title: [Pedicle screws in the posterior reconstructive operation of the lower cervical vertebra].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the efficiency of the cervical pedicle screws in the posterior reconstructive operation of the lower cervical diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 2001 to July 2003, 31 patients suffering from the lower cervical diseases were treated with the posterior pedicle screws fixation. We put the screws in the inferior articular process of the upper centrum, the lateral of the intervertebral facet center (3 - 5 mm the medial edge of lateral mass). The angles of toe-in sagittal plane varied from 30 degrees to 45 degrees, and the screws were from 18 to 26 mm (22.3 mm) in average.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 193 pedicle screws in this group, and no one had spinal cord injury or vertebral artery injury. The improvement rate was 84.5%. Follow-up was from 9 to 28 months (17 months in average). The screws were fixed properly without being loose and broken, and the bone graft fusions within 9 to 12 months in the X-ray and CT scan examination were satisfactory. The Japanese orthopaedics association score (JOA) was 9.7 preoperatively, but it was raised to 16.3 postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The posterior reconstructive operation with cervical pedicle screws is a good choice for patients with lower cervical diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Yi-jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jin-hai
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Guo-hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wan-chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001863:Bone Screws; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome