title: Open dorsal vertebroplasty of the axis.
abstract: Vertebroplasty of the axis is always a challenging procedure. We report the case of a young, HIV-positive patient suffering from an osteolytic metastasis of the axis. An open dorsal vertebroplasty was performed. A leakage of the cement formed a new cortical bone of the massa lateralis of C2, and stabilized the C1-C2 articulation by an arthrodesis-like effect. Durable pain relief and stabilization were obtained. The location of the cement, although atypical, had all desired effects of a conventional vertebroplasty. The intra-articular injection of cement into the facets for stabilization and pain relief could be considered in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics Surgery and Traumatology, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, 9007 St. Gallen, Switzerland. guerrepascal@gmail.com
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guerre
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kröber
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D001368:Axis, Cervical Vertebra; D015897:Comorbidity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010014:Osteolysis / Q000209:etiology; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000379:methods*