title: Hypoglossal nerve palsy as a complication of an anterior approach for cervical spine surgery.
abstract: A recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is known as a complication referring to an anterior cervical spine surgery. However, hypoglossal nerve injury is not well known yet. Herein we report a rare case of a 39-years-old male with a hypoglossal nerve injury after C3/4 osteophyte resection with Smith-Robinson approach. In this case there appeared difficulties of articulation and tongue movement with deviation of the tongue to the left side after the surgery and we diagnosed a hypoglossal nerve injury due to retraction against the nerve during the operation. During the operative approach to the upper cervical spine we had to retract the internal carotid artery and the soft tissue to reach the vertebrae. This retract was the cause of the hypoglossal nerve injury. A gently traction and intermittent release is important to avoid a hypoglossal nerve damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Togawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
keywords: Cervical vertebrae; Hypoglossal nerves