title: [Diagnosis and management of an intraoperative vertebral artery injury].
abstract: A patient with cervical myelopathy caused by marked degenerative alterations of the cervical spinal column at the level of cervical vertebrae 3/4 and relative spinal canal stenosis in the area of cervical vertebrae 5-7 was treated in the department of neurosurgery because of progressive myatrophy and paresis of muscles innervated from cervical nerves 5-7. The operation was performed with vertebrectomy of cervical vertebra 6, implantation of a Harms titanium cage with autograft and a plate and spongy bone screw fixation system. There exists an unusual--and not often publicized--complication during this surgical procedure in the area of the cervical spine, namely penetrating injury of the vertebral artery caused by the treatment with a plate and spongy bone screw fixation system. We describe such an injury of the left vertebral artery. The vertebral artery was intraoperatively embolized using mechanical embolization coils.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Neurochirurgie, Klinik und Poliklinik für Chirurgie der Universität Rostock.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knoop
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kröger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Ascher
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schareck
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Witter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Höppner
mesh_terms: D001860:Bone Plates / Q000009:adverse effects; D001863:Bone Screws / Q000009:adverse effects; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000293:injuries*
vernacular_title: Diagnose und Notfallmanagement einer intraoperativen Verletzung der Arteria vertebralis.