Minimally Invasive Instrumentation of the Cervical Spine: Past, Present, and Future.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spinal Surgery

Background:

• Posterior cervical instrumentation and fusion are increasingly common, driven by an aging population and complex cases.
• Traditionally, cervical spine instrumentation relies on open surgical approaches.
• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques have gained traction in various surgical fields over the last two decades.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current literature on minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for posterior cervical instrumentation.
• To overview past, present, and future techniques in MIS dorsal cervical instrumentation.
• To discuss the existing limitations of MIS in this surgical domain.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of MIS techniques for posterior cervical instrumentation.
• Analysis of historical, current, and emerging surgical approaches.
• Discussion of challenges and limitations encountered in MIS procedures.

Main Results:

• Few attempts at minimally invasive cervical spine instrumentation have been reported to date.
• The article provides an overview of MIS techniques in dorsal cervical instrumentation.
• Current limitations of MIS for posterior cervical instrumentation are discussed.

Conclusions:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) presents multiple advantages for posterior cervical instrumentation.
• Significant work is required to fully establish MIS procedures for posterior cervical instrumentation.
• Further research and development are essential to overcome current limitations and expand MIS adoption.