• Patients with major trauma or an infection in the bone, called osteomyelitis, which may occur in the thoracic region.
• Spinal tumours or lesions
• Bone spurs
• Degenerative spine disease
• Thoracic disc herniation
• Rib pain
• A hump
• Patients with multiple tumours in one thoracic vertebra
• To drain an abscess in patients living with tuberculosis

What does a costotransversectomy entail?

A costotransversectomy is normally done under general anaesthesia. During the procedure, the neurosurgeon will make an incision the skin above the affected area, adjacent to the sine or along the spinal bone. He will then retract the muscles in order to access the spinal cord and the costotransverse joint. In order to gain access to the spinal cord, the neurosurgeon will perform a costotransversectomy which involves him removing a portion of the rib as well as a bone attached to the spine. This will then allow the surgeon to remove an abscess, tumour cells, or release pressure on the spinal cord.

Spinal corpectomy and fusion may be performed to relieve decompression and pain, which may be caused by a compressed nerve. This procedure involves the neurosurgeon replacing the removed bone and rib with a bone graft. The graft will then be secured in place with the use of plates, rods and screws. People who have severe spinal decompression, spinal corpectomy and fusion will be combined with posterior spinal fusion.