This volume of
Advances and Technical Standards in Neurosurgery
is devoted entirely to the spine. Like other volumes in the series, it presents important recent progress in the field and offers detailed descriptions of standard procedures to assist young neurosurgeons. Among the advances considered are approaches to spinal navigation, including intraoperative imaging based navigation, and concepts of spinal robotics. The value of sagittal balance as a parameter for the neurosurgeon is examined, and a novel surgical approach to longitudinal pathologies within the spinal canal is presented. Developments in surgery for kyphosis are also discussed, with a focus on pedicle subtraction osteotomy. The technical standards section critically reviews the latest evidence regarding cervical disc arthroplasty and pedicle-based non-fusion stabilization devices. The book concludes by discussing the treatment of craniovertebral junction instability as a result of juvenile chronic arthritis.