The Experiences of Airway Management for Anesthesia of Patients with Involved Cervical Spine Ankylosing Spondylitis / 대한마취과학회지

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic and systemic disease involving the axial skeleton. In patients with involved cervical spine ankylosing spondylitis, endotracheal intubation by direct laryngoscope may be difficult because they have a limitation of cervical movement and anatomical anomalies. We experienced the evaluation of thirteen patients with involved cervical spine ankylosing spondylitis by the Mallampati classification, Cormack and Lehane grade, thyromental distance and orolaryngeal angle. By Mallampati class and Cormack and Lehane grade, patients were almost class 3 or 4. Thyromental distance was 5.3 +/- 0.4 cm, and orolaryngeal angle was 90.4 +/- 8.0o.

Spinal Cord Injury Occurred during the Brachial Plexus lock in a Patient with Ankylosing pondylitis: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

The brachial plexus block by interscalene approach is useful for any procedure on upper extremity, including the shoulder. Complications such as phrenic nerve block, Horner's syndrome, permanent neurologic damage, high epidural block, total spinal anesthesia, pneumothorax and cardiac arrest etc. were reported. We experienced a case of 56-year old male patient with ankylosing spondylitis who developed cervical spinal cord injury following the turning of head for brachial plexus block by interscalene approach. The patient developed quadriplegia and finally died after 28 days.