[A posterolateral approach to the area of the craniovertebral transition]

The paper presents a stepwise surgical technique of transcervical craniospinal posterolateral approach to the bulky processes of the craniovertebral region and the historical background. The access was modulated on cadavers (the head-neck region) in the project of a surgical intervention. In 1995-1998, clinical tests were made in 11 patients, 6 of whom had ventral craniospinal meningiomas, 2 cases had sand watch neuromas of the C2 root with extradural growth and 3 cases presented sand watch neurofibroma at the C1-C levels. The advantages and disadvantages of the approach are described.