Vialle LR, ed. Fehlings MG, Weidner N, guest eds. AOSpine Masters Series: Spinal Cord Injury and Regeneration. Vol 7. Thieme; 2016; 225 pp; 50 ill; $119.99

The latest volume in the AOSpine Masters Series deals with spinal cord injury and regeneration. It should be a publication of interest to all neuroradiologists because it contains information that is not dealt with in common textbooks about spine radiology. The guest editors, Drs. Fehlings and Weidner, along with 25 contributors, address issues at the core of short-term and long-term care of patients with spinal cord injuries. The chapter on MR imaging covers important clinical/imaging correlates such as predicting outcomes based on MR and describing and annotating with technical factors the utility of advanced imaging protocol and more routinely employed MR protocols. The following chapters address topics other than pure imaging—such as the timing of surgery in acute spinal cord injury, the value of medical treatment, the potential role of neuroprotective schemes, materials used in attempts at neural repair and regeneration, the potential role of stem cell transplantation in SCI, and rehabilitative strategies for patients with spinal injuries—but are nonetheless of interest. Besides, the concepts of primary and secondary injury and the means of cord reconstitution are related to the very real, everyday issue of timing of possible surgery in acute SCI. The emphasis on the diminished effect of secondary injury (like vascular comprise/interruption) when decompressive surgery is performed within 24 hours posttrauma on a severely injured cord is summarized and discussed. Spinal Cord Injury and Regeneration is an important volume in this Spine Masters Series. It should appeal to all those who work closely with spine trauma surgeons, particularly in facilities where there is a sizeable rehab facility.