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Updated: May 27, 2026
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Pediatric bony craniovertebral junction abnormalities: Institutional experience of 10 years
S S Kale1, Pankaj Ailawadhi, Vamsi Krishna Yerramneni
1Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Objective:
To study the clinical features and treatment outcome of pediatric patients with bony craniovertebral abnormalities.
Materials And Methods:
The authors studied 189 consecutive cases of pediatric bony craniovertebral junction abnormalities operated between 2001 and March, 2010.
Results:
The pathologies were developmental (n = 162), traumatic (n = 18) and tuberculous (n = 9). Surgical procedures included transoral decompression (n = 118), occipitocervical fusion (OCF, n = 139), C 1 -C 2 fusion (n = 45), and posterior fossa decompression (n = 5). Methods for OCF included contoured stainless steel rods (n = 86), titanium lateral mass screws and plates (n = 47) and steel wires (n = 6). Constructs of all patients of posterior fixation with contoured rods and wires or lateral mass screw and rod who could be followed up were either stable/fused or were fused and stable. No implant failure was noticed among these two surgical procedures. However, 6 patients with C 1-C 2 fusion had broken wires on follow-up requiring repeat posterior fixation. Good neurological outcome was observed even in poor-grade patients. No significant effect on the curvature or growth of the spine was observed at follow-up.
Conclusions:
Pediatric craniovertebral junction anomalies can be managed successfully with good outcomes using a low cost contoured rod and wires.
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