The Classic: Contribution to the Study of Spinal Surgery: One Successful and One Unsuccessful Operation for Removal of Tumor

Abstract

. The Classic Article is Ó1905 and is reprinted with courtesy from Walton GL, Paul WE. Contribution to the study of spinal surgery: one successful and one unsuccessful operation for removal of tumor.

Cervical Spine Surgery: An Historical Perspective

“…The treatment of vertebral exostoses was first proposed by Gowers [35] in 1892. In 1905, Walton and Paul [83] performed posterior explorations for ''neoplasms'' of the cervical spinal cord with negative findings. One of the two reported patients died a few days later.…”

“…One of the two reported patients died a few days later. At autopsy, the spinal cord was deeply indented anteriorly by an extradural mass that arose from the sixth intervertebral space, presumably a herniated disc [83]. (This article is reproduced in this issue as a Classic.)…”