title: Temporary anterior cervical plating in a child with traumatic cervical ligamentous instability.
abstract: Application of anterior cervical plates in children is problematic because of the growing spine, and thus has been reported only rarely in the medical literature. In this case report, a 7-year-old with traumatic C(2-3) and C(3-4) ligamentous instability was treated surgically by limited-duration anterior cervical plating. The plate was removed in a second operation, as the osseous union occurred 1 year after the primary operation. Limited-duration anterior cervical plating is an alternative for stabilization operations of the growing cervical spine in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey. ercozer@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozer
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yucesoy
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kalemci
mesh_terms: D001860:Bone Plates; D002648:Child; D017586:Diskectomy; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery*; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint