title: Use of screw-rod system in occipitocervical fixation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study retrospectively reviewed 9 patients who underwent occipitocervical fixation with a newly developed screw-rod fixation system between April 2004 and November 2005. The objective was to evaluate the clinical result of occipitocervical fixation with the screw-rod fixation system, including symptom relief, fusion rate and complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 9 patients received occipitocervical fixation surgery with screw-rod fixation system and autologous bone grafts for fusion. Fusion was assessed by plain cervical X-ray films, and the myelopathy by Nurick scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four males and 5 females were enrolled into this study. Mean age was 58.8 years, and mean follow-up period was 15 months. One female patient experienced surgical site infection with instrument pullout 20 months after surgery; she received a second operation for instrument revision. The overall fusion rate was 100%. The mean Nurick scores were 3 preoperatively and 2.1 postoperatively, with advancement of 0.9 points on average. Seven of 9 patients experienced pain or myelopathy improvement. There were no complications except for the 1 infection mentioned above.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fusion rate, complication rate and improvement in neurological function of occipitocervical fixation surgery using the screw-rod system were comparable to those of the widely used wire-rod system and screw-plate system.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Yu-Hone
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Muh-Lii
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Muh-Li
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yu-Shu
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Henrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chun-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wen-Cheng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001863:Bone Screws; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods