title: Occipitocervical fixation in nontraumatic upper cervical spine instability.
abstract: Ten patients requiring occipitocervical fixation were reviewed: five were unstable secondary to rheumatoid arthritis, one had Klippel-Feil, and four had neoplastic disease. Patients with nonneoplastic disease improved, having decreased pain, decreased paresthesias, and increased ambulation. Patients with neoplastic disease improved significantly after the surgery, but eventually died from different tumors. The technique found to be most efficient was the placement of an intraoperatively contoured Luque rectangle wired from the occiput to appropriate cervical spine levels.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurological Surgery, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Mullin
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Mervis
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications; D001269:Atlanto-Occipital Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D007714:Klippel-Feil Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications