Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) have been used to help minimiz
e neurologic morbidity during spinal surgery. While this is a sensory
test it has been used as an inference of motor function. The failure t
o always achieve the latter goal has resulted in some pessimism regard
ing the value of this test. In this series of 161 operations in 150 pa
tients, it was demonstrated that SSEPs were recordable under anesthesi
a in 87% of patients. Of these patients, 12% had their spinal surgery
interrupted due to significant neurophysiologic changes; of these pati
ents, 18% had new neurologic deficits postoperatively. There were no c
ases with new neurologic deficits who had no changes in their SSEPs. I
t was concluded that SSEP monitoring may be helpful in identifying pot
entially neurologically threatening surgical maneuvers in a significan
t number of patients.