Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Nerve injuries and spinal cord injuries following cervical spine surgery can be devastating to the patient, family, and surgeon, but with adequate counseling preoperatively and appropriate…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Biologics in cervical spine surgery include demineralized bone matrix (DBM), ceramics, allografts containing mesenchymal stem cells, and growth factors. Each of these biologics has different characteristics…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Interspinous wiring techniques were developed as a means of stabilizing traumatic cervical injuries. Although increasingly replaced by newer technologies, such as lateral mass screws and pedicle…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Most lesions in the cervical spine are metastatic; primary bone tumors are rare. The goals of treatment vary from palliation to cure. It is vital to…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is instrumental in evaluation of symptomatic cervical spine degeneration and guidance of surgical treatment. In the setting of trauma, MRI can help…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Partial obstruction of the subarachnoid space can be identified as the underlying cause of syringomyelia in almost all patients: tonsillar descent causes this in Chiari malformation–related…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis The occipitocervical junction consists of structurally important osseous and ligamentous complexes that stabilize the skull base to the spine. Compromise of either the complex bony or…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory polyarthritis that often involves the joints of the upper and subaxial cervical spine. The common spinal manifestations include atlantoaxial…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Cervical cord neurapraxia and stingers can create significant angst in players, coaches, families, and spectators. Avoidance of permanent injury is tantamount. Effective postinjury management of the…
Chapter Preview Chapter Synopsis Symptomatic cervical myelopathy from multilevel spinal cord compression in older patients is an increasing clinical problem. Multilevel anterior cervical surgical procedures carry significant morbidity. The posterior…
