Skip to main content

C0/C1/C2 Instrumentation Techniques

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Spine Surgery

Abstract

The occipitocervical junction is a complex transitional zone between the cranium and the upper spine. It composes two major joints: the atlantooccipital joint, which allows half of the overall flexion-extension motion of the cervical spine and the atlantoaxial joint, which is responsible for the majority of cervical rotation. Bilateral banding, distraction and axial loading are other important features of this region [1, 2]. Degenerative, inflammatory and tumorous lesions can cause instability of these two joints, which may require instrumentation and fusion. Since the majority of cases involve atlantoaxial instability, this chapter focusses on C1/C2 fixation, while the following chapter on basilar invagination also discusses occipitocervical instrumentation in detail.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References and Level of Evidence (EBM)

  1. White AA, Panjabi MM. The clinical biomechanics of the occipitoatlantoaxial complex. Orthop Clin North Am. 1978;9:867–78. EBM IV

    Google Scholar 

  2. Offiah CE, Day E. The craniocervical junction: embryology, anatomy, biomechanics and imaging in blunt trauma. Insights Imaging. 2017;8:29–47. EBM V

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Harms J, Melcher RP. Posterior C1-C2 fusion with polyaxial screw and rod fixation. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2001;26:2467–71. EBM IV

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Jeanneret B, Magerl F. Primary posterior fusion C1/2 in odontoid fractures: indications, technique, and results of transarticular screw fixation. J Spinal Disord. 1992;5:464–75. EBM IV

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Yamazaki M, Okawa A, Furuya T, et al. Anomalous vertebral arteries in the extra- and intraosseous regions of the craniovertebral junction visualized by 3-dimensional computed tomographic angiography: analysis of 100 consecutive surgical cases and review of the literature. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012;37:E1389–97. EBM IV

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Gluf WM, Brockmeyer DL. Atlantoaxial transarticular screw fixation: a review of surgical indications, fusion rate, complications, and lessons learned in 67 pediatric patients. J Neurosurg Spine. 2005;2:164–9. EBM IV

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Huang DG, Hao DJ, He BR, et al. Posterior atlantoaxial fixation: a review of all techniques. Spine J. 2015;15:2271–81. EBM V

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Sim HB, Lee JW, Park JT, Mindea SA, Lim J, Park J. Biomechanical evaluations of various c1-c2 posterior fixation techniques. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011;36:E401–7. EBM V

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Pitzen T, Salman E, Ostrowski G, Welk T, Ruf M, Drumm J. Left-right axial rotation within C1-2 after implant removal. J Neurosurg Spine. 2013;19:688–93. EBM IV

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hitti FL, Hudgins ED, Chen HI, Malhotra NR, Zager EL, Schuster JM. Intraoperative navigation is associated with reduced blood loss during C1-C2 posterior cervical fixation. World Neurosurg. 2017;107:574–8. EBM IV

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Czabanka M, Haemmerli J, Hecht N, et al. Spinal navigation for posterior instrumentation of C1-2 instability using a mobile intraoperative CT scanner. J Neurosurg Spine. 2017;27:268–75. EBM IV

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anja Tschugg .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Tschugg, A., Hartmann, S., Thomé, C. (2019). C0/C1/C2 Instrumentation Techniques. In: Meyer, B., Rauschmann, M. (eds) Spine Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98875-7_50

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98875-7_50

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98874-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98875-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics