Cervical locked facet: operative management

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Spinal Medicine

Background:

• Cervical locked facets constitute 5.6% of cervical spine injuries.
• Current traction techniques and fixation methods lack definitive consensus.
• Diagnosis often involves advanced imaging like MRI to assess disc and ligamentous damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of early surgical intervention for cervical locked facets.
• To compare different surgical approaches based on reduction status.
• To emphasize the importance of addressing associated soft tissue injuries.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 13 patient cases with cervical locked facets.
• Analysis of surgical outcomes based on posterior-then-anterior versus single anterior approaches.
• Correlation of imaging findings (MRI) with surgical decision-making.

Main Results:

• Early surgical treatment demonstrated good spinal alignment and stability.
• A posterior-then-anterior approach was utilized for non-reduced facets.
• A single anterior approach was effective for reduced facets under anesthesia.

Conclusions:

• Precocious surgical treatment is advocated for cervical locked facets.
• Surgical approach selection (posterior-anterior vs. anterior) depends on facet reduction.
• Complete removal of injured intervertebral disc and ligamentous tissues is crucial for optimal outcomes.