title: A 6-year experience of 100 cases of pediatric bony craniovertebral junction abnormalities: treatment and outcomes.
abstract: The authors studied 100 consecutive cases of pediatric bony craniovertebral junction abnormalities operated between 2001 and 2006. The pathologies were developmental (n = 86), traumatic (n = 10) and tuberculous (n = 4). Surgical procedures included transoral decompression (n = 59), occipitocervical fusion (OCF, n = 69), C(1)-C(2) fusion (n = 22), occiput-C(2) wiring (n = 5), and posterior fossa decompression (n = 5). Implants for OCF included contoured stainless steel rods (n = 47), titanium lateral mass screws and plates (n = 16) and steel wires (n = 5). Adequate bone fusion was observed in all patients with OCF at a mean follow-up of 16.5 months, irrespective of the type of implant used for posterior fixation. Good neurological outcome was observed even in poor-grade patients. No significant effect on the curvature or growth of the spine was observed at follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vamsi Krishna
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Yerramneni
authors.forename: P Sarat
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.forename: Shashank S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kale
authors.forename: Rajender K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Lythalling
authors.forename: Ashok Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mahapatra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult