[Cervical spondylolysis. 7 cases. Review of the literature]

Seven cases of cervical spondylolysis are reported one of them with cervical myelopathy, and the literature is reviewed. The particular anatomical features of the articular processes observed in 4 cases, as well as the many characteristics common to cervical and lumbar spondylolysis, suggest that both diseases might be caused by acquired fatigue fractures of the isthmus due to abnormal stress in patients predisposed by neural rich malformations.