacy of Hippocrates. With the invention of X-ray, spine surgery got an impetus. Over the latter part of the twentieth century and early twenty-first century, a remarkable evolution of spinal surgery, including implants is going on till date. Knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, and pathophysiology of human spine and its disorders as well as the overview of different spinal implants is of paramount importance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AMRI Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Chinmay Nath

  2. ILS Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Dinesh Kumar Jaiswal

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  1. Chinmay Nath
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. NH Narayana Superspeciality and Multispeciality Hospitals, Howrah, West Bengal, India

    Arindam Banerjee

  2. Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    Peter Biberthaler

  3. Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, India

    Saseendar Shanmugasundaram

Section Editor information

  1. AMRI Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Chinmay Nath

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Nath, C., Jaiswal, D.K. (2023). Introduction and History of Spinal Implantology. In: Banerjee, A., Biberthaler, P., Shanmugasundaram, S. (eds) Handbook of Orthopaedic Trauma Implantology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7540-0_97

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7540-0_97

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