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Continuous intraoperative electromyographic recording during spinal surgery
R M Beatty1, P McGuire, J M Moroney
1Department of Surgery, Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
Journal of Neurosurgery
|March 1, 1995
Summary
Continuous electromyography monitoring during spinal surgery provides real-time feedback on nerve root status. This technique helps surgeons confirm adequate decompression and avoid excessive nerve root retraction.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Neurology
- Spinal Surgery
Background:
- Spinal surgery for radiculopathy aims to alleviate nerve compression from disc herniation or spondylosis.
- Intraoperative monitoring is crucial for assessing nerve root status during these procedures.
Observation:
- Continuous electromyography (EMG) recordings were obtained from muscles corresponding to the involved nerve root in 150 patients undergoing spinal surgery.
- Pre-decompression baseline EMG showed abnormal muscle firing in 18% of lumbar surgery cases.
Findings:
- Muscle firing ceased immediately upon successful nerve root decompression.
- Electrical discharges were consistently elicited by nerve root retraction, indicating potential for iatrogenic injury.
Implications:
- Continuous EMG monitoring is a feasible and valuable tool in spinal surgery.
- It provides objective indicators for adequate nerve root decompression and alerts surgeons to excessive nerve root manipulation.