Predominant cervical involvement in patients with psoriatic arthritis: report of two cases

Cervical spine involvement is common but usually delayed in patients with psoriatic arthritis. We report two cases with early and predominant involvement of the upper cervical spine. Synovitis of the atlanto-odontoid joint and fusion of multiple facet joints were noted in one patient. In the other patient, the main finding was atlanto-axial subluxation with erosions of the odontoid process and anterior arch of C1. No abnormalities were noted in the peripheral joints, sacroiliac joints, or thoracolumbar spine. Analgesics and conventional antiinflammatory agents were only minimally effective. TNFalpha antagonist therapy (infliximab followed by etanercept) in one patient and phenylbutazone therapy in the other improved the symptoms and led to shrinkage of the pannus.     

Fracture luxation of the cervical spine in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: six cases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Treatment of cervical spine fracture in patients with ankylosing spondylitis is difficult. Biomechanical changes related to ossified ankylosing spondylitis spine make cervical spine fractures highly unstable. They cover the entire width of the spine inducing multidirectional instability and the risk of neurological injuries. Treatment is more difficult that in the nonossified spine. Different treatments have been proposed including anterior stabilization, posterior stabilization, or both. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively six cases of cervical fracture dislocation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. RESULTS: There were five cases of C6C7 fracture dislocation and one case of C4C5 fracture dislocation. Four patients had neurological impairment at diagnosis. All patients underwent surgery. Two had anterior stabilization: one patient died and the other achieved bone healing. Four patients had anterior and posterior stabilization combined with a cervical brace for three months, for two and a halo cast for two, others because of persistent instability, with neurological injury in one. A neurological improvement was obtained in four patients. One patient was lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Surgical management of selected patients with ankylosing spondylitis and cervical spine fractures is challenging. Combined anterior and posterior stabilization should be considered for these fractures. A cervical brace must be associated with surgical treatment. With appropriate management, outcome can be favorable.     

Surgical treatment for rheumatoid neck arthritis bilateral occipitospinal fusion with plate fixation

The results of surgical treatment of 12 patients with rheumatoid cervical spine arthritis were reviewed. The Ranawat classification was as follows: 5 with Ranawat IIIB, 1 Ranawat IIIA and 6 Ranawat II. Decompression and fusion using autogenous iliac bone graft and double occipitospinal plate fixation was carried out on 11 of these patients; the remaining patient underwent upper cervical spine fusion using screw and wire fixation. The main indication for surgery was neurological deterioration. In three cases previous surgery had been carried out on the cervical spine. The results were assessed at a mean follow-up of 26.1 months. According to Frankel's grading the neurological recovery in patients with neurological compression was one grade. There was clinical and radiological evidence of fusion in all these patients. The following complications required further surgery: acute postoperative epidural hematoma (one patient) screw loosening (one patient) CONCLUSION: Fusion of the occiput and lateral mass of the involved cervical spine using a plate on each side provides a relatively stable fixation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine. Laminectomy and adequate decompression of the neural elements can be carried out without compromising spinal stability. There is a relatively high complication rate associated with surgery for rheumatoid neck and the patient needs to be informed.     

Primary amyloidoma of the thoracic spine

Focal amyloidosis (amyloidoma) involving the vertebral spine without an underlying systemic disorder is rare. Only six cases been reported in the literature so far, one involving the cervical spine, the rest occurring in the thoracic region. We present a patient with amyloidoma involving the thoracic spine and describe the magnetic resonance imaging features of this condition.     

Sternal fractures associated with spinal injury

Twenty-eight cases of sternal fractures and/or dislocations were reviewed for the presence of associated spinal injury. Patient records and radiographs were studied. Sixteen cases had inadequate radiographs to rule out spine fracture. Three cases had known direct injuries to the sternum. Of the remaining nine patients, eight had spine fractures. All of the spine fractures were consistent with a flexion injury mechanism. Three patients had spine fractures at the thoracic level and four at the lumbar level. One patient had lower cervical and thoracic injuries. In the patients with spine injury, the proximal manubrial fragment tended to displace posteriorly. Similarly, the manubrium would move posteriorly in manubriosternal dislocations. A case of spontaneous sternal fracture in a patient with osteoporosis and multiple thoracic compression fractures is described. One patient had open reduction of the manubriosternal joint. Three patients who were admitted for their sternal injuries had spine fractures which were not recognized during the hospitalization. There were no cases of mediastinal injury in the patients with combined sternal and spinal injuries. Flexion injury to the spine may cause buckling of the sternum. However, indirect sternal injury continues to be overlooked. Careful evaluation for spine injuries should be done on all patients with sternal fractures and vice versa.     

Delayed diagnosis of cervical spine injuries.

Over a 32-month period, the cases of all patients with multiple injuries on whom cervical spine roentgenograms (CSRs) were obtained during blunt trauma evaluation in a trauma center were reviewed to determine the incidence, outcome, and clinical consequence of delayed diagnosis of cervical spine injuries. A total of 1,331 patients had CSRs following blunt injury. Sixty-one (4.6%) of the patients had documented cervical fractures or dislocations. The patients were seriously injured (mean Trauma Score, 12; mean Glasgow Coma Scale score, 11; and mean Injury Severity Score, 30.3). Eleven of the patients died in the trauma room; 9 with fatal atlantoaxial dislocation. Of the 50 survivors (81.9%), neurologic deficits were present in 15 (30%), and 8 of those had complete spinal cord injuries. The diagnosis of the cervical spine injury was made during the initial evaluation in 56 of the 61 patients (91.8%). Five patients had delayed recognition of their cervical spine injury (2-21 days). The reason for the delay was incomplete CSRs in all patients, despite multiple views (up to 13). The missed injuries occurred in patients in whom complete visualization of the spine was most difficult (i.e., severe degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine in two patients; previous cervical fractures in one patient; instability during resuscitation in one patient). Radiologic misinterpretation occurred in one patient. The diagnosis of cervical spine injury was pursued because of persistent neck pain in two patients, and the development of subtle neurologic findings in three. The neurologic deficits in the three patients resolved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Conservative management of pyogenic osteomyelitis of the occipitocervical junction

STUDY DESIGN: A report of three cases of pyogenic osteomyelitis of the occipitocervical junction. OBJECTIVE: To describe the conservative management of pyogenic osteomyelitis of the occipitocervical junction. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The therapeutic approach to inflammation of the upper cervical spine is controversial. METHODS: Pyogenic osteomyelitis of the occipitocervical junction is rare. In the orthopedic literature, only a few case reports with variable treatment methods are available. Three patients with pyogenic osteomyelitis of the occipitocervical junction were treated nonoperatively. Intravenous antibiotic therapy was begun after direct cultures or blood cultures were obtained. Early mobilization was accomplished by application of a halo vest. RESULTS: Two patients recovered by spontaneous fusion of the occipitocervical junction. Instability developed in the spine of one patient, but she refused further treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of osteomyelitis of the upper cervical spine is difficult. In cases with absence of neurologic symptoms or spinal abscess formation, treatment can be nonoperative.     

Desmoplastic fibroma of the cervical spine

There have been only a few cases of desmoplastic fibroma of the spine in the literature and only one of them was purely located on the cervical spine. We report a new patient with the diagnosis of desmoplastic fibroma of the fourth cervical spine. The patient had the complaints of left arm and neck pain. After his radiological evaluation, a mass lesion was found on the left lamina of the fourth cervical spine. Surgical treatment was performed, and the histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis of desmoplastic fibroma. Patients with desmoplastic fibroma of the cervical spine may present with the arm and neck pain mimicking cervical disc disease. Higher index of suspicion by the clinicians must be practiced to make the appropriate diagnosis. Successful surgical outcome may be achieved in these patients.     

头盆环牵引全脊柱截骨内固定治疗重度脊柱弯曲

[目的]介绍头盆环牵引全脊柱截骨加内固定治疗重度脊柱弯曲的手术方法,并总结185例重度脊柱弯曲的治疗结果。[方法]对重度脊柱侧弯患者,先用头盆环牵引,使重弯变为轻弯,以便置入器械的安装,再在头盆环牵引下进行截骨矫正畸形和内固定手术,术后继续配戴头盆环制动,术后第2d即可下床站立活动,给护理工作带来极大方便。[结果]作者自1983~2003年,采用此法治疗重度脊柱侧弯185例,平均矫正率是70.32%。脊柱截骨断端能达到坚固的骨性融合,矫正率丢失平均在5°以内,术后晚期并发脱钩者4例,均经再次手术固定解决,对矫正效果无影响。1例术后1年并发感染,拆除置入器械后,伤口很快愈合,X线所见植骨愈合良好。1例并发神经根疼痛,而后逐渐减轻,所有病例未见脊髓损伤和神经系统并发症发生。[结论]头盆环牵引加全脊柱截骨是治疗重度脊柱侧弯的有效方法,对那些仅用单纯器械无法安装,置入困难的病例,经头盆环牵引后,内固定器械容易安装,再加上全脊柱截骨,能使弯曲的脊柱进一步伸直,减轻了内固定器械所承受的负荷力,避免了脱钩断棍的发生,为治疗重度脊柱侧弯的有效手段。     

Physeal injuries of the cervical spine

Four cases of cervical spine growth plate ("ring apophysis") injury are described. Two nonfatal injuries involved anterior displacement of a portion of the inferior physis and epiphyseal ossification center in the lower cervical spine. Neither injury was associated with neurological damage. Follow-up roentgenograms demonstrated healing, but with a spur-like prominence in one patient. A third patient sustained a fatal separation through the inferior end plate of C2. The fourth patient sustained a complete separation of C6 from C7. These injuries are correlated with pathologic specimens and normal developmental anatomy.     

Epidemiology of spine trauma in an Irish regional trauma unit: a 4-year study

Currently there is a lack of information on the full spectrum of spine trauma presenting to medical services in a defined geographic area. This study analyses the aetiology and demographics of a cohort of spine trauma in the West of Ireland. A regional trauma unit has been investigated for a 51-month period. Two hundred and eighty-five cases admitted with spine trauma were documented. The annual incidence of traumatic spinal injury was 19.54 cases/100,000 persons per year. Falls and low-energy trauma are shown to constitute a significant proportion of all cases (60.35%). Injury at greater than one level is frequently present. The highest peak of injury occurred in the 20-24-year-old age group (11.58%). A second peak occurred at 75-79 years of age (7.37%). The commonest cause of neurological injury was falls (n=9; 64.3%). This spine trauma register has provided valuable insights into the patterns of injury encountered in spine trauma patients in this region. It may act as a blueprint for a national spine trauma register and highlights the importance of patient education and injury prevention strategies.     

颈椎骨巨细胞瘤手术治疗的中长期随访及预后分析

目的探讨颈椎骨巨细胞瘤（GCT）的临床特点、肿瘤切除方式及预后。方法手术治疗23例颈椎GCT，依据脊柱肿瘤WBB分期，采取椎体次全切除3例，矢状位切除5例，附件切除1例，全脊椎切除14例。脊柱重建方式采取单纯自体髂骨植骨和颈前路钛板、钛网植骨内固定或前后联合内固定加植骨融合。18例患者术后配合局部放疗。结果1例C1-2椎体、附件GCT患者在术后出现神经症状加重，术后10d因呼吸、循环系统衰竭死亡。22例获得3年～10年4个月的随访，患者术后颈部疼痛症状消失，神经根刺激症状得到不同程度的缓解，术后3个月患者神经功能Frankel分级，平均有1—2个级别的改善。植骨全部融合。内固定融合良好，未见脊椎失稳现象。椎体次全切除组复发3例；矢状位切除复发2例，而全脊椎切除组仅1例于术后4年复发。随访期内死亡4例，均为复发病例，1例行翻修手术后6个月出现肺部转移，13个月时死于肺部感染；另有3例均因肿瘤复发最终导致高位瘫痪、全身器官衰竭死亡。结论颈椎GCT是一种良性侵袭性或低度恶性肿瘤，手术治疗应在尽可能保留神经功能的前提下实施扩大范围的肿瘤切除术。全脊椎切除结合术后辅助放疗能明显降低局部复发率。     

脊柱原发性血液系统肿瘤

报告１９７７年７月～１９９２年６月收治的脊柱原发性血液系统肿瘤１４例，占同期脊柱肿瘤病人的１３．１％。其中恶性淋巴瘤、嗜酸性肉芽肿及浆细胞性骨髓瘤各４例，白血病、恶性组织细胞瘤各１例。受侵椎体以胸椎最多，占５０％，余依次为颈椎、腰椎、胸腰段。首发症状以胸背痛为主。４例浆细胞瘤尿本周氏蛋白均为阴性。本组中３例误诊。对于浆细胞性骨髓瘤，只要手术切除彻底，配合化疗，预后颇佳。     

大重量牵引复位前路融合内固定治疗陈旧性下颈椎脱位

目的 探讨大重量牵引复位前路融合内固定治疗陈旧性下颈椎脱位的价值和注意事项。方法 本组8例，男5例，女3例，受伤至人院时间3周～6个月，平均2．5个月，人院后行颅骨牵引，逐渐增加重量，难以复位者行小关节突切除，复位后行前路植骨融合，钢板内固定术。结果 8例患者均获较好的复位，其中6例获完全复位；复位牵引重量10～18kg，平均13．5kg；6例获得随访，平均随访14．5个月，按Frankel分级，除1例A级患者无恢复外，其余5例均有恢复，分别改善1或2级；所有患者均获骨性融合。结论 采用大重量颅骨牵引，难以复位者辅以小关节突切除，复位后行前路植骨融合，钢板内固定术治疗陈旧性下颈椎脱位，疗效满意。     

A statewide, prehospital emergency medical service selective patient spine immobilization protocol

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the practices and outcomes associated with a statewide, emergency medical services (EMS) protocol for trauma patient spine assessment and selective patient immobilization. METHODS: An EMS spine assessment protocol was instituted on July 1, 2002 for all EMS providers in the state of Maine. Spine immobilization decisions were prospectively collected with EMS encounter data. Prehospital patient data were linked to a statewide hospital database that included all patients treated for spine fracture during the 12-month period following the spine assessment protocol implementation. Incidence of spine fractures among EMS-assessed trauma patients and the correlation between EMS spine immobilization decisions and the presence of spine fractures-stable and unstable-were the primary investigational outcomes. RESULTS: There were 207,545 EMS encounters during the study period, including 31,885 transports to an emergency department for acute trauma-related illness. For this cohort, there were 12,988 (41%) patients transported with EMS spine immobilization. Linkage of EMS and hospital data revealed 154 acute spine fracture patients; 20 (13.0%) transported without EMS-reported spine immobilization interventions. This nonimmobilized group included 19 stable spine fractures and one unstable thoracic spine injury. The protocol sensitivity for immobilization of any acute spine fracture was 87.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 81.7-92.3) with a negative predictive value of 99.9% (95% CI, 99.8-100). CONCLUSIONS: The use of this statewide EMS spine assessment protocol resulted in one nonimmobilized, unstable spine fracture patient in approximately 32,000 trauma encounters. Presence of the protocol affected a decision not to immobilize greater than half of all EMS-assessed trauma patients.     

Dens fracture with concurrent subaxial cervical spine injury in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Odontoid process fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are rare and their finding together with subaxial cervical spine injury is a great exception. Neither the mechanism of such a combined cervical spine injury nor its surgical treatment has so far been reported in the relevant literature (MEDLINE). The authors present two such cases, one in a 30- and the other in a 74-year-old man. Both AS patients showed a common mechanism of injury sustained in a car accident, which involved hitting a solid barrier at 60 to 70 kilometres per hour, resulting in hyperextension of the cervical spine. In both patients the fractures were stabilised from the anterior approach: the dens fractures with one or two screws by the Magerl-B?hler method and the subaxial fractures with long-plate and screw fixation. At 2 post-operative years complete bone union of the subaxial spine was recorded in both patients; complete healing of the dens fracture was achieved in one patient while in the other partial fibrous union of the dens fracture occurred.     

Verletzungen der Halswirbelsäule bei der diffusen idiopathischen skelettalen Hyperostose

The incidence of diffuse idiopathic sceletal hyperostosis (DISH) is described in men more than 50 years old up to 25% and in women up to 15%. Even little trauma in patients with DISH often leads to injuries of the spine, especially the cervical spine. In many cases MRI is necessary to find the injury in this anatomically modified spine. It is often difficult to detect the injury by plane radiographs or even CT. Based on two cases of cervical spine fractures in patients with DISH we will describe the difficulties and specialities in the diagnostics and surgical treatment of injuries of the cervical spine in patients with DISH. In the one case we stabilized a patient with an odontoid fracture type Andersson II, the other case was a traumatic spondylolisthesis C4/C5. Both cases were treated operatively, the odontoid fracture was stabilized by a single screw, the spodylolisthesis by a ventral plate. If there are modifications in the spinal anatomy by degenerative diseases like DISH or spondylitis ankylosans, it is important to perform an intense search for injuries of the spine. In many cases MRI is indicated to detect the injury because plane radiographs and CT are not sensitive enough. For the planning of the operation it is important to meet concerns to the thick anterior longitudinal ligament and to use screws, that are long enough because the use of standard instruments is often not successful.     

Aneurysmal bone cysts of the spine

Thirteen patients with aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine (excluding sacral lesions) were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment for aneurysmal bone cysts remains controversial, but surgical resection, irradiation, and embolization are common treatment modalities for those involving the spine. Of 102 patients with aneurysmal bone cysts, 15 had a lesion of the spine, including 2 sacral cases. Of the 13 patients with a lesion of the thoracic or lumbar spine, 9 underwent resection of the lesion, 2 curettage and cementation, and 2 only currettage. Eleven patients underwent segmental arthrodesis with instrumentation after treatment of the primary or recurrent lesion, while 2 patients underwent segmental arthrodesis using autogeneic bone. Nine patients did not develop a local recurrence after resection of the lesion. However, the 2 patients who underwent curettage alone developed local recurrences. None of 4 patients developed recurrences after curettage and cementation. After recurrence, 1 patient underwent additional resection with irradiation, and 1 patient underwent resection alone. At the final follow-up, all lesions were under control. In one patient, lumbar kyphosis developed after segmental arthrodesis with instrumentation, and arthrodesis was performed again. Radical resection of aneurysmal bone cysts of the spine with instrumentation is the optimal method of acquiring a high degree of local control and preventing spinal deformity. Received: 30 April 1998     

Instrumentation surgery for tumor of the spine

Spinal instrumentation surgery has come into wide use recently, especially for tumor of the spine. It is very effective for fixing the spine for relieving the patient from pain. But the decision about the indication of instrumentation surgery for tumor of the spine must be made carefully. In cases of double malignant tumors including spinal tumor, it is hard to decide how to treat tumor of the spine. We report a case of 78-year-old male with multiple myeloma of the cervical spine and cancer of the prostate. The patient had been in good health until one year previously, when he started to complain of nuchal pain. He became bedridden with loss of voluntary control of the right upper extremity for the last two months. Then he was admitted to our hospital and radiological examination was carried out. It revealed tumor of the cervical spine and it seemed to be bone metastasis. Further examination revealed that the patient was suffering from multiple myeloma and cancer of the prostate. The tumor of the spine was diagnosed as either multiple myeloma or metastasis of cancer of the prostate. Spinal instrumentation surgery using Luque-rod was carried out as one of the comprehensive treatment plans for double malignant tumors. The instrumentation surgery was effective for fixing the spine and improving the patient's quality of life. In operative procedures, intraoperative spinal cord monitoring was carried out. Intraoperative spinal cord monitoring was indispensable for preventing spinal cord injury. The tumor of the spine was diagnosed as multiple myeloma by pathological examination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Dupatta (scarf): a unique cause of cervical spine injury in females

INTRODUCTION: Dupatta (scarf) is a part of the traditional dress for females in the Indian subcontinent. Working near machinery, riding a motorcycle or cyclerickshaw, can result in entanglement of dupatta in moving parts of machinery and subsequent cervical spine injury. It is seen most commonly in rural areas, with farmyard equipment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed between January 2004 and January 2006, on all the patients presenting with cervical spine injury secondary to dupatta entanglement in machinery. They were assessed for mode, level of injury, neurological status, associated complications, radiological picture and clinical outcome. RESULTS: There were 12 such cases of cervical spine injury. The most common cause of injury was a threshing machine. All cases except one had quadriplegia (ASIA grade A) with bladder and bowel involvement. There was loss of consciousness in nine patients. Three patients expired. There was no neurological recovery in any patient. CONCLUSION: Dupatta is a unique cause of cervical spine injury in females, especially in rural areas. Easy methods of prevention may be helpful in preventing such injuries.