How to Apply Intraoperative Ultrasound when Spinal Trauma Surgery Is Performed in the Lateral Decubitus Position?

Intraoperative ultrasound is a helpful tool during spinal surgery. It allows surgeons to view spinal cord injuries in real time, guiding decompression procedures and confirming their completeness for greater precision. In some spinal trauma cases, it can be hard to tell if enough decompression has been done by just looking. Ultrasound can help see structures and assess decompression. This study introduces a method for using intraoperative ultrasound during spinal trauma surgery performed in the lateral decubitus position, offering a way to assess neural structures and decompression effectiveness in this position.

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  Intraoperative ultrasound was successfully used in all patients to explore decompression of the spinal canal and assess injuries to the neural elements.
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  The study demonstrated that intraoperative ultrasound could guide decompression and assess whether decompression on the ventral side of the dural sac was complete.
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  Changes in echo images of neural elements observed during intraoperative ultrasound showed a correlation with the recovery of nerve function in patients with thoracolumbar fracture and dislocation.