Postoperative cervical hyperlordosis could adversely affect graft stability during the early postoperative period after corpectomy and reconstruction with dynamic plate fixation, according to a study published in Spine.
Researchers examined 30 instrumented multilevel corpectomy and reconstruction by analyzing medical records and radiographic studies to investigate risk factors of sagittal alignment of the cervical spine, graft subsidence, screws used in fixation, endplate preparation and intermediate screw for fibular graft.
Two cases reported anterior slipping at the bottom of the graft, two cases reported fracture of the C7 vertebral body and two cases reported pullout of a screw. Four patients reported nonunion of the graft at the final follow-up. No patient experienced early reconstruction failure.
Researchers found that the fusion area lordotic angle after surgery was significantly larger in patients with reconstruction failure than in those with no complications. No other factors were related to reconstruction failures.
Read the abstract about cervical spine surgery complications.
Read other coverage on spine surgery studies:
- 5 Points on Cervical Spine Surgery
- Spine Surgery Research Update: Treatment of Cervical Spine
- Cervical Spine Surgery Complications More Frequent in Trauma, Spinal Oncological Procedures
Researchers examined 30 instrumented multilevel corpectomy and reconstruction by analyzing medical records and radiographic studies to investigate risk factors of sagittal alignment of the cervical spine, graft subsidence, screws used in fixation, endplate preparation and intermediate screw for fibular graft.
Two cases reported anterior slipping at the bottom of the graft, two cases reported fracture of the C7 vertebral body and two cases reported pullout of a screw. Four patients reported nonunion of the graft at the final follow-up. No patient experienced early reconstruction failure.
Researchers found that the fusion area lordotic angle after surgery was significantly larger in patients with reconstruction failure than in those with no complications. No other factors were related to reconstruction failures.
Read the abstract about cervical spine surgery complications.
Read other coverage on spine surgery studies:
- 5 Points on Cervical Spine Surgery
- Spine Surgery Research Update: Treatment of Cervical Spine
- Cervical Spine Surgery Complications More Frequent in Trauma, Spinal Oncological Procedures