The basic techniques of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring for spine surgery

Continuous intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring using appropriate monitoring modalities is crucial to prevent and minimize neurologic injury, which can be a direct result of surgical intervention or an indirect result of factors unrelated to the surgical field. The complexity of modern spine surgery, the abnormal physiologic position of the patient during surgery, and the long duration of the surgical procedures put the patient at risk for neurologic injury that may vary from a simple peripheral nerve neurapraxia to a devastating complete spinal cord injury. Neuromonitoring can prevent and correct most of these complications through early detection.