Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
C-arm-Free Simultaneous OLIF51 and Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation in a Single Lateral Position
Published on: September 16, 2022
Occipito-cervical fusion in post-traumatic instability of the upper cervical spine and cranio-cervical junction
Michele Cappuccio1, Federico De Iure, Luca Amendola
1Department of Spine Surgery, Maggiore Hospital, Bologna, Italy, michele.cappuccio@libero.it.
Introduction:
Surgical management of upper cervical spine (UCS) unstable injuries may be challenging as the number of cases requiring this surgery collected in every single center is small. This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the radiographic and clinical results in 12 patients undergoing a posterior occipito-cervical fusion by a polyaxial screws-rod-plate system.
Methods:
There were eight male and four female patients with a mean age of 73.7 years (range 32-89 years). Six patients presented neurologic deficits at admission. Six patients had sustained major trauma. The remaining six patients had suffered a minor trauma.
Results:
Two patients died postoperatively in Intensive Care Unit. All surviving patients achieved solid fusion at 6 months. No surviving patient had neurological deterioration postoperatively. There were no instrumentation failures or revision required. Two patients suffered from superficial occipital wound infection.
Conclusions:
Although the indication to occipito-cervical fusion decreased since the new C1-C2 posterior fixation techniques were described, it remains a valid and reliable option in UCS post-traumatic instability to be applied even in emergency especially in the elderly.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Articulations of the Vertebral Column
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:22Sutures of the Skull
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
01:19Muscles that Move the Head
The bilateral sternocleidomastoid, or SCM, and the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles are significant head flexors. The SCM muscles originate at the sternum and clavicle and attach to the mastoid process of the temporal bone. The SCM contracts bilaterally to bend the head forward, whereas...
01:19Cranial and Spinal Meninges
Cranial Meninges
These meningeal layers cover the cranium. The dura mater is the outermost layer of cranial meninges. It is a thick and durable membrane of dense...
01:29Herniated Intervertebral Disc l: Introduction