A new study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine examines isolated cervical facet fractures.
The article authors examined 11 studies include 368 patients. There were 46 patients with bilateral isolated cervical fractures and 322 unilateral isolated cervical fractures. Here are five key findings from the report:
1. The closed reduction was successful in 56.4 percent of the patients with halo vest and 63.8 percent of the patients with the Gardner-Wells tongs.
2. The open reduction was successful in 94.9 percent of the patients.
3. There were 183 patients who underwent internal fixation, with an 87.2 percent success rate in maintaining anatomical alignment.
4. The patients who underwent anterior approaches at 90.5 percent rate of reduction maintenance; the posterior procedures had a 90.5 percent rate of maintenance reduction.
5. The posterior approach had a 75.6 percent rate of maintenance reduction.
"In comparison with nonoperative treatments, operative treatments provided a more successful outcome in terms of failure of treatment to maintain reduction for patients with cervical facet fractures," concluded the study authors. "Operative treatment appears to provide superior results to the nonoperative treatments assessed."