Anterior release and nonstructural bone grafting and posterior fixation for old lower cervical dislocations with locked facets

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of a surgical technique, anterior release, and nonstructural bone grafting combined with posterior fixation, for the treatment of old lower cervical dislocations with locked facets. This was a retrospective study of 17 patients (13 men and 4 women) with old facet dislocations, who underwent the same surgical treatment at our hospital between April 2010 and January 2016. The anterior procedure was conducted to remove the fusion mass and to achieve discectomy and morselized bone grafting. Subsequent posterior procedure included release, reduction, and posterior fusion. The neurologic status, clinical data (Japanese Orthopedic Association [JOA], Neck Disability Index [NDI], and Visual Analog Scale [VAS] scores), and radiographic information (local sagittal alignment and bone graft fusion) were recorded and evaluated pre and postoperatively. All patients achieved a nearly complete reduction intraoperatively. The mean operative time was 178 ± 49 minutes. The mean blood loss was 174 ± 73 mL. Each patient completed at least 12 months of follow-up. The mean follow-up duration was 32.6 ± 18.5 months. The neurologic status according to the Frankel grade was significantly improved at the last follow-up. The JOA, NDI, and VAS scores all demonstrated significant improvements compared with the preoperative values (P 
Source: Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Tags: Research Article: Observational Study Source Type: research