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How I do it: en-bloc subaxial cervical laminectomy using a high-speed drill with a footplate attachment

  • How I Do it - Spine - Other
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Abstract

Background

Cervical laminectomy is a common strategy to decompress the spinal canal.

Methods

The anatomy of the cervical spine and surrounding critical structures as viewed from the posterior approach is described. The use of a high-speed drill with a footplate attachment to make laminar troughs with an en-bloc subaxial cervical laminectomy is described with a discussion on surgical technique and complication avoidance.

Conclusion

This technique allows for a safe, comfortable, and rapid decompression of the cervical spine with minimal risk. For routine cases, this may potentially be more safe and cost-effective than using a cutting bur or bone scalpel attachment.

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Abbreviations

IAP:

Inferior articulating process

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Acknowledgments

We applied the sequence determines credit approach for the sequence of authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Washington, DC, USA

    Kyle B. Mueller

  2. Medstar Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medstar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Kenneth P. Mullinix

  3. Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Department of Surgical Services, Washington, DC, USA

    Hector F. Bermudez

Authors
  1. Kyle B. Mueller
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  2. Kenneth P. Mullinix
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  3. Hector F. Bermudez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyle B. Mueller.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Spine - Other

Electronic supplementary material

Clip 1

Cadaveric demonstration of the high speed drill with the footed attachment performing a laminar cut over four thoracic levels. The speed and efficiency of this technique is shown (MP4 683 kb)

Clip 2

Intraoperative demonstration of a laminar cut in the cervical spine over several levels. This posterior view shows how the footplate attachment is held and positioned from the surgeon’s perspective. This is a safe and effective way to decompress the spine in the cervical and thoracic regions. Following bilateral cuts, the lamina is removed in standard fashion (MP4 6155 kb)

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Mueller, K.B., Mullinix, K.P. & Bermudez, H.F. How I do it: en-bloc subaxial cervical laminectomy using a high-speed drill with a footplate attachment. Acta Neurochir 162, 311–315 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-019-04158-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-019-04158-y

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