Motion Preservation in Spine Surgery

Interest in motion-preserving procedures, particularly in the cervical spine, remains high and several techniques have found greater acceptance and adoption for the appropriately indicated patient, particularly cervical disc replacement and cervical laminoplasty. Techniques in the lumbar spine have shown less consistent results, although continued interest drives development of continued innovation. Particular attention to the quality of the literature, especially with patient selection, choice of comparison group, and statistical methodology in early studies are crucial for critical evaluation of any novel technique or device.