Transcorporeal approach for disc herniation at the C2-C3 level: a technical case report

The authors describe a less invasive approach for a disc herniation at the high cervical region. A 68-year-old female patient presented with posterior neck and shoulder pain, and tingling sensation and numbness in the left hand after she fell down stairs 2 months before presentation. On neurologic examination, the power of flexion and extension of the left elbow and grasping of the left hand was decreased. Hoffmann sign was positive in both hands. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a huge herniation of the C2-C3 disc compressing the left paramedian area of the spinal cord. After a routine surgical exposure for discectomy of the C3-C4 disc, a drill hole of about 5 mm diameter was made at the middle of the C3 vertebral body. The hole was extended cranioposteriorly to the superoposterior border of the C3 endplate. The posterior disc at the midline of the C2-C3 was removed first then the herniated disc completely removed. Postoperatively, the patient showed improvement of the neck and shoulder pain and numbness of the hand. At 7-month follow-up, she completely recovered from her neurologic symptoms. Compared with the other approaches to high cervical lesion, the current approach was straightforward and less invasive. If there is no need to stabilize the spinal motion segment, this transcorporeal approach can be a useful surgical option as it decreases the extent of tissue dissection of the submandibular retropharyngeal area that might increase the risk of neurovascular injury.