Spectrum of operations on the cervical spine in a neurosurgical spinal centre with trauma profile

A statistical review is given about the treatment in the Neurosurgical Department of our Institute of cervical spine injuries and non-traumatic spinal diseases during 11 years, as well as about the trends of development in spine surgery. The ratio of operative and conservative methods is described, analysing the indications and yearly numbers of different surgical procedures as compared to the data of non-traumatic spinal diseases. Altogether 786 patients were treated, 319 operations were performed on the cervical vertebral column. By the follow-up of different surgical techniques a radical change of attitude has been shown: ventral desis has got the leading role instead of dorsal spondylodesis which formerly used to be the method of choice. In addition, combined dorsal and ventral desis, lateral exposure, screw-fixation of the dens axis and the Halo-method are important techniques of the up-to-date treatment in special types of injuries.