Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IOM)

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is a technology used during spine surgery to monitor spinal cord and nerve function in real time to minimize the risk of neurological damage during surgery.

IONM consists of the application of different neurophysiological tests for the assessment of the function of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves mainly) during surgical interventions that may present a risk of neurological injury.

Electrodes placed on the patient’s scalp, muscles and nerves are used to measure electrical activity. The signals are then transmitted to a computer that analyzes the data and alerts the surgeon if there are changes in the patient’s neurological function. This allows the surgeon to make adjustments during the procedure to avoid damage to the spinal cord or nerves.