title: Use of occipital bone graft in pediatric posterior cervical fusion: an alternative paramedian technique and review of the literature.
abstract: An alternative method of bone grafting for pediatric posterior cervical and occipitocervical fixation is presented in detail. Full-thickness autografts from small craniectomies of the occipital bone are used to augment posterior segmental fusion in pediatric patients. Twelve patients have been treated successfully without bone graft donor site complications. The technical differences from previously reported uses of calvarial autograft in spine fusion are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. joel.bauman@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Joel A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hardesty
authors.forename: Gregory G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Heuer
authors.forename: Phillip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Storm
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult