A new surgical technique: open-window corpectomy in the treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and advanced cervical spondylosis: technical note.
OBJECTIVE
To achieve satisfactory cervical spinal cord decompression with minimal removal of bone.


METHODS
The open-window corpectomy technique is designed to remove a minimal amount of bone and achieve satisfactory decompression. With the use of a high-speed drill under a surgical microscope, only the dorsal surface of the corpus is removed after appropriate microdiscectomies. This leaves the anterior and the lateral portions of the vertebral corpus intact.


RESULTS
In a 15-month period, a total of 11 patients were treated with this technique. Five patients improved, and the remaining six patients remained the same neurologically during a mean follow-up period of 8.3 months. No complications were observed in any patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The open-window corpectomy provides satisfactory spinal cord decompression in a biomechanically sound manner.
Ozer
A F
AF
Department of Neurosurgery, Vehbi Koç Vakfi American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Oktenoğlu
B T
BT
Sarioğlu
A C
AC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017887:Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome