2011 Clinical Anatomy and 3D Virtual Reconstruction of the Lumbar Plexus with Respect to Lumbar Surgery

Description: Background Exposure of the anterior or lateral lumbar via the retroperitoneal approach easily causes injuries to the lumbar plexus. Lumbar plexus injuries which occur during anterior or transpsoas lumbar spine exposure and placement of instruments have been reported. This study aims is to provide more anatomical data and surgical landmarks in operations concerning the lumbar plexus in order to prevent lumbar plexus injuries and to increase the possibility of safety in anterior approach lumbar surgery.
Conclusion The psoas muscle can be considered as a surgical landmark since incision at the ventral 2/3 of the region can prevent lumbar plexus injuries for procedures requiring exposure of the lateral anterior of the lumbar. The transverse process can be considered as a landmark and reference in surgical operations by its relative position to the lumbar plexus. 3D reconstructions of the lumbar plexus based on VCH data provide a virtual morphological basis for anterior lumbar surgery.
Clinical Anatomy and 3D Virtual Reconstruction of the Lumbar Plexus with Respect to Lumbar Surgery Sheng L, Chang S, Zhang YZ, Ding ZH, Xu YQ, Xu XM BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2011, 12:76