Posterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion With Exoscope

Posterior cervical decompression and fusion is an effective strategy for the correction of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Srinivasan et al. highlighted the operative treatment of a 63-yr-old man entailing a 4-level posterior cervical laminectomy and fusion, with the use of an exoscope throughout. The patient initially presented with symptoms of gait dysfunction and loss of fine motor control in the upper extremities, without neck pain or radiculopathy. His imaging demonstrated a congenitally narrowed spinal canal with cervical stenosis at C3-C4, C5-C6, and C6-C7. The patient consented to the procedure and publication of his image, along with other participants and any identifiable individuals. The operation proceeded with the patient in a prone position with midline dissection to the posterior elements of C3-C6. Pilot holes were drilled in the lateral masses and C3-C4, C4-C5, C5-C6, and C6-C7 laminectomies were performed using a high-speed drill, with the removal of the laminae en bloc. Lateral mass screws were inserted and pre-contoured rods secured, with morselized autograft and allograft bone chips placed for arthrodesis. Postoperatively, the patient reported noted improvement in his symptoms 1) 2).

1)
Srinivasan ES, Crutcher CL 2nd, Shaffrey CI, Gottfried ON, Than KD. Posterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion With Exoscope: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2022 Feb 1;22(2):e83. doi: 10.1227/ONS.0000000000000058. PMID: 35007264.
2)
Hamilton T, Chang V. Commentary: Posterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion With Exoscope: 2-Dimensional Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2022 Jan 14. doi: 10.1227/ONS.0000000000000086. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35030143.