Posterior occipito cervical decompression with fixation [ and fusion in Cranio vertebral junction compression

Objective: To find out the clinical outcome of posterior decompression with occipitocervical fixation ani fusion in patients with Craniovertebral junction instability

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Methods: Eighty consecutive patients of cranio vertebral junction [CVJ] compression were treated the department of neurosurgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre [JPMC], Karachi over a periodol 05 years from 1st January 2012 till 31st August 2016. All patients underwent posterior decompression witty occipitocervical fusion [OCF] and fixation. The clinical outcome was assessed by Japanese Orthopedic Association [JOA] score and grading

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Results: Out of 80 patients with CVJ instability, 64 [80%] were due to non traumatic causes, while II [20%] were secondary to trauma. All 80 patients [100%] showed post operative relief in pain. Sixty to [80%] patients showed improvement in power post operatively while six [7.5%] had no change, four [51] showed deterioration and six [7.5%] patients expired. Sixty four [80%] patients had improvement of the J01 scores at last follow-up. According to etiology, the JOA score for patients with trauma improved in 12[7S] patients and 52[81.25%] for non traumatic causes while six patients [7.5%] expired. Fusion was achieved 64 [80%] patients at last followup

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Conclusion: Posterior decompression with occipitocervical fusion and fixation is safe and can be recommended in cases of CVJ compression