• Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
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• 제42권6호
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• pp.814-821
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• 2018

Objective To suggest rotation angles of fluoroscopy that can bypass the carotid sheath according to vertebral levels for cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI). Methods Patients who underwent cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from January 2009 to October 2017 were analyzed. In axial sections of cervical spine MRI, three angles to the vertical line (${\alpha}$, angle not to insult carotid sheath; ${\beta}$, angle for the conventional TFESI; ${\gamma}$, angle not to penetrate carotid artery) were measured. Results Alpha (${\alpha}$) angles tended to increase for upper cervical levels ($53.3^{\circ}$ in C6-7, $65.2^{\circ}$ in C5-6, $75.3^{\circ}$ in C4-5, $82.3^{\circ}$ in C3-4). Beta (${\beta}$) angles for conventional TFESI showed a constant value of $45^{\circ}$ to $47^{\circ}$ ($47.5^{\circ}$ in C6-7, $47.4^{\circ}$ in C5-6, $45.7^{\circ}$ in C4-5, $45.0^{\circ}$ in C3-4). Gamma (${\gamma}$) angles increased at higher cervical levels as did ${\alpha}$ angles ($25.2^{\circ}$ in C6-7, $33.6^{\circ}$ in C5-6, $43.0^{\circ}$ in C4-5, $56.2^{\circ}$ in C3-4). Conclusion The risk of causing injury by penetrating major vessels in the carotid sheath tends to increase at upper cervical levels. Therefore, prior to cervical TFESI, measuring the angle is necessary to avoid carotid vessels in the axial section of CT or MRI, thus contributing to a safer procedure.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1210-1219
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• 2001

서 론 : 후방 경유 경추 융합을 위한 후관절 금속판 고정술은 외상성 및 퇴행성 불안정성의 치료에 효과적인 방법이다. 후관절 금속판 고정의 안정성은 여러 가지 인자에 의해 결정된다. 이중 하나가 나사못의 삽입깊이이다. 이 방법이 처음 소개될 때에는 양피질골성 삽입이 이용되었다. 외과의사의 관심은 어떻게 안전하면서 생역학적으로 강력한 고정을 얻느냐에 있다. 목 적 : 이 연구의 목적은 사체에서 단피질성과 양피질성 나사못 삽입술을 시행한 후 안전성, pull-out 강도, 방사선학적 특성을 분석하고 나사못의 삽입에 대한 교육 훈련의 수준에 따른 영향을 평가하는데 있다. 방 법 : 평균 나이 78.9세인 21구의 사체에 대하여, Magerl의 기술을 변형하여 C3-C6(n=168)까지 3.5mm AO 나사못을 양쪽 후관절에 삽입하였다. 수술중 방사선 사진영상은 사용되지 않았다. 오른 쪽(단피질성 삽입)은 14mm 나사못(11mm의 유효 길이)을 이용하고, 왼쪽은 양피질성 삽입을 시도하였다. 각 사체는 3개의 군으로 나누어 척추 수술 수련의 수준이 다른 받은 3명의 척추 외과 의사들(전임 강사, 임상 강사, 수석 레지던트)이 수술을 시행했다. 수술 후 경추를 떼어내어 나사못의 위치를 육안적으로 확인하고 방사선학적으로 안정성과 삽입 위치 (1,2,3)를 평가하였다. 척수, 후관절, 신경근과 척추 동맥에 대한 나사못의 위치를"만족할 만한","위험한", 그리고"직접적인 손상"으로 구분하였다. material testing machine을 이용하여 모든 나사못에 대해서 Pull-out 강도를 측정하였다. 결 과 : 대다수의 나사못(92.9%)은 만족할 만한 상태였다. 전예에서 척수에 대한 위험성은 없다. 오른 편(단피질성 : 14mm) 나사못의 98.9%는"만족할 만한"에 속했다. 그리고 왼쪽 편(양피질성)의 68.1%는"만족할 만한"에 속했다. 양피질성 나사못 군에서 5.8%의 척추 동맥에 대한 직접적인 손상이 있었고 신경근의 직접적인 손상 발생율은 17.4%였다. 반면에 단피질성 나사못 군에서는 이들에 대한 직접적인 손상은 없었다. 양피질성 나사못에서 보인"직접 손상"의 거의 대부분은 외과 의사의 경험 부족으로 발생하였다. 나사못의 안정성과 삽입 위치 사이에는 특별한 관련이 없었다. 모든 나사못의 pull-out 강도는 $542.0{\pm}296.6N$였다. 단피질성에 있어서의 pull-out 강도($519.0{\pm}289.9N$)와 양피질성($565.2{\pm}306N$) 나사못에는 아무런 통계학적으로 의미있는 차이점을 발견할 수 없었다(p>0.05). 나사못 삽입위치와 pull-out 강도 사이에는 의미있는 차이가 없었다. 결 론 : 이번 연구는 경추 후관절 나사못 고정술시 단피질성과 양피질성 나사못의 안정성과 효능을 집중적으로 알아보았다. 명백한 것은 14mm의 나사못(효과적인 길이는 11mm)이 보다 긴 양피질성 나사못 보다 손상의 위험이 훨씬 낮고 거의 동등한 pull-out강도를 갖는다는 것이다. 또한, 수술시 방사선 영상을 사용할 수 없을 때, 훈련과 축적된 경험에 의해 나사못 삽입의 정확성과 안전성이 향상될 수 있다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제53권4호
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• pp.223-227
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• 2013

Objective : Although there is no consensus on the ideal treatment of the craniocervical instability, biomechanical stabilization and bone fusion can be induced through occipito-cervical fusion (OCF). The authors conducted this study to evaluate efficacy of OCF, as well as to explore methods in reducing complications. Methods : A total of 16 cases with craniocervical instability underwent OCF since the year 2002. The mean age of the patients was 51.5 years with a mean follow-up period of 34.9 months. The subjects were compared using lateral X-ray taken before the operation, after the operation, and during last follow-up. The Nurick score was used to assess neurological function pre and postoperatively. Results : All patients showed improvements in myelopathic symptoms after the operation. The mean preoperative Nurick score was 3.1. At the end of follow-up after surgery, the mean Nurick score was 2.0. After surgery, most patients' posterior occipito-cervical angle entered the normal range as the pre operation angle decresed from 121 to 114 degree. There were three cases with complications, such as, vertebral artery injury, occipital screw failure and wound infection. In two cases with cerebral palsy, occipital screw failures occurred. But, reoperation was performed in one case. Conclusion : OCF is an effective method in treating craniocervical instability. However, the complication rate can be quite high when performing OCF in patients with cerebral palsy, rheumatoid arthritis. Much precaution should be taken when performing this procedure on high risk patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.124-130
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• 2008

Objective : Our purpose of this study is to compare insertion angles and screw lengths from Roy-Camille, Magerl, and our designed method for cervical lateral mass screw fixation in the Korean population by quantitative measurement of reformatted two dimensional (2D) computed tomography (CT) images. Methods : We selected thirty Korean patients who were evaluated with thin section CT scans and reconstruction program to obtain reformatted 2D-CT images of the transversal plane passing the cranio-caudal angle using three different techniques. We measured the minimum angle to avoid vertebral artery (VA) injury, the ideal angle and depth for bicortical screwing of cervical lateral mass. Morphometric measurements of the lateral masses from C3-C7 were also taken. Results : In all three techniques, the mean safety angles from the VA were less than 8 degrees and the necessary depth of the screw was about 14 mm for safety to the VA and for the bicortical purchase. In our designed technique, the mean $\beta$ angles of each level from C3 to C7 were 29.0. 29.8. 29.5. 26.3. and 23.9 degrees, respectively. Conclusion : Results of this study and data from the literature indicate that differences may exist between the Korean and Western people in the length and angle for ideal lateral mass screw fixation. In addition, our technique needs further cadaveric and clinical study for safety and efficacy for being performed as alternative method for cervical lateral mass fixation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제42권4호
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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.