Neuro Spine vs. Ortho Spine?

[apocalypsem3]

Can someone who has more knowledge than me explain to me why one would choose Neurosurgery over orthopaedics if I want to do spine?

Residency is a little tougher in neurosurgery and I guess neurosurgeons can do intradural stuff whereas orthopods only do extradural stuff, but is that the only difference?

Any opinion is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

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[iwantneurosurg]

i've had this same question too, and, to be honest, i'm still not sure myself after asking several docs and residents

it appears neurosurgeons are allowed to go into the dura whereas ortho does not. other ppl say ortho is more reconstructive. others say neuros do more nerve manipulation and tumors, which ortho's aren't allowed to touch

the ortho residents say ortho residency is easier and there's "nothing special in the dura anyway" and neuros keep getting their asses kicked in

others say that the bread and butter ops are different; i'm still not sure which is it for me.

at our hospital, and many others that i've seen, the ortho and neuro spines work together. i think thats the future; ppl who do the same thing work together are together, instead of by specialty. these neurospines dont even really associate with the cerebrovasculars much, and even their papers go out with the ortho spine guys.

he said thats true of vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists; they too are starting to work together


so in the end, i guess the difference is pretty minor. if u went into private practice, i guess an ortho spine would do a lotta hip replacements to pass his time, and neurosurgeons would do crani's, but i'm really not sure. from what i see at our hospital, theyre exactly the same to me.

EXCEPT: Ortho spine needs a fellowship in spine surgery; neurosurgeons do not as they generally have enough experience in complex spine by this point

 

[apocalypsem3]

I guess it's good that Ortho spine guys and Neuro spine guys are working together as a group. Concerning length of residency, Neuro is 6 years as I understand it and Ortho is 5 years + 1 spine fellowship. So legnth of time in training should be similar.

From your post, as I understand it, Neuro guys will do alot of cranio stuff if there are no spine cases. But I thought 80% of neurosurgery are spine anyway. That being said, I don't really see the difference in Neuro spine and Ortho spine in actual private practice setting.

Any other members, please comment on what kind of procedures each specialty will do majority of time... or any other comments would be appreciated.

 

[mpp]

Although there a few 6 year programs, most neurosurgery programs are 7 years in length (and a couple are 8 years).

In private practice there are neurosurgeons of all varieties but at tertiary care centers neurosurgery service if often about 50/50 in terms of spine and other. A lot less spine than that if you count the minor cases.

 

[DrVanNostran]

I'm digging up this old thread to see if there is anyone else that wants to comment. I've been able to work with some neuro spine guys and it was pretty badass. I'm curious to see the ortho guys.

 

[Raygun77]

I'm doing my ortho rotation now, so my take is:

Main difference as a trained ortho vs neuro spine attending is the type of cases you'll get on call. Neuro call will be full of head traumas needing emergency cranis, while Ortho is more #s that can either wait or need to be ORIF'd straight away. You decide which is worse.

Otherwise i've noticed ortho do the complex cases like scoliosis, neuro do the AVMs/tumours, and both have their own independent referral base for the lions share of the work- degenerative.