Minimally invasive fenestration for decompression of C2-C3 spinal stenosis

Conventional techniques in neurosurgery such as laminectomy have been extensively displaced by minimally invasive types, owing to the character of complexity of cervical spinal region. Spinal canal stenosis at C2-C3 level is documented in the literature with the majority being caused by intervertebral disc herniations.This case reports a patient who presented with classical myelopathy symptoms and significant thickening of ligamentum flavum, while minimal spondylosis was detected at C2-C3 level. The decompression was performed from posterior approach and limited to the removal of ligamentum flavum with minimal resection of adjacent laminae, no fixation and no disc evacuation. After surgery, there was a significant improvement with preserved spinal stability.Although the anterior approach is more common for cervical spine, universal access site has not been defined in literature. We suggest that minimal decompression produces desirable effects with no need for fusion and preserving adequate stability of spinal complex.