Dr Adriaan Liebenberg My Spine Cervical | Page 102

My Spine - Cervical
A
D
B
C
Image used with permission from Medtronic
Figure 15.2 Surgical technique of a cervical foraminotomy
This drawing demonstrates the key hole that has been drilled in the anatom-
ical location depicted at another level on the opposite side of the spine in fig-
ure 15.1. ote how the skin and muscles are being kept open by self-retain-
ing retractors and how the spinous processes (A) of the vertebrae and the
laminae (B) are visible through the surgical incision. The spinal cord (C) and
the nerve root (D) are visible through the key hole that has already been
drilled (the keyhole demonstrated is larger than in real life for illustrative
purposes). Loose fragments of intervertebral disc may be removed from
underneath the nerve root.
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