Rib head disarticulation for multilevel transpedicular thoracic corpectomies and expandable cage reconstruction

Traditional posterior approaches to the thoracic spine are done with either costo-transversectomy, lateral extracavitary approaches, or transpedicular approaches. The transpedicular approach is the only one that preserves the rib head. However, placing an expandable cage with this rib head intact poses special challenges because of the narrow corridor defined by the rib head and the spinal cord. Instead of removing the rib head, which requires pleural dissection and carries the risks of pleural injury, we disarticulate it and push it laterally during cage placement. This avoids pleural dissection and affords expandable cage placement through a transpedicular approach.