Surgical management of congenital cervical kyphosis

Congenital cervical kyphosis is a rare clinical condition. The purpose of this study was to review the surgical management and outcomes of 12 consecutive cases of congenital cervical kyphosis management by the same surgical team. The authors retrospectively analyzed the records of 12 patients (5 men and 7 women) with an average age of 18.4 years (range, 15-31 years) who underwent surgery for congenital cervical kyphosis at the authors' institution between 2001 and 2005. All patients had congenital cervical kyphosis; those with secondary kyphosis deformity due to causes such as infection, tumors, and surgery were excluded. The indications for surgery were signs of spinal cord compression with progression of clinical symptoms such as decreased muscle strength and paresthesia. All patients had radiographic evidence of cervical kyphosis. Six patients underwent anterior decompression, autogenous bone grafting, and instrumentation, and the other 6 patients underwent combined anterior-posterior surgery. All surgeries were performed successfully with no complications. Bone graft fusion occurred in 11 patients. In 1 patient who underwent anterior surgery, the bone graft was partly absorbed, and pseudarthrosis was noted at 3 years postoperatively. Mean Japan Orthopaedic Association cervical myelopathy score and mean Cobb angle were significantly improved at 1 week and 1 year postoperatively compared with preoperative values. Anterior and combined anterior-posterior surgical approaches are useful for the correction of congenital cervical kyphosis. Bone graft fusion is also critical for maintaining the surgical correction. Choice of surgical methods depends on the patient's clinical condition.