FEATURED ARTICLE
Avoiding early complications and reoperation during occipitocervical fusion in pediatric patients
Occipitocervical fusion for pediatric occipitocervical instability has a high rate of success in a wide variety of challenging circumstances; however, identifying potential risk factors can help to target variables that should be the focus of improvement.
Pediatric patients in the cohort of Mazur et al., with postoperative wound infections requiring surgical debridement had higher surgical failure rates after occipitocervical fusion. Those with skeletal dysplasia and congenital spinal anomaly were more likely to require reoperation for hardware failure. Better understanding of the mode of surgical failure may enable surgeons to develop strategies to decrease the need for reoperation in pediatric patients with OC instability 1).
Pediatric patients in the cohort of Mazur et al., with postoperative wound infections requiring surgical debridement had higher surgical failure rates after occipitocervical fusion. Those with skeletal dysplasia and congenital spinal anomaly were more likely to require reoperation for hardware failure. Better understanding of the mode of surgical failure may enable surgeons to develop strategies to decrease the need for reoperation in pediatric patients with OC instability 1).
1) Mazur MD, Sivakumar W, Riva-Cambrin J, Jones J, Brockmeyer DL. Avoiding early complications and reoperation during occipitocervical fusion in pediatric patients. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2014 Aug 29:1-11. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25171720.