Posterior cervical plate-screw fixation

Posterior cervical plate-screw fixation is a safe, effective, and versatile fixation technique. It offers clear advantagesover other posterior cervical fixation techniques in the treatment of traumatic, neoplastic, or degenerative disorders in which the spinous processes, laminae, or facets are fractured, deficient, or absent. Because the occiput, C2 pedicles, C3-C7 lateral masses, C6-T4 pedicles, and T1-T4 transverse processes represent potential sites for screw fixation, it is particularly useful when fixation across multiple levels or across the occipitocervical or cervicothoracic junction is required. Familiarity with the bony anatomy of the potential sites for screw fixation and the relationship of this anatomy to the anatomy of adjacent neural and vascular structures is essential for safe, biomechanically effective fixation. With careful preoperative planning and meticulous performance of the surgical procedure, arthrodesis rates of approximately 90% to 100% without substantial loss of alignment may be expected. The small but finite incidence of clinically significant screw malposition (approximately 0.8%/screw) even in the hands of surgeons familiar with the technique suggests that its use should not supplant the use of posterior cervical wire techniques unless a specific indication for its use exists.