title: Posterior stabilization of cervical spine injuries using the Roy-Camille plates: a long-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Posterior cervical spine fixation has undergone tremendous advancement in recent years. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with the Roy-Camille instrumentation for posterior cervical stabilization after injury in a long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1985 to 1995, 76 patients with a lower cervical spine traumatic lesion were treated in a single institution by posterior plate stabilization using the Roy-Camille plates (R-C plates). Fifty-four men and 22 women with a mean age of 43.2 years were involved. In 59 patients the injuries were due to a road traffic accident, in 14 cases the fall from a high was responsible, while in two cases the injuries were due to sport activities. There were four bilateral dislocations, nine unilateral dislocations, 56 fracture dislocations, five fracture separations of a lateral mass and two burst fractures. Neurological lesions were present in 65 patients (9 ASIA A, 16 ASIA B, 22 ASIA C, 18 ASIA D and 11 ASIA E). All patients had minimum follow-up of 7 years. Fifty-nine patients were followed up for a mean period of 21 years (14-27 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stability was obtained in all but two cases. Reoperation was done in two cases: in one for the correction of the lost reduction and in a second for the reinsertion of a screw irritating a nerve root. No case in the ASIA A group showed neurological improvement, a fact observed in the other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The R-C plates were used in the last quarter of the last century. This technique showed good short-time results, and we have shown good results in a long-term follow-up as well. The literature referred to this technique was favorable, as far as the biomechanical behavior and also clinical application concern. The question about this plating system abundance still remains unanswered.
authors: Professor Emeritus, Orthopaedic Department, Athens University, Athens, Greece.
authors: Demitrios
authors: D
authors: Korres
authors: Vassilios S
authors: VS
authors: Nikolaou
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Kaseta
authors: Demetrios
authors: D
authors: Evangelopoulos
authors: Kostas
authors: K
authors: Markatos
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Lazarettos
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Efstathopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001860:Bone Plates; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D012086:Reoperation; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000295:instrumentation