Intraoperative ultrasound for spinal lesions.

A variety of spinal pathological processes demonstrated by intraoperative ultrasound is presented. Use of spinal ultrasound proved helpful in viewing alignment, assessing spinal cord pathology, and viewing anterior to the cord in cases of spinal trauma. As an operative adjunct, ultrasound was especially helpful for viewing extradural spinal metastases and cavitary lesions of the spinal cord, such as syrinxes, cystic tumors, and hematomas. In cases of spondylotic myelopathy, intraoperative ultrasound allowed assessment of the adequacy of the decompression, the space ventral to the cord, and the size and configuration of the spinal cord.