The Management of Bilateral Interfacetal Dislocation with Anterior Fixation in Cervical Spine : Comparison with Combined Antero-Posterior Fixation

Objective : Combined antero-posterior fixation has been a standard method for bilateral interfacetal dislocation in cervical spine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and complication of anterior cervical stabilization in treatment of bilateral interfacetal dislocation. Methods : A total of 65 cases of traumatic bilateral interfacetal dislocation in cervical spine who were managed in our institution, from Mar. 1997 to Feb. 2006, were included in this study. Closed reduction was tried in all cases before operation. If closed reduction was accomplished successfully, only anterior cervical fixation was performed (Group I), and attempted to place screws bicortically as possible with unicortical screws. If failed, posterior open reduction with fixation was first tried, followed by anterior cervical fixation (Group II). All patients were evaluated for neurological outcome and radiological evidence of healing. Results : The Group I included 47 patients and the Group II, 18 patients. The improvement of Frankel grade and increase of mean cervical lordosis angles were not statistically different between two groups. Screw-plate system used did not influence the outcome. On follow up, solid bone fusion was evident and there were no cases of instability in both groups. Conclusion : Our study demonstrated that anterior cervical fixation on BID is safe and effective in comparison with combined antero-posterior cervical fixation.