TY - JOUR
TI - Old injuries of the lower cervical spine treated surgically
AU - Korres, D.S.
AU - Nikiforidis, P.
AU - Babis, G.C.
AU - Vlachou, C.
AU - Lykomitros, V.
AU - Andreakos, A.
JO - Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques
PY - 1995
VL - 8
TODO - 6
SP - 509-515
PB - 
SN - null
TODO - 10.1097/00024720-199512000-00013
TODO - adult;  article;  cervical spine fracture;  cervical spine injury;  computer assisted tomography;  follow up;  human;  major clinical study;  male;  neurologic examination;  nuclear magnetic resonance imaging;  pain assessment;  preoperative evaluation;  priority journal;  spine instability;  spine malformation;  spine radiography;  spine surgery, Adult;  Case Report;  Cervical Vertebrae;  Dislocations;  Female;  Follow-Up Studies;  Human;  Intervertebral Disk;  Joint Instability;  Magnetic Resonance Imaging;  Male;  Middle Age;  Osteoarthritis;  Spinal Fractures;  Spinal Fusion;  Time Factors;  Treatment Outcome
TODO - The present study involves 16 surgically treated patients who had sustained an old injury of their lower cervical spine. This group represents the 29% of the 55 patients that were admitted in our Department with an old injury of the cervical spine. The aim of the present study is to see the effect of surgery on these old injuries in relation to clinical and radiological parameters. Operative treatment was indicated in the presence of instability and the resulting deformity or pain or, more important, in case of further deterioration (or development) of the neurological status. The patients were followed up for 1-14.4 years (mean 5.5 years). At follow-up, fusion was sound in all but 1 patient and the deformity was improved in 12 cases. As for the clinical evaluation, pain was still present in two patients and the neurological status was improved in all but one patient with complete tetraplegia. Surgical treatment is of value irrespective of time delay to avoid fixed deformities and/or permanent neurological lesions. © 1995 Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia.
ER -