The somatosensory evoked potential can be obtained in the anesthetized
patient during corrective surgery on the spine. The techniques of
anesthesia and somatosensory evoked potential recordings described herein
were utilized in fifty-five patients during surgical correction of
scoliosis with Harrington instrumentation and spine fusion. No detectable
complications were encountered and no neurological morbidity ensued in our
series. This method may prove to be of significant value when potential
injury to the spinal cord may be encountered during correction of spinal
deformities.