Dermatomal monitoring for surgical correction of spondylolisthesis. A case report

The operative treatment for high-grade spondylolisthesis carries with it an inherently high morbidity due primarily to the probability of significant stretch or other injury to nerve roots. Routine somatosensory monitoring of evoked potentials does not give the same specificity to nerve roots as may be desirable to accurately detect changes during surgical correction. We report our experience with the use of dermatomal monitoring to track changes in conduction characteristics of specific nerves and root entry levels.