No abstract available.
Constriction, Pathologic*

We reviewed four patients who underwent posterior C-D occipitocervical loop and autogenous bone graft. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 16 months. The indications for surgery were progressive neurological deficit, atlantoaxial instability and intractable pain. Of the four patients, one had os odontoideum, two rheumatoid arthritis and suboccipital dislocation combined fractures of C1 and C2. Bong union was confirmed in all cases at approximately 4 months postoperatively. Final outcome result was satisfactory in three patients and unsatisfactory in one patient. The cause of unsatisfactory result was recurrent neck pain secondary to swan neck deformity. The neurologic deficit were improved or remained same as preoperative status. Three patient were out of bed on average of the 14th day postoperatively. One patient could not ambulate due to tetraplegia who needed an artificial ventilator. There was no complication related to instrumentation.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Dislocations ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neck ; Neck Pain ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pain, Intractable ; Quadriplegia ; Transplants ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Spinal disc surgery has been the most common cause of iatrogenic disc infection, resulting in pyogenic spondylitis. The diagnosis is usually difficult because of the infrequency of occurrence of pyogenic spondylitis. If three or more vertebrae are involved, the diagnosis of osteomyelitis is unlikely to be correct. Especially involvement of multiple non-contiguous vertebrae indicates metastatic tumor. Therefore, we report a rare case of latent multiple non-contiguous pyogenic spondylitis following spinal surgery. The actual cause of infection in this case is unknown. CT guide biopsy may be needed to rule-out tuberculosis spondylitis and metastatic tumor in such case of multiple spinal involvement. In conclusion, the possibility of latent spinal infection must be considered even though surgery had been done several years ago.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Osteomyelitis ; Spine ; Spondylitis* ; Tuberculosis