Web neck deformity; anatomical considerations and options in surgical management

Web neck deformity has been recognised for over 100 years and during that time there has been a large amount of literature devoted to it. There has been surprisingly little information published on the exact nature of the deformity, particularly the exact site and composition of the web and the presence or absence of any other soft tissue anomalies in the head and neck, which could modify a surgical approach. Our paper will describe the "simple" webbing found in four cases of Turner's syndrome and one case of Klippel-Feil syndrome, and discuss some of the associated features seen in these syndromes. We also review the major methods of surgical treatment and examine the role of tissue expanders in the surgical correction of this anomaly.