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Surgical Approaches to the Child’s Cervical Spine

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The Management of Disorders of the Child’s Cervical Spine

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Abstract

This chapter outlines the different approaches to the pediatric cervical spine. The surgeon must be familiar with both anterior and posterior approaches to address the many different pathologies that affect the cervical spine in children. Positioning of the child’s head is paramount in achieving optimal exposure. Application of an external head device like a Mayfield holder or halo will help with rigid positioning of the patient. Meticulous dissection of the soft tissues allows a clear view of the small cervical vertebrae, which can be largely cartilaginous. Often it is advisable to have an orthopedic or neurosurgical colleague assist with the surgery.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Starship Children’s Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand

    Haemish A. Crawford FRACS

  2. LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, University of Tennessee/Campbell Clinic, Germantown, TN, USA

    William Warner MD

Authors
  1. Haemish A. Crawford FRACS
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  2. William Warner MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to William Warner MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Daniel J. Hedequist

  2. Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

    Suken A. Shah

  3. Rady’s Children’s Hospital Associate, San Diego, California, USA

    Burt Yaszay

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Crawford, H.A., Warner, W. (2018). Surgical Approaches to the Child’s Cervical Spine. In: Hedequist, D., Shah, S., Yaszay, B. (eds) The Management of Disorders of the Child’s Cervical Spine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7491-7_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7491-7_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7489-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7491-7

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