• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2014

Objective : Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory rheumatic disease mainly affecting the axial skeleton. The rigid spine may secondarily develop osteoporosis, further increasing the risk of spinal fracture. In this study, we reviewed fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis that had been clinically diagnosed to better define the mechanism of injury, associated neurological deficit, predisposing factors, and management strategies. Methods : Between January 2003 and December 2013, 12 patients with 13 fractures with neurological complications were treated. Neuroimaging evaluation was obtained in all patients by using plain radiography, CT scan, and MR imaging. The ASIA Impairment Scale was used in order to evaluate the neurologic status of the patients. Management was based on the presence or absence of spinal instability. Results : A total of 9 cervical and 4 thoracolumbar fractures were identified in a review of patients in whom ankylosing spondylitis had been diagnosed. Of these, 7 fractures were associated with a hyperextension mechanism. 10 cases resulted in a fracture by minor trauma. Posttraumatic neurological deficits were demonstrated in 11 cases and neurological improvement after surgery was observed in 5 of these cases. Conclusions : Patients with ankylosing spondylitis are highly susceptible to spinal fracture and spinal cord injury even after only mild trauma. Initial CT or MR imaging of the whole spine is recommended even if the patient's symptoms are mild. The patient should also have early surgical stabilization to correct spinal deformity and avoid worsening of the patient's neurological status.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.295-300
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• 2007

Objective : Unilateral facet dislocation of the cervical spine occurs by flexion and rotation injuries and cannot be easily reduced by axial traction. We analyzed 14 consecutive patients with unilateral facet dislocation of the cervical spine to increase knowledge about anatomical reduction of locked facet and factors for successful reduction. Methods : Fourteen patients [10 men and 4 women] with unilateral facet dislocation of the cervical spine were retrospectively analyzed. Plain X-ray, computerized tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging were performed. All patients underwent manual reduction and surgery with anterior interbody fusion and plate fixation. The manual reduction was performed by neck flexion and rotation to the opposite side of dislocation, followed by rotation and flexion of the head toward the side of dislocation and extension with relaxation of traction. Mean follow-up period was 17 months. The level of spine, amount of subluxation, combined facet fracture, and time from injury to initial reduction were analyzed using the data obtained from medical records. Results : Thirteen [93%] patients were reduced successfully. Immediate reduction was achieved in 7 patients but failed in 7 patients. Seven patients underwent delayed closed reduction under general anesthesia, and successful reduction was achieved in 6 patients. Only one patient with bone chips between articular facets failed to achieve anatomical reduction. Conclusion : In order to reduce the locked facet more easily and safely, we recommend manipulative traction with anterior interbody fusion and plate fixation under general anesthesia after being aware of spinal cord injury with magnetic resonance imaging.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.114-126
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• 1993

The fractures of the cervical spine are relatively uncommon, but they may cause serious neurologic deficits temporarily or permanently. So, it is very important to treat the patients early by way of exact evaluation for the sites and the mechanisms of the injuries. The authors reviewed retrospectively 188 cervical spinal fractures in 100 patients from Sep. 1984 to Aug. 1990. Commonly involved levels were $C_5$ and $C_6$ in lower cervical level and $C_2$ in upper cervical level and the sites in each spine were body, lamina and odontoid process. The hyperflexion injury was the most common type of the cervical spinal fractures occupying 53% of all cervical fractures and cause more multiple fractures(2.26 fractures/patient) than in hyperextension(1.68 fractures/patient). In hyperflexion injuries, body, transverse and spinous process were commonly involved but lamina fracture was relatively common in hyperextension injury. The dislocations associated with fractures were developed most commonly in hyperflexion injury and 70% of these were anterior dislocation and the most commonly involved levels were $C_{5-6}$ and $C_{6-7}$. In conclusion, hyperflexion injury needs more close examination for the entire spinal levels than injuries of other mechanisms because it results in more severe fractures with or without dislocation and relatively frequent multiple fractures in different levels.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2012

Purpose: Cervical dislocations with locked facets account for more than 50% of all cervical injuries. Thus, investigating a suitable management of cervical locked facets is important. This study examined factors of close reduction failure in traumatically locked facets of the subaxial cervical spine patients to determine suitable surgical management. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed of the case histories of 28 patients with unilateral/bilateral cervical locked facets from Nov. 2004 to Dec. 2010. Based on MRI evaluation of disc status at the injury level, we found unilateral dislocations in 9 cases, and bilateral dislocations in 19 cases, The patients were investigated for neurologic recovery, closed reduction rate, factors of the close reduction barrier, fusion rate and period, spinal alignment, and complications. Results: The closed reduction failed in 23(82%) patients. Disc herniation was an obstacle to closed reduction (p=0.015) and was more frequent in cases involving a unilateral dislocation (p=0.041). The pedicle or facet fracture was another factor, although some patients showed aggravation of neurologic symptoms, most patients had improved by the last follow up. The kyphotic angle were statistically significant (p=0.043). Sixs patient underwent anterior decompression/fusion, and 15 patients underwent circumferential fusion, and 7 patients underwent posterior fusion. All patients were fused at 3 months after surgery. The complications were 1 case of CSF leakage and 1 case of esphageal fistula, 1 case of infection. Conclusion: We recommend closed reduction be performed as soon as possible after injury to maximize the potential for neurological recovery. Patients fot whom closed reduction of the cervical locked facets have a higher incidence of anatomic obstacles to reduction, including facet fractures and disc herniation. Immediate direct open anterior reduction or circumferential fixation/fusion of locked cervical facets is recommended as a treatment of choice for traumatic locked cervical facet patients after closed reduction failure.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.199-204
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Korean medicine treatment (including acupuncture, herbal medication, and pharmacopuncture) for postoperative pain after cervical surgery in a patient with a cervical (C2) extension teardrop fracture. We measured the patient's cervical range of motion, neck disability index score and numerical rating scale score to evaluate the effects of Korean medicine treatment on postoperative pain after cervical surgery. After 43 days of inpatient treatment, the patient's neck disability index score decreased from 75.5 to 46.67 and the numerical rating scale decreased from 6 to 2. Furthermore, recovery was observed for cervical range of motion. In conclusion, this case suggests that Korean traditional medicine treatment may effectively reduce postoperative pain after cervical surgery for cerviecal extension teardrop fracture.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.48
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• pp.316.1-316.10
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• 2018

Background: Water pressure and muscle contraction may influence bone mineral density (BMD) in a positive way. However, divers experience weightlessness, which has a negative effect on BMD. The present study investigated BMD difference in normal controls and woman free-divers with vertebral fracture and with no fracture. Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2014, traditional woman divers (known as Haenyeo in Korean), and non-diving women were investigated. The study population was divided into osteoporotic vertebral fracture and non-fracture groups. The BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck was measured. The radiological parameters for global spinal sagittal balance were measured. Results: Thirty free-diving women and thirty-three non-diving women were enrolled in this study. The mean age of the divers was $72.1{\pm}4.7$ years and that of the controls was $72.7{\pm}4.0$ years (P = 0.61). There was no statistical difference in BMD between the divers and controls. In divers, cervical lordosis and pelvic tilt were significantly increased in the fracture subgroup compared to the non-fracture subgroup (P = 0.028 and P = 0.008, respectively). Sagittal vertical axis was statistically significantly correlated with cervical lordosis (Spearman's rho R = 0.41, P = 0.03), and pelvic tilt (Spearman's rho R = 0.46, P = 0.01) in divers. Conclusion: BMD did not differ significantly between divers and controls during their postmenopausal period. When osteoporotic spinal fractures develop, compensation mechanisms, such as increased cervical lordosis and pelvic tilt, was more evident in traditional woman divers. This may be due to the superior back muscle strength and spinal mobility of this group of women.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.303-307
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• 2008

Objective: The authors reviewed clinical and radiological outcomes in patients with three column injury of the cervical spine who had undergone posterior cervical fixation using Nitinol shape memory alloy loop in the anterior-posterior combined approach. Materials: Nine patients were surgically treated with anterior cervical fusion using an iliac bone graft and dynamic plate-screw system, and the posterior cervical fixation using Nitinol shape memory loop ($Davydov^{TM}$) at the same time. A retrospective review was performed. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Frankel grading method. We reviewed the radiological parameters such as bony fusion rate, height of iliac bone graft strut, graft subsidence, cervical lordotic angle, and instrument related complication. Results: Single-level fusion was performed in five patients, and two-level fusion in four. Solid bone fusion was presented in all cases after surgery. The mean height of graft strut was significantly decreased from $20.46{\pm}9.97mm$ at immediate postoperative state to $18.87{\pm}8.60mm$ at the final follow-up period (p<0.05). The mean cervical lordotic angle decreased from $13.83{\pm}11.84^{\circ}$ to $11.37{\pm}6.03^{\circ}$ at the immediate postoperative state but then, increased to $24.39{\pm}9.83^{\circ}$ at the final follow-up period (p<0.05). There were no instrument related complications. Conclusion: We suggest that the posterior cervical fixation using Nitinol shape memory alloy loop may be a simple and useful method, and be one of treatment options in anterior-posterior combined approach for the patients with the three column injury of the cervical spine.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.249-257
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• 1999

A three dimensional finite model of a human neck has been developed in an effort to study the mechanics of cervical spin while subjected to vertical impact. This model consisting of the vertebrae from C1 through C7 including posterior element and ligaments was constructed by 2mm thick transverse CT cross-sections and X-ray film taken at lateral side. Geometrical nonlinearity was also considered for the large deformation on the disc. ABAQUS package was used for calculation and its results were verified comparing with responses of a model under static loading condition with published in-vitro experimental data. There were more cervical fracture in the restrained (compression) mode than in the nonrestrained (flexion-compression and extension-compression) mode. Upper cervical(C1-C2) injuries were observed under compression-extension modes, while lower cervical injuries occurred undjer compression-flexion modes. Posterior ligament distraction without bony damage at the upper cervical spin(C1-C2) were observed secondary to C5-C7 trauma in compression-flexion modes.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.66-69
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• 2008

Traumatic bilateral abducens nerve palsy is rare and is associated with intracranial, skull and cervical spine injuries. We report a case of bilateral abducens nerve palsy in a 40-month-old patient with a skull base fracture. The injury mechanism was associated with direct nerve injury caused by a right petrous bone fracture and indirect injury by frontal impact on the abducens nerve at the point of fixation to the petrous portion and Dorello's canal. The emergency physician should be aware of injuries and the mechanism of abducens nerve palsy in head trauma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.311-316
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• 2007

Objective : The objective of this study is to investigate the safety, surgical efficacy, and advantages of a polyaxial screw-rod system for posterior occipitocervicothoracic arthrodesis. Methods : Charts and radiographs of 32 patients who underwent posterior cervical fixation between October 2004 and February 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Posterior cervical polyaxial screw-rod fixation was applied on the cervical spine and/or upper thoracic spine. The surgical indication was fracture or dislocation in 18, C1-2 ligamentous injury with trauma in 5, atlantoaxial instability by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in 4, cervical spondylosis with myelopathy in 4, and spinal metastatic tumor in 1. The patients were followed up and evaluated based on their clinical status and radiographs at 1, 3, 6 months and 1 year after surgery. Results : A total of 189 screws were implanted in 32 patients. Fixation was carried out over an average of 3.3 spinal segment (range, 2 to 7). The mean follow-up interval was 20.2 months. This system allowed for screw placement in the occiput, C1 lateral mass, C2 pars, C3-7 lateral masses, as well as the lower cervical and upper thoracic pedicles. Satisfactory bony fusion and reduction were achieved and confirmed in postoperative flexion-extension lateral radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans in all cases. Revision surgery was required in two cases due to deep wound infection. One case needed a skin graft due to necrotic change. There was one case of kyphotic change due to adjacent segmental degeneration. There were no other complications, such as cord or vertebral artery injury, cerebrospinal fluid leak, screw malposition or back-out, or implant failure, and there were no cases of postoperative radiculopathy due to foraminal stenosis. Conclusion : Posterior cervical stabilization with a polyaxial screw-rod system is a safe and reliable technique that appears to offer several advantages over existing methods. Further biomechanical testings and clinical experiences are needed in order to determine the true benefits of this procedure.