Intraoperative radiographic technique in defining the safe lateral limits of anterior cervical corpectomy / 中国矫形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

[Objective]To assess the accuracy and value of radiographic technique using computed tomography(CT) measurements in cadaveric specimens during anterior cervical corpectomy in order to define the safe lateral limit of dissection.[Method]The gutter of C4～6 corpectomy on 5 cadaveric samples was filled with radioopaque dye.An antero-posterior X-ray was used to measure the narrowest distance from dye column to the line of uncovertebral joints.A CT scan confirmed the distance from the borderline of the gutter to vertebral arteries.[Result]The distance between the X-ray dye column and the line of uncovertebral joints averaged 4.7 mm in the left and 4.2 mm in the right.While the distance from the borderline of the gutter to vertebral arteries with CT scan averaged 6.1 mm in the left and 5.9 mm in the right.The measured distance by radiographic technique underestimated the true distance.[Conclusion]Intraoperative radiographic technique can estimate the lateral distance between the gutter of corpectomy and vertebral arteries by measuring the distance from the dye column to the line of uncovertebral joints.This technique provides surgeons an additional margin of safety during anterior cervical corpectomy.