Surgical treatment of C3 and C4 cervical radiculopathies.
METHODS
Case series study.


OBJECTIVE
To report the results of surgical intervention in a series of patients with high cervical radiculopathy.


BACKGROUND
Although midcervical (C5-C7) radiculopathy is common and well recognized, high cervical (C3 and C4) radiculopathy is relatively rare and can be missed clinically. To our knowledge, there are few reports regarding the operative treatment of high cervical radiculopathy.


METHODS
Two spine surgeons independently reviewed the charts and radiographs of all patients with high cervical radiculopathy or myeloradiculopathy that were surgically treated by the senior author. Dates of inclusion were from July 1997 to March 2008. All patients were observed for either a minimum of 2 years or until they achieved a fusion. Neck Disability Index scores were calculated pre- and postoperatively, when available, and Odom criteria were assessed for all patients.


RESULTS
Twenty-three patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean follow-up period was 4.2 years (1-11.3 yr). The levels involved were C2-C3 (2 patients), C2-C4 (4 patients), and C3-C4 (17 patients). The most common symptom was suboccipital neck pain/headache with or without radiation to the retroauricular or retro-orbital region (21 patients). Preoperative neuroradiological findings were central stenosis with herniated nucleus pulposus, foraminal stenosis with uncinate hypertrophy or facet arthrosis, spondylolisthesis, and pseudarthrosis. Operative treatments included anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, posterior foraminotomy, posterior laminectomy-foraminotomy with fusion, posterior laminoplasty with fusion, and anterior/posterior combined decompression and fusion. By Odom criteria, 12 had excellent results, 8 had good results, 2 had satisfactory results, and 1 had a poor result. One patient underwent a reoperation for pseudarthrosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical treatment of high cervical radiculopathies resulted in acceptable outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the largest series of this relatively rare condition.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Hallym University, Pyeongchon-dong, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Moon Soo
MS
Park
Michael P
MP
Kelly
Woo-Kie
WK
Min
Ra'Kerry K
RK
Rahman
K Daniel
KD
Riew
D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000503:physiopathology; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome