title: [Operation on upper cervical instability without injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study operative methods of treating upper cervical spine instability without injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three cases were treated by internal fixation with autologous bone grafts. Atlantoaxial arthrodesis were performed in 10 cases with interlaminar clamp (5 cases), Atlas cable system (3 cases) and Brooks (2 cases). Occipitocervical fusion were performed in the other 13 cases by using of CD-cervical (3 cases), Cervifix (8 cases) and U-stick fixation (2 cases).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the 23 cases were followed up for 2. 5 years in average (ranged from 6 months to 5 years). Solid arthrodesis was obtained in all 23 cases. Six months after operation, of the 20 cases with pre-operation nervous lesion, improvement was achieved in 16 cases. According to JOA standard and Hirabashi formula, the rate of improvement was 27.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Posterior fusion is recommended for upper cervical instability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha Hunan, 410008, PR China. zxlq05@sina.com
authors.forename: Kanghua
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhansheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001268:Atlanto-Axial Joint / Q000601:surgery; D001269:Atlanto-Occipital Joint / Q000601:surgery; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome