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[Intraoperative ultrasound in lumbar intervertebral disk displacement]
Unlabelled:
Intraoperative ultrasound of the spine has been used in neurosurgery (tumours) and traumatology (reposition of fractured vertebral bodies fragments).
Aim:
To describe initial experiences with this method and to document the opportunities and problems.
Method:
24 nucleotomies were documented and evaluated. Sonography was performed using a 7.5 MHz sector probe and a typical surgical approach.
Results:
In 21 of 24 cases, imaging of intraspinal structures was possible. The complete extraction of the herniated disk could be documented. In 3 cases the examination failed because the probe was too large to be pushed down between the spinous processes and the wound retractor to the operative site.
Conclusions:
Intraoperative sonography can be used easily as a routine method for exploration of the spinal canal. Technical innovations in the probes would make the method even more feasible.