mentioned in the previous chapter, there is no discussion of

what the long-term consequences of the use of metallic

hardware have on the growing child, particularly the very

young. The fifth deals with some of the more controversial

issues of the mechanical stabilization (atlantoaxial arthrod-

esis) of the pediatric atlantoaxial region. This chapter

outlines what the author considers to be the key issues of

atlantoaxial arthrodesis in children. These issues include the

clinical findings, management strategies, and the technical

details on the various operative techniques. Under the

patient evaluation section is a nice algorithm for the

treatment of atlantoaxial instability. Both conservative (ie,

nonsurgical) and surgical management plans are given for

the various types of instability. The author details here

some long-term follow up on the younger child with

mechanical C1-C2 screw fixation. In the 10-year experi-

ence, in children ranging from 18 months to 16 years, they

report no complications nor issues in growth around the

atlantoaxial region. Particularly useful for the pediatric

neurosurgeon is an extensive and well-illustrated section on

the operative technique for a C1-C2 transarticular screw

fixation. As the author points out, this is a particularly

complex and demanding technique and not for the faint of

heart! Having said that, the illustrations and technique

description are well done and easy to follow. Following up

on the previous chapter, the author now details the surgical

management of occipitocervical injuries. Included in this

chapter is the discussion of some of the complex issues that

neurosurgeons face in deciding on how to manage this

complex region (craniovertebral junction) of the spine.

Both surgical and nonsurgical management are discussed,

and then some of the newer fixation techniques are

discussed. Also provided in this chapter is a nice algorithm

for the treatment of occipitocervical instability. When

discussing cervicovertebral junction instability, various

scenarios are described along with further discussion on

the stability and reducibility of these lesions. Again, the

author here stresses that they have had little or no

complications to date in the use of mechanical instrumen-

tation for stabilization in the cervicovertebral junction

region. The various surgical approaches are nicely outlined.

The combined technique of using a C1-C2 transarticular

screw fixation coupled with an occipitocervical plate is

both well described and nicely illustrated. The final chapter

provides further surgical management details on the

cervical spine. Subaxial cervical injuries can be a partic-

ularly vexing problem in the pediatric spine. In these

situations, the neurosurgeon has to be prepared to adapt

both adult and pediatric principles in stabilization. The

author clearly outlines what he considers the major surgical

issues when dealing with the pediatric spine. Surgical

decision making is not easy, and the range of problems are

enormous! There is a nice discussion of some the available

plating systems along with the advantages and disadvan-

tages of each. The author also discusses the various surgical

approaches to the cervical spine: anterior, anterolateral,

posterior midline. The author includes some discussion on

the use of cable and wiring techniques along with various

graft materials.

Dr Brockmeyer and his coauthors are to be compli-

mented on taking on a complex task—the surgical

management of the pediatric cervical spine. This mono-

graph is well written and well illustrated. In addition,

critical issues unique to the pediatric spine are addressed,

although having said that, I look forward to a more long-

term follow up on the mechanically implanted pediatric

spine. Having now been in the craniofacial surgery business

for more than 20 years, I have become extremely disturbed

at the long-term complications of metallic and nonmetallic

implants that we have been using in the skull and facial

regions. Issues of migration, extrusion, and infection have

become major concerns over time. This book should be in

every neurosurgeon’s library. In addition, radiologists will

find this extremely helpful in understanding some of the

surgical principles and constructs. I think that pediatric

orthopedic surgeons would find this a most useful addition

to their libraries.

James T. Goodrich, MD, PhD, DSci (Hon)

Director and Professor

Clinical Neurological Surgery, Pediatrics, Plastic and

Reconstructive Surgery

Montefiore Medical Center

Bronx, NY 10467, USA

doi:10.1016/j.surneu.2006.02.007

Leonard Wood: rough rider, surgeon, architect of

American imperialismJ McCallum

New York7 University Press; 2005

ISBN #0-81-475699-9; hardcover 384 pp; $34.95.

Rating: ***

Recommended audience: neurosurgeons, neurologists, historians, active

duty and retired medical and line general officers (07 and above), and

foreign service officers.

The USS Leonard Wood was an attack transport ship

during World War II that earned 8 battle stars, serving in

both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres often delivering

troops and supplies straight into combat. After World War

II, the Leonard Wood was relegated to the scrap heap. The

irony of the story of the ship is that the tale of the life of

the man for whom the ship was named follows a similar

path—distinction followed by near oblivion. Were it not for

a US Army Fort in the Ozark Mountains of central

Missouri named after him and a NASCAR Hall of Fame

member with the same name, bLeonard WoodQ would be

truly unknown.

That Wood suffered for a number of years with a

parasagittal meningioma and was to some extent able to

disguise and overcome his seizure disorder and hemiparesis

is an interesting tale for the contemporary neurosurgeon

Book Reviews / Surgical Neurology 65 (2006) 525–528 527

accustomed to seeing patients so afflicted at a much earlier

stage of the clinical course. That our father figure Harvey

Cushing agonized over Wood’s postoperative death and the

arguably flawed decision to attempt complete tumor

removal in one stage instead of two reminds us that our

decisions involving surgical care profoundly affect the

outcome of our patients and that sometimes patient

preferences regarding expediency should be looked upon

with skepticism in the light of reasoned expectation and

experience with similar cases.

Our neurosurgical colleague Jack McCallum, MD, PhD,

has written a biography of Dr/Gen Leonard Wood,

chronicling the life of this 1884 graduate of Harvard

Medical School/Boston City Hospital. Wood received the

Medal of Honor for his service during the Apache Indian

Wars pursuing Geronimo along the US border with Mexico

and became the Chief of Staff of the US Army, the only

medical man ever to have done so. Wood served as the

commanding officer of the Rough Riders (one of whose

subordinate officers was Wood’s friend and president-to-be

Theodore Roosevelt) in Cuba during the Spanish-American

War. Wood facilitated Walter Reed’s yellow fever and

malaria mosquito work and served as military governor in

Cuba and the Philippine Islands. His admirable efforts in

public health and responsible governmental administration

in Cuba stand in contrast to his harsh, some might say

murderous, treatment of the mostly Muslim rebels in the

Moro district of the Philippines. Contemporary high-ranking

military officers, especially those considering political office

after military service and those hired as military bexpert Qtelevision commentators, might do well to review Wood’s

unsuccessful campaign for the Republican presidential

nomination in 1920 and his commentaries and diatribes

while in and out of uniform.

McCallum does a praiseworthy job with the subject

matter. The book is well written and well edited and

thoroughly researched and documented. The only negative

criticism is the absence of maps or diagrams of the

battlefields and surrounding geographies in which Wood

fought—the US-Mexico border, Cuba, and the Philippines.

Although McCallum is objective and does not speculate, we

are left to ponder what effect the brain tumor had on Wood’s

career and what part did it play in his shortcomings, which

became particularly apparent as the tumor progressed.

Howard Morgan, MD

Department of Neurosurgery

UT Southwestern

Dallas, TX 75390, USA

doi:10.1016/j.surneu.2006.01.009

Errata

TO THE READERSHIP: In Fibrous dysplasia of the clivus with a second T8 bone lesion: case report by Contratti et al

(Surg Neurol 2006;65:202), the name of the first author was misspelled. The correct spelling is Filiberto Contratti, MD.

DOI of original artilce 10.1016/j.surneu.2005.05.025doi:10.1016/j.surneu.2006.03.001

Note: Ratings indicate the book’s value to its intended audience, not its

overall quality. Therefore, a one-star rating means that, although the book

may be interesting and well-written, it is not necessarily an important

resource; a four-star rating indicates that the book is strongly recommended.

Book Reviews / Surgical Neurology 65 (2006) 525–528528