[Reconstruction of cervical stability following old facet dislocation of cervical spine]

A total of 12 cases of old facet dislocations of cervical spine treated between december 1988 and 1993 were analyzed in order to evaluate the efficacy of various surgical modalities. In this series, there were 8 males and 4 females, with ages ranged from 16 to 50 years old (averaged 37.8 years old). The duration from injury to admission to our hospital was ranged from 1 to 8 months (averaged 3.7 months). Dislocation levels were as follows: C3,4 in 1 case, C4,5 in 4 cases, C5,6 in 4 cases and C6,7 in 3 cases. Unilateral facet dislocation was in 7 cases and bilateral facet dislocation in 5 cases. Neurological status on admission was as follows: spinal cord and nerve root lesion in 5 cases, nerve root lesion alone in 5 cases and neurologically intact in 2 cases. Besides all facets receiving facetectomy and iliac bone graft, other four kinds of adjuvant treatments were used, including internal fixation by stainless wires laminae or spinous processes in 4 cases, Luque rod in 1 cases, anterior fibrolysis combined with posterior laminoplasty in 1 cases and sustained skull traction without internal fixation in 6 cases. The reduction efficacy from postoperative stustained skull traction was better and the stainless wires fixation ranked the next. The patients only suffering from the nerve root lesion recovered better, but those who had spinal cord combined with nerve root lesion recovered badly. In conclusion, for the treatment of old facet dislocation, it is necessary to resect the facet and graft with iliac bone.