The efficacy of carotid tubercle as an anatomical landmark for identification of cervical spinal level in the anterior cervical surgery: comparison with preoperative C-arm fluoroscopy.

CONCLUSIONS: The identification of skin incision site via carotid tubercle palpation was useful for surgeries involving two or more segments. Furthermore, it could be useful for one-segment surgery if surgical site is identified using vertebral body or soft tissues such as longus collis rather than insertion into the disc. PMID: 23730477 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: Clin Orthop Surg Source Type: research