Basic principles of management for cervical spine trauma

This article reviews the basic principles of management of cervical trauma. The technique and critical importance of careful assessment is described. Instability is defined, and the incidence of a second injury is highlighted. The concept of spinal clearance is discussed. Early reduction and stabilisation techniques are described, and the indications, and approach for surgery reviewed. The importance of the role of post-injury rehabilitation is identified.

     

如何正确诊治下颈椎损伤

<正>下颈椎损伤在脊柱损伤中的发生率仅次于胸腰椎骨折。其好发年龄呈双峰性,多见于15~24岁的年轻人和大于55岁的中老年人。下颈椎损伤导致的脊髓损伤对社会和家庭造成的影响较大,如何正确诊治下颈椎损伤是脊柱外科医生关注的焦点。1掌握骨折分类是制定正确治疗方案的基础骨下颈椎骨折有多种分类方法,但在临床应用上仍缺乏完美指导治疗的分类。既往最常用的Allen-     

Tracheostomy following anterior cervical spine fusion in trauma patients

Purpose

Traumatic injuries to the cervical spine are frequently accompanied by cervical spinal cord injuries—often necessitating tracheostomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient characteristics and outcomes after undergoing anterior cervical spine fusion (ACSF) with tracheostomy.

Methods

All patients with cervical spine injury (CSI) who underwent ACSF and tracheostomy between December 1992 and June 2014 were included in this retrospective data analysis. The study group consisted of 32 men (84 %) and six women (16 %), with an average age of 47?±?20 years. Blunt trauma to the cervical spine was the cause of CSI in all 38 patients.

Results

The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 30.50?±?6.25. Eighteen patients sustained severe concomitant injuries related to the spinal injury. In 15 patients (39.5 %), traumatic brain injury (TBI) with fractures of the cranium and/or intracranial lesions were observed. The mean Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 11?±?4.5 (range 3–15). Two tracheostomies (5.3 %) were performed simultaneously with ACSF. The remaining 36 were performed with an average “delay” of 15?±?ten days. We observed no difference in time to tracheostomy among patients initially presenting with an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) score of either A, B, C or D. Only two patients (5.3 %) were identified as having an infection at the site of ACSF after placement of a tracheostomy. There were no deaths directly related to airway difficulties in our cohort.

Conclusions

Our data show that tracheostomy is safely performed after an average of 15 days post-ACSF, thereby being associated with a very low rate of complications. However, future prospective randomised studies are needed to identify the optimal timing of tracheostomy placement after ACSF. Level of evidence: IV; retrospective case series.

     

Airway management in adults after cervical spine trauma

Cervical spinal injury occurs in 2% of victims of blunt trauma; the incidence is increased if the Glasgow Coma Scale score is less than 8 or if there is a focal neurologic deficit. Immobilization of the spine after trauma is advocated as a standard of care. A three-view x-ray series supplemented with computed tomography imaging is an effective imaging strategy to rule out cervical spinal injury. Secondary neurologic injury occurs in 2-10% of patients after cervical spinal injury; it seems to be an inevitable consequence of the primary injury in a subpopulation of patients. All airway interventions cause spinal movement; immobilization may have a modest effect in limiting spinal movement during airway maneuvers. Many anesthesiologists state a preference for the fiberoptic bronchoscope to facilitate airway management, although there is considerable, favorable experience with the direct laryngoscope in cervical spinal injury patients. There are no outcome data that would support a recommendation for a particular practice option for airway management; a number of options seem appropriate and acceptable.     

Vertebral artery occlusion after acute cervical spine trauma

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of vertebral artery injury diagnosed during the last 6 years in our institution. OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical and radiologic features of vertebral artery injury. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Extracranial occlusion of the vertebral artery associated with cervical spine fracture is uncommon and can cause serious and even fatal neurologic deficit due to back lifting and cerebellar infarction. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography are extremely helpful in the examination of acute injuries of the cervical spine. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography were performed at the time of injury. RESULTS: The authors reviewed six patients with cervical spine fractures who were diagnosed with a unilateral occlusion of the vertebral artery by means of magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography. One patient had signs of vertebrobasilar insufficiency and another with complete cord lesion had cerebellar and back lifting infarctions. Surgical anterior spinal fusion was performed in five patients, and one was treated by traction and orthosis. At the time of discharge, five patients had no vertebrobasilar symptoms, and the patient who experienced vertebrobasilar territory infarctions showed no progression of the neurologic damage. CONCLUSIONS: Vertebral artery injury should be suspected in cervical trauma patients with facet joint dislocation or transverse foramen fracture. Magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography is a helpful test to rule out vascular injury. Vertebral artery injury affects the extracranial segment at the same level as the cervical fracture. This is a retrospective review that did not permit drawing conclusions about the effects of early surgical stabilization in the treatment of cervical spine injuries with associated vertebral artery injury; however, surgical stabilization may avoid propagation and embolization of the clot located at the site of the lesion.     

Subaxial cervical spine trauma

Subaxial cervical spine injuries are common, ranging in severity from minor ligamentous strain or spinous process fracture to complete fracture-dislocation with bone and ligament failure, resulting in severe spinal cord injury. Understanding the epidemiology, anatomy, biomechanics, and classification of subaxial cervical spine injuries is important. Emergent management of such injuries is based on obtaining an accurate clinical history, careful physical examination, and organized radiographic evaluation. Attaining a unified approach to the wide spectrum of subaxial cervical injuries is difficult. In addition, controversy exists regarding the safety of closed reduction in certain injury patterns and the administration of methylprednisolone for acute spinal cord injury. Definitive management (surgical or nonsurgical) is based on the assessment of the mechanical instability of the injury, the presence or absence of neurologic impairment, and various patient factors that may influence outcome. Several complications, including the deterioration of neurologic status, may occur with either surgical or nonsurgical management, but the most frequent mistake made is missing the injury on initial evaluation.     

Pediatric cervical spine trauma

Pediatric cervical spine injuries are rare and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric anatomy and physiology predispose to upper cervical spine injury and spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality in contrast to lower cervical spine injury seen in adults. Care of pediatric patients is difficult because they have a greater head-to-body ratio than adults and may have difficulty cooperating with a history and physical examination. In evaluating a child with a suspected cervical spine injury, radiography may be supplemented with CT or MRI. Definitive management of pediatric cervical spine trauma must be adapted to the distinctive anatomy and growth potential of the patient. As with all injuries, prevention is necessary to reduce the incidence of trauma to the pediatric spine.     

Surgical stabilization of the cervical spine after trauma.

Surgical stabilization should be individualized for each patient. The procedure used should provide both immediate and prolonged stability at the site of instability. The choice of procedure depends on knowledge of the structures providing stability and of the mechanism of injury. Pure flexon injuries without comminution or disruption of ligaments are stable and do not require surgical treatment. Flexion-rotation dislocations, with either unilateral or bilateral facet dislocation, should be treated by posterior open reduction and fusion if they cannot be reduced by a closed method or if there is demonstratable motion on three-month flexion-extension roentgenograms. A comminuted burst ("teardrop") fracture produced by axial loading of the vertebral bodies should be stabilized by an anterior cortical strut graft for early mobilization and realignment of the spinal column to prevent progressive deformity.     

Circumferential fusion of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine. Comparison of two techniques of anterior spinal fusion.

Thirty-two patients with therapy-resistant low-back pain and justified indication for fusion were divided into two groups: 16 patients were treated with anterior fusion of the lumbosacral spine, with insertion of tricortical bone grafts of the iliac crest, and 16 patients with insertion of a fibular peg. Additional dorsal fusion of the same segments was performed. Comparison of the two techniques of circumferential fusion of the lumbosacral joint reveals comparable clinical results. A marked difference in roentgenographical criteria such as disk height, retrolisthesis, and anterior osteophytes in the adjacent segment between the two techniques was noted at the time of follow-up evaluation after 89 months and motivated the authors to abandon the fibular-peg technique.     

颈椎360°手术治疗严重下颈椎骨折脱位

[目的]探讨颈椎一期前-后-前入路360°手术治疗严重下颈椎骨折脱位的临床疗效和应用价值。[方法]11例严重下颈椎骨折脱位患者,在颅骨牵引下经鼻腔气管插管全身麻醉下进行手术。首先采用仰卧位,经颈椎前路摘除脱位椎间的椎间盘和其他致压物;然后变换体位为俯卧位,经后路手术切开撬拨复位,采用侧块螺钉固定脱位椎节并植骨融合;最后将患者重新置仰卧位,经颈椎前路彻底清除残留的椎间盘和上下终板,常规髂骨块植骨及自锁钛板内固定。术后定期复查X线片以观察损伤节段的稳定性和融合率,以Frankel分级判定脊髓功能的恢复情况。[结果]术后11例患者全部获得随访,随访8～32个月,平均17.6个月。颈椎脱位均完全复位,无植骨不融合。未出现内固定断裂、松动及脱落,无血管、神经、食道损伤等并发症。无1例出现神经损伤加重,Frankel分级平均提高0.8级。[结论]颈椎一期360°手术治疗严重下颈椎骨折脱位,可以完全恢复颈椎序列,解除颈髓压迫,损伤节段术后获得即刻稳定,不易造成脊髓损伤加重,可为脊髓功能恢复创造有利条件。     

Evaluation of the acute cervical spine: a management algorithm

BACKGROUND: Safe, efficient, and cost-effective evaluation of the spine is the goal in the trauma setting. At our Level I trauma facility, the trauma service, emergency medicine, radiology, anesthesia, and the spine service combined individual concerns into one agreed-upon clearance protocol. Here, we present the effectiveness of a new cervical spine clearance protocol. METHODS: A retrospective review was initiated of all trauma patients evaluated in a Level I trauma center the year before and after implementation of a new cervical spine protocol to determine the incidence of missed cervical injuries. An additional 6 months were reviewed to detect any missed injuries late in the study period. RESULTS: During the 2-year study period, 4,460 patients presented to the emergency room with some form of cervical spine precautions. Blunt trauma comprised 90% of the study population. According to the protocol, approximately 45% required further cervical radiographs after presentation. In the preprotocol year, 77 of 2,217 (3.4%) patients were diagnosed with cervical spine injuries, 16 of 77 (21%) with multiple level of injuries, and 25 of 77 (32%) with neurologic compromise. Three of 2,217 patients had missed cervical spine injuries on their initial evaluations. In the postprotocol year, 84 of 2,243 (3.4%) patients had cervical injuries, 25 of 84 (30%) with multiple levels of injuries and 28 of 84 (28%) with neurologic compromise. No patient evaluated during the protocol year was missed. All statistics between the two groups were not significant. CONCLUSION: The current protocol by risk stratifying patients on presentation is effective in assessing patients for cervical spine injuries.     

Risks and cost-effectiveness of sublaminar wiring in posterior fusion of cervical spine trauma

A report on the use of sublaminar wiring in the fusions of 34 patients with cervical spine injuries is given. No neurologic deficits were incurred in the use of this technique. There were no wire failures nor clinically significant complications. When compared with other forms of instrumentation to achieve similar results, the use of sublaminar wire is the most cost-effective.     

颈椎前路融合术治疗下颈椎不稳定

目的评价颈椎前路融合术治疗下颈椎不稳定的临床效果。方法2000年10月至2004年10月,对67例X线片显示颈椎不稳定并伴有相应临床症状的颈椎病患者进行了前路融合手术,其中男性38例,女性29例;平均年龄33岁。颈椎不稳的X线判定标准为颈椎最大前屈和最大后伸侧位X线片测量相邻节段水平位移超过3.5mm或相邻椎体间成角大于11°者。手术方法为椎间植骨+钢板固定或融合器植骨融合。结果所有患者平均随访11个月,不稳椎节均得到融合稳定。大部分患者的术前症状获得了不同程度的改善,脊髓功能JOA评分由术前10.15增至术后14.95,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);并发症包括术后钢板螺钉松动拔出2例,行翻修手术后恢复满意。结论对下颈椎不稳定患者,合理选择颈椎前路融合方法可获得满意的临床效果。     

Anterior cervical spine fusion for unstable fractures

We present in this report the operative method we have used in 7 cases of fracture-dislocation of the lower cervical spine. The technique includes partial resection of the fractured vertebral body, removal of the adjacent discs, excision of posteriorly displaced bone and disc and anterior interbody fusion between the three vertebrae. The latter is performed using a cortico-cancellous graft taken from the iliac crest and further stability is achieved by a small AO plate. All the cases started motion 48 hours after operation without further external support. Although 6 of the cases showed neurological improvement, this cannot be at this stage attributed to the surgical treatment. Nevertheless, none was made worse by the operation.     

A technique of posterior cervical fusion for instability of the cervical spine

A technique of posterior cervical spine fusion (the "Dewar procedure") that allows immediate stabilization of the spine requiring only minimal external support is described. The procedure was performed in 16 patients with unstable fractures or fracture-dislocations of the cervical spine. All patients went on to develop solid fusion. Twelve patients incurred neurologic deficit due to their injury, and those with root involvement all recovered following fusion. Patients rendered quadriplegic as a result of their accident did not show any useful neurologic recovery but were able to start rehabilitation earlier and avoid the complications of nonoperative treatment. There were no significant complications related to surgery.