Abstract
Purpose of study: Cervical corpectomy is a well established procedure for spinal pathology. We have applied this technique using a titanium standalone cage or a cage with cervical locking plate filled with bone debris of the corpectomy for vertebral reconstruction. The study was aimed to determine the efficacy and assess the morbidity of this procedure.
Methods: Case notes of all patients who underwent cervical corpectomy from March 2004 to September 2008 were reviewed retrospectively.
Results: 47 patients were identified 28 male and 19 female. The mean age was 58 (range 40 to 82). Single level corpectomy was performed in 21 patients, 2 levels in 19 and 3 levels in 6 patients. One case was abandoned and one had additional laminectomy and lateral mass fusion. 89% of cases needed corpectomy for degenerative disease, whilst 11% for malignant disease.
Complications included dural tear in 5 patients, subsidence in 4, laryngeal nerve palsy in 2, postoperative haematoma in 2 and infection in 1 patient.
At mean follow-up of 25 months (range 3 to 52), 84% were better, 10% remained same and 4 % of patients worsened.
Conclusion: Cervical corpectomy is a safe and effective method of managing cervical pathology. It not only provides stable vertebral reconstruction but also eliminates donor graft site related morbidity.
Ethics approval: None Audit/service standard in trust Ethics committee COREC number:
Interest Statement: None Local grant/National grant Commercial/industry support
Correspondence should be addressed to BASS/BCSS c/o BOA, at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE, England.
