title: Contribution to the surgical treatment of patients with cervical spine cord injury using simple procedures.
abstract: Thirty-nine patients with acute cervical spine fractures and/or dislocations between C3 and C7 were submitted to an anterior approach using bone graft fixation without screw and plate systems and three required a preliminary posterior approach to reduce a dislocation. Graft dislodgement due to technical problems occurred at a rate of 7.7% postoperatively and 2.8% 1 month later. No redislodgement occurred. All fusions became solid after 3 months. Their progress was based on the Frankel scale, before surgery, at the moment of the discharge, and at 6 months follow-up. This experience shows how patients with an acute cervical injury can improve even when admitted late after trauma.
authors.affiliation: State University of Campinas (Unicamp), Sao Paulo, Brazil. manoelbaldoino@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Manoel B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Leal Filho
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Benedito Borges
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Bruno Ribeiro
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: de Almeida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed