title: Delayed fracture of fibular strut allograft following three-level anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion: a case report.
abstract: Strut allografts are used in cervical spine reconstruction following corpectomy. A stress fracture in the graft is a rare event. We explain a late stress fracture of an allograft following anterior cervical fusion. A 57-year-old male with a history of cervical myeloradiculopathy underwent a three-level anterior cervical corpectomy and allograft reconstruction from C3-C7. Fracture lucencies in the allograft were identified on flexion/extension radiographs 11 months post-operatively. The patient reported no new pain, numbness, or weakness and denied any traumatic injury. Three years post-operatively, he was asymptomatic with no change in alignment or signs of failure of the instrumentation or strut graft. With a healed fibular strut allograft, a delayed stress fracture may be observed with a favorable outcome.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: McConda
authors.forename: Sanford E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Emery
mesh_terms: D064591:Allografts; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005360:Fibula / Q000637:transplantation*; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013123:Spinal Fusion