The Pocket Spine, Second Edition

Nearly a decade after publication of the first edition, Camden Whitaker and Stephen H. Hochschuler submit an updated second edition of The Pocket Spine. As the title suggests, the book is designed to be a compact, quick reference of spinal conditions to guide the reader in evaluation and management. Through 12 chapters written by an expert panel of neurosurgeon and orthopedic surgeons, a spectrum of spinal topics is reviewed. The book is broadly organized into chapters covering pre- operative and postoperative care, imaging, trauma, cervical degenerative disease, rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine, deformity (pediatric and adult), lumbar radiculopathy, compres- sion fractures, low back pain, spinal stenosis, sacroiliac joint disease, and tumors. The format for each chapter is consistent and intuitive: clinical presentation, relevant physical examination, diagnostic studies, management options and treatment algo- rithms, surgical techniques, and complications. When appropri- ate, a brief discussion of the supporting clinical literature is presented.
As Lawrence Lenke points out in the Foreword, there has been a “tremendous explosion” recently in spine care treatment options, yet the underlying conditions and indications remain relatively finite and constant. The Pocket Spine therefore may serve as a potentially valuable educational resource for students and trainees to gain understanding of basic spinal disorders. This particular demographic is likely the target audience; the book is manageable in length (,300 pages), with many chapters ,20 pages. The book is organized for easy reference, allowing quick review for teaching rounds or conference. Text is commonly presented via bullet points. Figures, tables, and charts provide facile reference for various classification and grading systems. More than 50 illustrations and photos demonstrate clinical examination and radiologic findings. Outlined treatment algorithms (eg, cervical radiculopathy, lumbar stenosis) and sample postoperative admission orders may be particularly useful for residents performing inpatient consultation. Throughout, “Red Flags” boxes provide critical, clinical pearls. The compact design of the book is such that it will easily fit in a white coat. According to the publisher’s Web site (CRC Press), an electronic format is also available, which may allow access on personal mobile devices.
Whitaker indicates in the Preface that The Pocket Spine originated as a natural extension of the personal notecards that he made while in training. Therein lie many of the limitations of the book; the abbreviated format may often lead readers to look for missing information. For example, notable omissions include osteomyelitis, ankylosing spondylitis, spina bifida, and spinal dysraphism, conditions not infrequently encountered by residents covering the wards. Elsewhere, broad generalizations are made that are not entirely accurate. The discussion of spinal schwannomas is followed by a single statement: “use nerve stimulator to identify nerve fascicles intraoperatively.” Inexplicably, the review of surgical treatment options for rheumatoid atlantoaxial instability inappropriately lists “anterior cervical discectomy and fusion,” “anterior cervical corpectomy,” and “laminoplasty” as potential options.