title: [Posterior short-segment fusion to treat upper cervical vertebra trauma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the strategies of posterior short-segment fixation and plant iliac fusion surgery, and the clinical efficacy of them on the treatment of upper cervical vertebra trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and thirty-four patients with upper cervical vertebra trauma admitted into our hospital from June, 2005 to April, 2010 were studied retrospectively. Thirty-six were treated by posterior short-segment fusion, which included 22 and 14 male and female patients, respectively. Among them, 23 or 6 patients were related to traffic or falling accident, 5 or 2 patients were related to crashing object or fight. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by head and neck pain VAS score, JOA scores of nerve function and the rate of graft bone fusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The postoperative VAS scores were lower than that of pre-operation, and the difference was significant (P<0.001). The postoperative JOA scores of nerve function was superior to preoperative scores (P<0.05). During follow-up, no internal fixation failure happened while bony fusion could be seen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The method of posterior short-segment fixation and bone graft fusion in treating patients with cervical spine injury is highly efficacy, which possesses great clinical value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianhuang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hongqi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Zhansheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D016896:Treatment Outcome