title: A New Method to Determine the Optimal Skin Incision for Anterior Cervical Surgery with CT Multiplanar Reformation Techniques.
abstract: An accurate determination of the optimal level of transverse skin incision is important. We describe a new technique to determine the level on the basis of computed tomography multiplanar reformations techniques, and conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine the accuracy of the new method. Eighty patients were enrolled and evenly divided into two groups. Patients in group A were marked by the traditional technique, whereas patients in group B were marked by the new method. Standard exposure procedures were performed. Intra-operative fluoroscopy confirmed if the intervertebral discs exposed were the intended ones. At the end of the study, intra-operative fluoroscopy confirmed that the intervertebral discs inserted with needles were not the intended ones in ten cases (25%) in group A. However, only three cases (7.5%) were wrongly located in group B. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.03). No severe complications were seen in either group. The current study provides a feasible method to identify the accurate level of transverse skin incision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University; Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China - shenyongspine@126.com.
authors.forename: Lingde
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University; Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University; Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Yingze
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University; Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D055009:Spondylosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: anterior cervical surgery; computed tomography; multiplanar reformations techniques; skin incision