Neck Complaints

As a new addition to "The Most Common Complaints" series, this short, compact review of the diagnosis of neck complaints is a practical guide that principally focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of spondylosis as based on the 35 years of experience of Dr Ronthal.

The introductory chapter has a historical account of cervical spine pathology and is a delight to read. The first chapter begins with a case that illustrates typical signs and symptoms of a middle-aged patient with spondylosis. The rest of this chapter briefly outlines the signs and symptoms and, in general terms, details treatment. The book goes on to describe in a concise fashion the signs and symptoms related to spondylosis, followed by its pathophysiologic findings. These chapters are well illustrated with regard to the dermatome distribution of the cervical nerve roots and their motor innervation. In addition, the pathophysiology section is well illustrated with figures and magnetic resonance images. Treatment modalities are divided into medical and surgical treatments. The surgical treatment section provides a nice review of an article by Rowland reporting the outcomes of various procedures for spondylosis. The details of surgical treatment are certainly not the focus of this book; however, it should be added that an open-door laminaplasty provides excellent decompression in situations in which multiple levels of pathology are present. This procedure allows for the preservation of the posterior elements and limits the risk for postlaminectomy kyphosis.