Spinal stenosis may rarely involve both cervical and lumbar spines. An alternative surgical strategy used for the treatment of combined cervical and lumbar spinal stenosis is presented. Two cases with symptomatic combined stenosis of the cervical and lumbar spinal canal are described. Simultaneous surgery was performed in both cases. The combined stenosis of the cervical and lumbar spinal canal dictates careful neurologic and neuroradiologic examinations. Simultaneous surgery is an alternative approach for patients with symptomatic multilevel spinal stenoses, whose general conditions necessitate a one-session and short-lasting surgery.

The history of spinal surgery is an important part of the spine-related sciences. The development of treatment strategies for spine-related disorders is acquired from the Western literature. In this article, an Eastern physician, Ibn Sina, who is known as Avicenna in the West, and his treatise, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (the Canons of Medicine), are presented. Eight chapters of this book regarding the functional neuroanatomy of the spine were reviewed and are presented to give insight into the development of the understanding of spinal anatomy and biomechanics.

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Study design: An experimental study to investigate whether replacement of the laminae (laminotomy) after subliminal procedures can prevent the invasion of scar tissue towards the dura. Setting: Izmir, Turkey. Methods: Laminectomy and laminotomy were performed at di erent levels on seven rats. Their spinal columns were investigated histopathologically after a period of 3 months. Results: The histopathological evaluation revealed that the dura and spinal cord were involved by scar tissue at laminectomy area. However, this invasion was not observed at laminotomy levels. This study showed the barrier e ect of laminae against ®broblastic activity. Conclusion:The barrier e ect of lamina may a ect the surgical outcome related to epidural ®brosis. Spinal Cord (2000) 38, 442 ± 444