Effects of Cervical Fusion Surgery by Different Methods on Stability in Upper Cervical Spine with Jefferson Fracture / 医用生物力学

Objective To establish the finite element model of upper cervical vertebrae C0-3 with Jefferson fracture, and to analyze the influence of posterior atlantoaxial fusion (PSF) and occipitocervical fusion (OCF) on biomechanical properties of the vertebral body and mechanical conduction of the screw-rod system. Methods Based on CT images, the C0-3 segment Jefferson fracture model of human upper cervical spine was established. PSF, OCF1 and OCF2 internal fixation were performed according to surgical plan in clinic, and 50 N concentrated force and 1.5 N·m torque were applied to bottom of the occipital bone. The stress distribution and range of motion (ROM) of the cervical vertebral body, the maximum stress of the screw-rod system and the stress distribution of the intervertebral disc for C0-3 segment during flexion, extension, bending and rotation of the upper cervical spine were studied. Results Compared with PSF, the ROM of OCF1 and OCF2 vertebral bodies increased, and the stress of the nail rod decreased. OCF had a better fixation effect. Conclusions PSF, OCF1 and OCF2 fixation method can reduce the upper cervical ROM and restore stability of the upper cervical spine, which make stress distributions of the vertebral body and intervertebral disc tend to be at normal level. The research result can provide a theoretical basis for clinical surgery plan.

Establishment of Three-Dimensional Finite Element Model of Medulla Oblongata-Upper Cervical Spinal Cord Based on Pathological Section and Biomechanical Analysis of Related Injury / 医用生物力学

Objective The three-dimensional (3D) solid model of medulla oblongata-upper cervical spinal cord based on specimen pathological section data was established, and the stress and strain levels of medulla oblongata-upper cervical spinal cord under dentate process compression were obtained by finite element analysis, so as to provide references for clinical research. Methods Mimics was used to process the slice data, so as to establish the point cloud model. SolidWorks was used to locate, edit and optimize the point cloud model, so as to establish the 3D solid model. HyperMesh was used to establish the finite element model and ANSYS was used for finite element analysis. Results The medulla oblongata-upper cervical spinal cord model with clear boundary between gray matter and white matter and white matter fiber bundle was established. The stress and strain levels and stress-strain curves of white matter and gray matter under different compression degrees were obtained. Conclusions Combined with pathological sections of specimens and reverse engineering, the 3D medulla oblongata-upper cervical spinal cord model with clear morphology and structure of gray/white matter can be established. When the medulla oblongata-upper cervical spinal cord is compressed, the stress level of gray matter is lower than that of white matter, and about 20% of compression is the critical state of white matter. When the disease develops beyond the critical state, the biomechanical properties of white matter may fail, resulting in gray matter damage.

Establishment and evaluation of a cadaveric model of chronic strain-induced upper cervical spine instability based on fascia-bone theory / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Studies regarding the instability of upper cervical spine in cadaveric specimens are mostly based on an acute violence model, and there is still no chronic strain-induced upper cervical instability model. OBJECTIVE: To construct and evaluate the cadaveric model of the upper cervical spine instability caused by chronic strain according to the theory of “fascia and bone.” METHODS: Nine fresh cadaveric cervical spine specimens were prepared and the normal vertebral range of motion was detected by Motion Analysis Motion Capture System. The upper cervical spine instability model was constructed by using BOSE dynamic fatigue testing machine with maximum flexion, extension and rotation fatigue loading. Then, the vertebral range of motion was tested again. The anterior flexion, posterior extension, left flexion, right flexion, left and right rotation of the occipitoatlantoaxial joint, the atlantoaxial joint and the whole upper cervical spine were compared before and after modeling. The implementation of the study protocol complied with the relevant ethical requirements of Southern Medical University, and the specimens were voluntarily donated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) During anterior flexion, the range of motion of the atlantoaxial joint (C1-2) and the entire upper cervical vertebra (C0-2) of the specimens after modeling was significantly larger than that before modeling (P 0.05). (3) During right rotation, the range of motion of the whole upper cervical spine (C0-2) of the specimens after modeling was significantly increased compared with that before modeling (P < 0.05). During both left and right rotation, the range of motion of the atlantoaxial joint (C1-2) and the whole upper cervical spine (C0-2) of the specimens was significantly larger than that of the specimens before modeling (P < 0.05). Therefore, this model can be used to reflect the state of upper cervical instability caused by chronic strain.

In vivo measurement of three-dimensional motion of the upper cervical spine using CT three-dimensional reconstruction / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#Using the CT three-dimensional reconstruction to measure the activity degree of atlanto-occipital joint and the atlantoaxial joint in different directions and its coupling movement in healthy volunteers, and three dimensional motion range of the maximum rotation position of the upper cervical spine of cervical spondylosis patients, and to analyze the differences, verifing the reliability of the method at the meantime.@*METHODS@#From January 2014 to June 2015, 20 healthy adult subjects(healthy adult group), and 26 patients with cervieal spondylosis(cervical spondylosis group) were selected. In healthy adult group, there were 11 males and 9 females, aged from 22 to 26 years old with an average of (24.0±1.2) years, and in cervical spondylosis group, there were 24 males and 2 females, aged from 36 to 72 years old with an average of (52.8±8.6) years. Healthy adults underwent CT examination in neutral position, maximum right rotation, maximum right lateral bending, maximum flexion and extention, and cervical spondylosis patients underwent CT examination in neutral position, maximum right rotation. Then the software Mimics was used to reconstruct occiput (Oc), atlas(C1) and axial(C2) vertebral three-dimensional image. Three virtual non-collinear markers were positioned on prominent structures of foramen magnum, C1 and C2. The 3D spatial coordinates of these virtual anatomical markers entail the definition of an anatomical local coordinate system which represent the position and orientation of the bones. Segmental motions were calculated using Eulerian angle in three major planes, and the difference between cervical spondylosis group and healthy adult group were compared. Due to the inaccuracy in anatomical landmark idenrification, two groups were measured 3 times, and the reliability of the experimental metnod was verified by the intra-group correlation (intra-group ICC) and the inter-group correlation coefficient(inter-group ICC).@*RESULTS@#Reliability verification results:the intra-group ICC and inter-group ICC results were all above 0.90, and the measurement method had high reliability. Three-dimensional activity of the upper cervical spine in healthy adults:the atlanto-occipital joint had(-6.8±1.5)° coupled left lateral bending and (8.9±2.0)° coupled extension in the maximum right rotation position, and the motion of atlanto-occipital joint had low activity[maximum was(5.3±2.6)°] in the remaining 3 positions; the rotation of atlanto-axial joint was(37.9±5.1)°, accounting for 52.34% of the total cervical spine activity[(72.4±5.0)°] in the maximum right rotation position, and rotational motion was still prominent in the remaining three positions. The relative translations of the upper cervical spine in all direction were small. The average axial rotation angle [(62.0±3.4)] ° of the total cervical spine in cervical spondylosis group was significantly lower than that in the healthy adult group, but the mean axial rotation angles of the atlanto-occipital and the atlantoaxial joint were not significantly different from those of the healthy adults(>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The three-dimensional CT reconstruction method has high reliability, which can be applied to measure the movement of spine. The upper cervical spine contributed the most to the direction of rotation, and the movement in all directions are accompanied by coupled motion in the other direction. There was no significant difference in the rotation of the upper cervical spine between cervical spondylosis patients and normal subjects.

Schwannoma of the upper cervical spine-a case report / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Upper cervical schwannoma is rare, and belongs to benign tumors that is usually asymptomatic. It accounted for only ten percent of schwannomas cases and mostly occurs in 40-50 years old patients. Aggressive and total resection is the treatment of choice for this tumor. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult, relying on clinical suspicion, and confirmed by surgical pathology. We report a 54-year-old male patient with chief complain of progressive weakness and numbness of his right arm for four months. He had a history of lymph node tumor in 2007 and excised in 2011. Neurological decrease was found on the right arm. The radiographic examination showed lytic lesion on the second, third, and fourth cervical spine. Computed tomography scan showed destruction extending to the first cervical vertebra. Capsulated extradural and extramedullary mass and compression to the spinal cord was found from the magnetic resonance imaging. Two-stage operation was performed. The first stage was posterior decompression with occipitocervical fusion and instrumentation, while the second was anterior decompression and iliac strut graft. Both operations performed using the surgical ultrasonic dissector. During three months' follow-up, it showed neurological improving. Neurological deficit appears when there is compression on the spinal cord. Total resection is the treatment of choice for these tumors. Preoperative imaging should be performed to exclude malignant tumor and found tumor extension.

Application of preoperatively vertebral artery CTA in screw setting of upper cervical spine / 局解手术学杂志

Objective To study the application of cervical vertebral artery CT angiography(CTA) preoperatively in the screw setting of upper cervical spine.Methods The data of 170 patients who underwent upper cervical spine surgery from January 2014 to December 2015 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed,of whom 80 cases with typeⅡodontoid fractures,90 cases with atlantoaxial dislocation;20 cases were operated with occipitocervical fusion,150 cases treated with atlantoaxial fusion.Seventy-eight cases were examinated by cervical vertebral artery CTA before sugery(observation group) but the other 92 cases(control group).The rate of the vertebral arterial lesion between the two groups were compared.Results Six cases with vertebral artery injury in control group,the incidence of arterial injury was 7％;unilateral vertebral artery was found in 3 cases,small congenital development of left cervical vertebral artery in 5 case,abnormal branch in 5 cases.The rate of dysplasia was 17％,and the rate of vertebral artery injury was 0.The rate of vertebral artery injury in control group was higher than observation group,the difference was significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Vertebral artery CTA examination preoperatively may become a routine examination,in order to make the operator carefully evaluate the relationship between the vertebral artery with atlantoaxial vertebral,choose the accurate screw-setting and avoid the vertebral artery injury in the upper cervical spine surgery.

Clinical effect of clivo-axial angle in posterior approach for patients with unstable upper cervical spine / 中国综合临床

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of clivo-axial angle(CAA)in the posterior approach for patients with unstable upper cervical spine.Methods Twenty-one patients with unstable upper cervical spine treated with posterior approach surgery from October 2014 to March 2016 were included in this study,and the patients were divided into the decompression group(11 cases)and the non-decompression group (10 cases)according to whether the intraoperative decompression was included.The clivo-axial angle(CAA) were measured by mobile three-dimensional before and after the surgery in order to estimate the reduction of spinal cord compression effect after the posterior cervical surgery combined with the reduction,fixation and bone graft fusion,then to guide the restoration.CT was used to measure the CAA and MR was used to measure the cervico-medullary angle(CMA)before operation and 3 months after operation.Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA)scores was used to evaluate the neurological function 6 months after operation.Results All patients were followed up for 6-12 months.CMA((156.3±3.6°)vs.(155.9±2.7°))and CAA((154.3±5.1°)vs. (151.3±4.7°))of the decompression group and the non-decompression group at 3 months after surgery were improved significantly compared with those collected before the surgery(CMA:(131.5 ± 0.6°)vs.(131.1 ±0.5°);CAA:(133.2 ± 1.7°)vs.(132.4 ± 1.2°)),the differences were statistically significant(CMA: t=-21.81,P=0.00 vs.t=-28.54,P=0.00;CAA: t=-12.44,P=0.00 vs.t=-11.68,P=0.00).After operation,CAA((152.3 ± 1.3)vs.(132.6 ± 1.5))was significantly improved,compared with that before reduction((131.1±1.9)vs.(132.4±1.5°))(t=-30.09,P=0.00 vs.t=-35.93,P=0.00).JOA scores of the two groups at 6 months after operation((9.8±1.3)points vs.(10.3±1.7)points)were significantly lower than those before the surgery((7.1 ± 0.7)points vs.(7.6 ± 1.1)points),the differences were statistically significant(t=6.01,P=0.00 vs.t=4.36,P=0.00).No complications such as fixed failure,infection,spinal cord injury and vertebral artery injury were found in all patients.Conclusion For patients with upper cervical spine instability,the usage of intraoperative three-dimensional C arm scanning in CAA measurement to determine the effect of spinal cord compression can guide the reduction,simple and feasible,the clinical effect is satisfactory.

Surgical Outcome for Hemodialysis-Related Upper Cervical Lesions

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. PURPOSE: To investigate the surgical outcome for hemodialysis-related upper cervical lesions. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Surgical outcome of lower cervical lesions in patients undergoing hemodialysis has been reported. However, surgical outcome for upper cervical lesions in hemodialysis patients is unclear. METHODS: Upper cervical lesions in nine patients undergoing hemodialysis were surgically treated. Mean age at surgery was 61.6 years (range, 52-68 years), and the mean follow-up period was 45.4 months (range, 2-98 months). Patients had undergone hemodialysis for an average of 25.3 years (range, 16-40 years) at surgery. Seven patients with destructive spondyloarthropathy (DSA) of the upper cervical spine were treated with atlantoaxial or occipitocervical fixation. Two patients with retro-odontoid pseudotumors were treated with C1 posterior arch resection alone. Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores for cervical myelopathy, postoperative complications, postoperative radiography, and preoperative and postoperative occipital pain were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean preoperative and postoperative JOA score was 3.7 and 8.1, respectively. The seven patients with DSA had severe preoperative occipital pain that disappeared postoperatively. Postoperative radiography showed solid bone union in DSA cases and no instability in pseudotumor cases. CONCLUSIONS: Satisfactory surgical outcome was observed for hemodialysis-related upper cervical lesions.

Posterior Internal Fixation with Pedicle Screw Rod System for Upper Cervical Vertebra Injury: 16 Cases Report / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To observe the feasibility of posterior internal fixation with pedicle screw rod system for upper cervical vertebra injury. Methods 16 patients with upper cervical vertebra injury accepted posterior pedicle screw system internal fixation were reviewed. Results Venous plexus behind C2 damaged in operation in a case, who needed a microscope for hemostasis. No complication, such as neurological symptoms worse, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, hematoma and infection of incision happened post operation. The neurological symptoms improved 81.8% in all the 7 cases who complained before operation. No complication was found in the follow-up 3 to 18 months after discharge. Their activities of upper cervical was basically unaffected. Conclusion Posterior internal fixation with pedicle screw rod system can provide stable support for patients with upper cervical injury.

The application value of MSCT angiography in posterior approach of upper cervical vertebrae / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To explore the application value of multi-slice CT angiography (MSCTA)in posterior approach of upper cervical vertebrae.Methods Fifty-one patients with suspected or conformed upper cervical disease were collected and performed cer-vical CTA examination.Twenty three patients underwent internal fixation surgery of posterior upper cervical and reviewed with CTA examination.Volume Render (VR),Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP)and Multi-planar Reformation (MPR)were used to show the courser and anatomical variation of vertebra artery,the shape of vertebrae,the relationship between the vertebra artery and adjacent structure,advantage artery.The distribution of screw placement,including perforation of the anterior wall,the inner wall, the outer wall,the upper wall,the interior wall and the inner wall of occipital were observed by VR,MIP and MPR after surgery, especially the relationship between the screw and vertebra artery,the screw and spinal cord.Comparing the correlation between the screw placement and postoperative symptoms.SPSS1 9.0 statistical packages were used for statistical analysis.Results VR,MIP and MPR can show the courser and nearby space relationship of cervical artery.The number of advantage artery was 25,equilibra-tion was 26,dysplasia variation was 13,course variation was 4.The number of tiny pedicle was 1 6,including 9 cases of ipsilateral advantage artery.The postoperative data analysis of 23 patients showed that:C1 -20,C2 -36,C3 - 1 5,C4 -2,occipital 40.The number of accurate screw placement was 83.Different type of perforation was 30,including 3 screws closing to vertebra artery,1 screw closing to spinal cord.All 23 patients were asymptomatic after surgery.Conclusion MSCTA can reflect the morphology of cervical vertebral,the spatial relationship between cervical vertebral and surrounding structure,which can provide an accurate refer-ence for clinical screw placement and improve the accuracy .The postoperative CTA can show screw placement accurately,which has great reference for the evaluation of clinical success rate of surgery and post-surgery treatment.

Posterior Internal Fixation with Pedicle Screw Rod System for Upper Cervical Vertebra Injury：16 Cases Report / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To observe the feasibility of posterior internal fixation with pedicle screw rod system for upper cervical vertebra injury. Methods 16 patients with upper cervical vertebra injury accepted posterior pedicle screw system internal fixation were reviewed. Re-sults Venous plexus behind C2 damaged in operation in a case, who needed a microscope for hemostasis. No complication, such as neurologi-cal symptoms worse, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, hematoma and infection of incision happened post operation. The neurological symptoms improved 81.8%in all the 7 cases who complained before operation. No complication was found in the follow-up 3 to 18 months after dis-charge. Their activities of upper cervical was basically unaffected. Conclusion Posterior internal fixation with pedicle screw rod system can provide stable support for patients with upper cervical injury.

Upper Cervical Spine Injury / 대한척추외과학회지

Upper cervical spine injuries, including atlantooccipital articulation, are being recognized more commonly and there is an increasing number of reports of patients surviving with injuries previously thought to be fatal. The bony elements of the upper cervical spine consist of the occiput, atlas and axis. The nature of their articulations provides no inherent stability, but rather relies on ligaments to maintain the structural integrity. Some upper cervical injuries, occipitocervical injuries, and isolated midsubstance transverse ligament ruptures, are usually unstable and frequently result in neurological injury or death. Therefore, these injuries warrant early instrumented posterior arthrodesis. Most upper cervical spine injuries can be treated non-surgically and heal readily. Implementation of a diagnostic algorithm consisting of screening parameters gathered from the plain radiographs as well as routine CT and MRI scans in high risk patients should reduce the occurrence of missed injuries.

Biomechanical testing of neotype retropharyngeal cervical hook-plate for atlantoaxial instability / 中国矫形外科杂志

[Objective] To analyze the mechanics of neotype retropharyngeal cervical hook-plate(RCHP)for atlantoaxial instability with biomechanical testing.[Methods]Six fresh adult craniocervical specimens(C0～3)used for testing the biomechanical instability were all putted into following five test courses:intact,instability(Type ⅡOdontoid fracture),RCHP,Anterior C1、2 transarticular screw fixation,brooks.Repeated statistical analysis of the data was performed using the SPSS 13.0 software package.Measures were performed with SNK testing method to determine whether significant differences existed,P=0.05.[Results]Biomechanical testing showed that,compared with the controlled group and the injured group,each fixation course significantly decreased ROM in all test modes.In the ROM of flexion,there was no significant difference between RCHP and Brooks(P=0.525),but both of them was higher than anterior C1、2 transarticular screw fixation(P

Discussion of internal fixation for the injury of upper cervical spine / 中国矫形外科杂志

Internal fixation technique is an important surgical method in cervical spine surgery.This article will introduce kinds of internal fixation techniques,discuss the differences and problems of them.Posterior screw-rod system and anterior odontoid screw technique have more advantages to provide solid fixation and high fusion rate in upper cervical trauma according to the latest reports.they are the effective and creditable surgical methods for reconstructing the stability of upper cervical spine.

Surgical treatment of upper cervical vertebra disease from high anterior cervical retropharyngeal approach / 中国基层医药

Objective To study the clinical result of the surgical treatment of upper cervical vertebra disease from high anterior cervical retropharyngeal approach.Methods Among 14 patients,there were 7 C_(2.3)disc hernia- rions combined with C_(2.3)dislocations,3 Hangman fractures,2 odontoid process fractures and 2 C_3 tumors.All patients underwent the high anterior cervical retropharyngeal approach.10 cases were given discectomy of C_(2.3)or focus clear- ance of C_3,iliac bone autograft or titanium cage filled and internal fixation with titanium plate.2 cases of odontoid process fractures were given anterior screw fixation.Results 14 cases got successful exposure.The decompression, reduction,lesion clearance and fusion with internal fixation were done in all patients.There were no important vascu- lar or nerve injuries.The surgical treatment could improve the spinal cord nerve function to a certain degree for the cases with compression of spinal cord.Conclusion Good exposure of upper cervical spine and effective surgical oper- ation could be achieved from high anterior cervical retropharyngeal approach,with minimal trauma and complication, and it was a favorable approach.

Occipitocervical fusion with transpedicular fixation system / 中国矫形外科杂志

[Objective]To evaluate the effects of transpedicular internal fixation system for occipitocervical fusion.[Method]From Jan.2004 to Jan.2007,occipitocervical fusion was performed in 21 patients(12 male,9 female,mean age 45.3 years) with transpedicular internal fixation system(Sofamor Danek Company).There were 14 with upper cervical tumor,3 with cervical congenital malformation and 4 with dens axis fracture combined with atlantoaxial dislocation.The clinical outcomes were investigated by clinical observations,radiologic studies and statistical analysis.[Result]All the patients were followed up for 6 to 40 months with an average of 21 months.The result of X-ray showed that bony fusion was successful in 16 patients at 3 months and 5 patients at 6 months of follow-ups.There was no deterioration of spinal cord injury.The JOA scores of neurofunction increased from 5-17 points(mean 12.6 points) to 8-17 points(mean 15.8 points),with the improvement of 72%.All patients were partly limited in rotation movement.Seventeen patients had a rotatain of 100?,three was 80?,and one was 50?.[Conclusion]Transpedicular internal fixation system has multiaxial screw of three-column fixation and plastic rods,which offers strong fixation and good fusion.It can also benefit the maintenance of cervical curve.It is an effective and reliable method for reconstruction of upper cervical stability.

Atlanto-occipital Assimilation Can be Misdiagnosed as Atlantoaxial Dislocation: A Case Report

We present a rare case that atlanto-occipital assimilation can be misdiagnosed as C1-2 anterior subluxation. This is a lack of familiarity in orthopedic surgeon that was not used to manage the upper cervical spine injury. So the treatment of this entity need to get careful diagnosis and attention.

Microsurgical treatment of tumors in upper cervical spinal canal / 中国微创外科杂志

Objective To explore surgical techniques and curative effects of microsurgical treatment for tumors in upper cervical spinal canal.Methods A total of 81 cases of tumors in upper cervical spinal canal had received microneurosurgery from January 1990 to December 2005.The operation was conducted through a posteromedial approach.A total tumor resection was performed in 73 cases of neurofibroma or neurilemmoma,3 cases of spinal meningioma,and 3 cases of ependymoma.A subtotal tumor resection was conducted in 2 cases of astrocytoma.Results A complete recovery was achieved in 75 cases,an improvement of symptoms was achieved in 4 cases,and no improvement in 2.No death was encountered.Follow-up observations were carried out in 52 cases for 3 months ～ 3 years(8.5?1.5 months).MRI examinations 3 months after operation in 15 cases found no residual or recurrent tumor.X-ray radiography under anteroposterior,lateral,and open-mouth view 6 months after operation in 32 cases showed no spinal deformation and good vertebral stability.Recurrence of intramedullary tumor was seen in 3 cases. Conclusions As long as tumors in upper cervical spinal canal are diagnosed,a microsurgical treatment should be given as early as possible.Appropriate selection of surgical approach,skillful microsurgical techniques in accordance with pathological types of lesions,and principles of minimal invasion are critical for the operation safety.

Effects and Complications of the Upper Cervical Rhizotomy in Spasmodic Torticollis

To determine the effects and its complications of ventral cervical and selective spinal accessory nerve rhizotomy in the spasmodic torticollis, 14 patients who had undergone surgery between 1989 and 1997 were reviewed retrospectively. In overall twenty four operations were performed. The ventral cervical rhizotomy with spinal accessory nerve rhizotomy were performed in nine patients and the ventral cervical rhizotomy without spinal accessory nerve rhizotomy were done in two patients. Five cases of sternocleidomastoid myotomy with or without peripheral accessory neurectomy, and the five cases of peripheral accessory neurectomy were also performed. In two patients, the selective peripheral denervations were performed. In overall thirteen patients(93%) showed improvement in their condition. Of the eleven patients with the ventral cervical rhizotomy and spinal accessory nerve rhizotomy, nine patients(82%) improved. Five patients suffered from dysphagia or dysphonia postoperatively for several months, but one patient is having more than two years. Of these six patients, five patients had undergone the bilateral upper cervical rhizotomy and bilateral accessory nerve rhizotomy. Therefore to reduce the postoperative dysphagia or dysphonia, the authors recommend to save the unilateral cervical ventral roots or unilateral accessory nerve root. The authors also stress that the selective peripheral denervation would be the choice of operation in cases with the spasmodic torticollis because of its effectiveness and rarity of complications.

Clinical Analysis of Upper Cervical Spine Injuriesur

This review of upper cervical spine injuries includes 51 patients admitted to Korea University Hospital, Seoul during the period 1 Jan. 1990 to 31 Dec. 1994. The incidence of upper cervical injury was 13.6% in the 375 spine injury cases and 31.7% in the 161 cervical spine injuries. The most common type of injury was odontoid fracture, ie. 16 cases or 31.3%. The male-to-female ratio was 2.6:1 and the 4th decade showed peak incidence. 33 cases(64.7%) of the injuries were caused by traffic accidents. The chief complaints on admission were neck pain with limited range of motion in 39 cases(76.5%), motor weakness in 3 cases(5.9%), and sensory disturbance in 2 cases(3.9%). Operative treatment was performed in 23 patients resulted in neurologic improvement in 22 Cases(95.7%) and 28 patients were managed by conservative treatment with 25 cases(89.3%) of neurologic improvement. Mortality rate of the upper cervical spine injury was 3.9%. The above represents our experience with 51 patients suffering from upper cervical injuries. Management and follow-up guidelines are also reviewed.