Doctors with a specialist title in neurosurgery or orthopaedic surgery and traumatology of the musculoskeletal system can acquire the specialisation in spinal surgery.
Holders of this specialisation have special knowledge and skills in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the spine. The range of therapies includes both conservative treatments and surgical procedures. Conservative therapy involves fixations such as cervical collars or corsets, drug treatments including infiltrations for pain relief, as well as physiotherapy and rehabilitation programmes. The surgical treatment options are varied and include, among other things, spinal decompression and stabilisation therapies. Many of the surgical procedures can be performed in a minimally invasive way using keyhole surgery.
Medical specialists with a specialty in spinal surgery typically treat damaged intervertebral discs, vertebral fractures in the event of bone loss (osteoporosis) or after accidents, as well as osteoarthritis of the vertebral joints caused by wear and tear. They are also able to correct deformities or curvatures of the spine.
Patients are often cared for in close cooperation with specialists from related fields such as orthopaedics, neurosurgery, interventional radiology, neurology or rheumatology.