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Bilateral Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy After Occipitocervical Fusion
Emmett J Gannon1, Chris A Cornett
1From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
Abstract:
A 63-year-old man sustained a Jefferson fracture and was treated nonoperatively by a separate treating surgeon. Because of the symptomatic malalignment and nonunion after 6 months of nonsurgical management, the patient was seen for a second opinion. Occiput to C3 arthrodesis was performed. Postoperatively, the patient was diagnosed with a bilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy. Hypoglossal nerve injuries after cervical spine fractures and posterior cervical procedures are a very rare occurrence. This is the first case report of a bilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy following occipitocervical arthrodesis.
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