Objective To evaluate the fixation technique of using the cervical lateral mass plate in the cervical posterior approach operation. Methods Eight patients in this group were admitted from September 2001 to November 2006. Among the 8 patients, there were 6 males and 2 females, with their ages ranging from 28 to 78 years. Cervical vertebral fracture with dislocation was found in 4 patients, C2 spinal cord injury in 1, C1 fracture in 1, cervical spinal stenosis in 1, and C2-5 spinal cord neurofibroma in 1. Muscle strength 3-4. TheFrankel grading system was usedin 6 patients with traumatic injury. Before operation, Grade C was observed in 2patients，Grade D in 3，and Grade E in 1. All the operations were performed according to requirements of the Margel’s method. We positioned 40 screws in all the patients, including 4 screws at C2，6 screws at C3，12 screws at C4，4 screws at C5，4 screws at C6，2 screws at C7，and 6 screws at T1. Results The followingup for an average of 14.1 months (range,645 months) revealed that there was no malposition of the screws in the patients. One of the 8 patients developed spinal instability in the fixed segment at 3 months after operation. The headchestbrace was applied to the patient for 3 months, and the spinal fusion was achieved. The further followingup to 45 months indicated that there was no instability occurring. The remaining patients recovered to their spinal stability by the spinal fusion. The patients also recovered in their neurological function after operation. The Frankel assessment showed that 1 patient had Grade E, 3 from Grade D to Grade E, 1 from Grade C to Grade D, and 1 from Grade C to Grade E. Conclusion The cervical lateral mass plate fixation can provide the immediate and b segmental immobilization for the good cervical spine stability.
Objective To establish the mode of anterior cervical surgery in outpatient setting, and evaluate its preliminary effectiveness. Methods A clinical data of patients who underwent anterior cervical surgery between January 2022 and September 2022 and met the selection criteria was retrospectively analyzed. The surgeries were performed in outpatient setting (n=35, outpatient setting group) or in inpatient setting (n=35, inpatient setting group). There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05) in age, gender, body mass index, smoking, history of alcohol drinking, disease type, the number of surgical levels, operation mode, as well as preoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analogue scale score of neck pain (VAS-neck), and visual analogue scale score of upper limb pain (VAS-arm). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, total hospital stay, postoperative hospital stay, and hospital expenses of the two groups were recorded; JOA score, VAS-neck score, and VAS-arm score were recorded before and immediately after operation, and the differences of the above indexes between pre- and post-operation were calculated. Before discharge, the patient was asked to score satisfaction with a score of 1-10. Results The total hospital stay, postoperative hospital stay, and hospital expenses were significantly lower in the outpatient setting group than in the inpatient setting group (P<0.05). The satisfaction of patients was significantly higher in the outpatient setting group than in the inpatient setting group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in operation time and intraoperative blood loss (P>0.05). The JOA score, VAS-neck score, and VAS-arm score of the two groups significantly improved at immediate after operation when compared with those before operation (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the improvement of the above scores between the two groups (P>0.05). The patients were followed up (6.67±1.04) months in the outpatient setting group and (5.95±1.90) months in the inpatient setting group, with no significant difference (t=0.089, P=0.929). No surgical complications, such as delayed hematoma, delayed infection, delayed neurological damage, and esophageal fistula, occurred in the two groups. Conclusion The safety and efficiency of anterior cervical surgery performed in outpatient setting were comparable to that performed in inpatient setting. Outpatient surgery mode can significantly shorten the postoperative hospital stay, reduce hospital expenses, and improve the patients’ medical experience. The key points of the outpatient mode of anterior cervical surgery are minimizing damage, complete hemostasis, no drainage placement, and fine perioperative management.
ObjectiveTo evaluate long-term radiographic and clinical effectiveness of total cervical disc replacement (TDR) with Prodisc-C prosthesis at a minimum of 10 years follow-up.MethodsThe clinical data of 118 patients with cervical disc degeneration disease (CDDD) treated with TDR by using Prodisc-C prosthesis between December 2005 and April 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 66 males and 52 females, with the age of 25-62 years (mean, 46.8 years). There were 38 cases of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, 28 cases of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, and 52 cases of mixed cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The operative segments were C3-7, including 90 cases of single segment, 20 cases of continuous double segments, and 8 cases of continuous three segments. A total of 154 Prodisc-C prostheses were used during the operation. The clinical effectiveness was evaluated by pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score, neck disability index (NDI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and Odom grade before and after operation. Imaging evaluation indicators included range of motion (ROM), sagittal lordosis angle, intervertebral disc height (IDH), and prosthesis displacement, subsidence, loosening, locking, and heterotopic ossification (HO), adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), and other complications. Patients were grouped according to whether HO or ASD occurred or not, the ROM of surgical segment was compared.ResultsAll patients were followed up 121-150 months (mean, 135.8 months). No revision operation was performed during the follow-up period. The VAS, NDI, JOA scores and Odom grades were significantly improved at 1 week after operation and last follow-up when compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05); VAS and NDI scores were further improved at last follow-up than those at 1 week after operation (P<0.05); there was no significant difference in JOA scores and improvement rates between at 1 week after operation and at last follow-up (P>0.05). The ROM of the whole cervical spine and the operative segment decreased at 1 week and 10 years after operation when compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the other time points (P>0.05); there was no significant difference in the ROM between the upper adjacent segment (UAS) and the lower adjacent segment (LAS) at each time point after operation (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in sagittal lordosis angle of cervical spine before and after operation (P>0.05); the sagittal lordosis angle of operative segment increased significantly at 1 week, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after operation (P<0.05). The IDH of operative segment was significantly improved at each time point after operation (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in IDH between UAS and LAS at each time point after operation (P>0.05). No prosthesis displacement, subsidence, or loosening occurred at each time point after operation. There was no significant difference of the prosthetic displacement and subsidence distance between all time points after 6 months after operation (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the incidence of prosthetic locking/fusion was 10.4%, showing no significant difference when compared with 6 months (1.9%) (P<0.05). The incidence of upper ASD and lower ASD was 1.3% and 2.6% respectively at 1 week after operation. The incidence of upper ASD and lower ASD increased gradually with time prolonging, and there were significant differences between different time points (P<0.05). The ROM of operative segment in ASD group was lower than that in non-ASD group at each time point after operation, but there was no significant difference (P>0.05). HO appeared in 58.4% of the segments at 6 months after operation, and the incidence of HO increased significantly with time, which was significantly different from that at 6 months after operation (P<0.05). The ROM of operative segments in HO group was significantly lower than that in non-HO group at 6 months, 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years after operation (P<0.05).ConclusionTDR has little effect on adjacent segments, although there are some imaging complications, it has no significant effect on the improvement of overall clinical effectiveness. Prodisc-C prosthesis can provide long-term, safe, and definite clinical effectiveness in the treatment of CDDD.
Objective To investigate the imaging characteristics of cervical kyphosis and spinal cord compression in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) with cervical kyphosis and the influence on effectiveness. Methods The clinical data of 36 patients with single-segment CSM with cervical kyphosis who were admitted between January 2020 and December 2022 and met the selection criteria were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the positional relationship between the kyphosis focal on cervical spine X-ray film and the spinal cord compression point on MRI: the same group (group A, 20 cases, both points were in the same position), the adjacent group (group B, 10 cases, both points were located adjacent to each other), and the separated group (group C, 6 cases, both points were located >1 vertebra away from each other). There was no significant difference between groups (P>0.05) in baseline data such as gender, age, body mass index, lesion segment, disease duration, and preoperative C2-7 angle, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-7 SVA), C7 slope (C7S), kyphotic Cobb angle, fusion segment height, and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score. The patients underwent single-segment anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF). The occurrence of postoperative complications was recorded; preoperatively and at last follow-up, the patients’ neurological function was evaluated using the JOA score, and the sagittal parameters (C2-7 angle, C2-7 SVA, C7S, kyphotic Cobb angle, and height of the fused segments) were measured on cervical spine X-ray films and MRI and the correction rate of the cervical kyphosis was calculated; the correlation between changes in cervical sagittal parameters before and after operation and the JOA score improvement rate was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. Results In 36 patients, only 1 case of dysphagia occurred in group A, and the dysphagia symptoms disappeared at 3 days after operation, and the remaining patients had no surgery-related complications during the hospitalization. All patients were followed up 12-42 months, with a mean of 20.1 months; the difference in follow-up time between the groups was not significant (P>0.05). At last follow-up, all the imaging indicators and JOA scores of patients in the 3 groups were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05). The correction rate of cervical kyphosis in group A was significantly better than that in group C, and the improvement rate of JOA score was significantly better than that in groups B and C, all showing significant differences (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the other groups (P>0.05). The correlation analysis showed that the improvement rate of JOA score was negatively correlated with C2-7 angle and kyphotic Cobb angle at last follow-up (r=−0.424, P=0.010; r=−0.573, P<0.001), and positively correlated with the C7S and correction rate of cervical kyphosis at last follow-up (r=0.336, P=0.045; r=0.587, P<0.001), and no correlation with the remaining indicators (P>0.05). Conclusion There are three main positional relationships between the cervical kyphosis focal and the spinal cord compression point on imaging, and they have different impacts on the effectiveness and sagittal parameters after ACDF, and those with the same position cervical kyphosis focal and spinal cord compression point have the best improvement in effectiveness and sagittal parameters.
Objective To explore the feasibilities, methods, outcomes and indications of atlas pedicle screw system fixation and fusion for the treatment of upper cervical diseases. Methods From October 2004 to January 2006, 17 patients with upper cervical diseases were treated with atlas pedicle screw system fixation and fusion. There were 13 males and 4 females, ageing 19 to 52 years. Of 17 cases, there were 14 cases of atlantoaxial dislocation(including 3 cases of congenital odontoid disconnection，4 cases of old odontoid fracture，2 cases of new odontoid fracture(typeⅡC), 3 cases of rupture of the transverse ligament, and 2 cases of atlas fracture； 2 cases of tumor of C2; 1case of giant neurilemoma of C2,3 with instability after the resection oftumors. JOA score before operation was 8.3±3.0. Results The mean operative time and bleeding amount were 2.7 hours (2.1-3.4 hours) and 490 ml (300-750 ml) respectively. No injuries to the vertebral artery and spinal cord were observed. The medial-superior cortex of lateral mass was penetrated by 1 C1 screw approximately 3 mmwithout affecting occipito-atlantal motions. All patients were followed up 3-18 months. The clinical symptoms were improved in some extents and the screws were verified to be in a proper position, no breakage or loosening of screw and rob occurred. All patients achieved a solid bone fusion after 3-6 months. JOA score 3 months after operation was14.6±2.2. JOA improvement rates were 73%-91%(mean 82%). Conclusion The atlas pedicle screw system fixation and fusion is feasible for the treatment of upper cervical diseases and has betteroutcomes, wider indications if conducted properly.
In order to check the neck response and injury during motor vehicle accidents, we developed a detailed finite element model for human cervical spine C4-C6. This model consisted of cortical bone, cancellous bone, annulus, nucleus, ligaments and articular facet, and it also set up contact in the contacting parts for simulating the movement perfectly under frontal impact. This model could be used for stress and strain distribution after the frontal impact load was applied on this model. During the process of frontal impact, the most displacement simulated data were in the interval range of experimental data. The experimental results showed that this model for the human cervical spine C4-C6 simulated the movement under the frontal impact with fidelity, and reflected the impact dynamics response on the whole.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical feasibility of full-endoscopic decompression for the treatment of single-level cervical disc herniation via anterior transcorporeal approach.MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 patients with cervical disc herniation who received full-endoscopic decompression via anterior transcorporeal approach between September 2014 and March 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 12 males and 9 females with an age ranged from 32 to 65 years, with an average of 48.5 years. The duration of symptoms ranged from 6 to 18 weeks, with an average of 10.5 weeks. According to the Nurick grading of spinal cord symptoms, there were 2 cases with grade 1, 7 cases with grade 2, and 12 cases with grade 3. Operative segment was C3, 4 in 2 cases, C4, 5 in 8 cases, C5, 6 in 9 cases, and C6, 7 in 2 cases. The operation time and related complications were recorded. The central vertical height of the vertebral body and the diseased segment space were measured on the cervical X-ray film. The neck and shoulder pain were evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score; Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score was used to evaluate the improvement of neurological function in patients. The MRI of cervical spine was reexamined at 3 months after operation, and the CT of cervical spine was reexamined at 12 months after operation. The decompression of spinal cord and the healing of bone canal in the vertebral body were further evaluated.ResultsFull-endoscopic decompression via anterior transcorporeal approach were achieved at all 21 patients. The operation time was 85-135 minutes, with an average of 96.5 minutes. All patients were followed up 24-27 months, with an average of 24.5 months. There was no complication such as residual nucleus pulposus, spinal cord injury, large esophageal vessels injury, pleural effusion, endplate collapse, intraspinal hematoma, cervical spine instability, protrusion of disc in the same segment, or kyphosis. Both VAS scores of neck and shoulder pain and JOA scores were significantly improved at 12 months after operation (P<0.05). At 3 months after operation, it was confirmed by the cervical MRI that neural decompression was sufficient and the abnormal signal was also degraded in the patients with intramedullary high signal at T2-weighted image. The cervical CT showed that bone healing were achieved in the surgical vertebral bodies of all patients at 12 months after operation. At 24 months after operation, the central vertical height of the diseased segment space significantly decreased compared with preoperative one (t=2.043, P=0.035); but there was no significant difference in the central vertical height of the vertebral body between pre- and post-operation (t=0.881, P=0.421).ConclusionFull-endoscopic decompression via anterior transcorporeal approach, integrating the advantages of the endoscopic surgery and the transcorporeal approach, provide an ideal and thorough decompression of the ventral spinal cord with satisfactory clinical and radiographic results.
目的:探讨CCRS拉钩在颈椎前路手术中的应用方法及结果。方法:回顾分析2007~2008年在我院完成的97例颈椎前路手术中,应用CCRS拉钩来显露切口者的临床资料,并观察平均手术时间、术中出血量、周围软组织突入手术野的次数、术者术中调整撑开器的次数、患者术后咽部不适时间和医生满意度等指标。结果:该组病例平均手术时间103min,平均术中出血量110 mL,每台次软组织突入术野的次数为0~2次,术者术中调整CCRS 1~2次,患者术后咽部不适1~4 d,医生满意度为95.88%。结论:CCRS拉钩撑开切口后颈前方显露清晰,避免了周围软组织突入颈前操作区,从而提高了手术安全性和术者满意度。
ObjectiveTo review the characteristics and applications of different implantation in cervical tuberculosis surgery and the research progress of the new implantation. MethodsBy consulting relevant domestic and foreign research literature on cervical tuberculosis, the classification, advantages, disadvantages, and prospects of implantations were analyzed and summarized. ResultsThe incidence of cervical tuberculosis has increased recently and has a high disability rate. Currently, the implantation in the surgical treatment of cervical tuberculosis are mainly divided into bone materials, metal materials, and bioactive materials; the above materials have their own advantages and disadvantages, for example, the amount of autologous bone is limited, the complications of allogeneic bone are common, and the bone fusion effect of metal materials is poor. With the development of science and technology, the implantation are also more diverse. ConclusionThe choice of the implantation affects the bone fusion directly, furthermore, it affects the effectiveness of cervical tuberculosis, the development of new implantation provides a variety of options for the treatment of cervical tuberculosis.
Twenty cases of myelopathy secondary to cervical spondylosis had been treated by anterior expansive decompression and interbody iliac bone graft. Follow-up for 8 to 42 months, the therapeutic results were satisfactory without any obvious complications. The techniques of fenestration and bone graft were introduced. The advantages of this operation were discussed.