Development of a Patient-specific Guide for High Cervical Spine Fixation.

Objective: High cervical spine fixation represents a challenge for spine surgeons due to the complex anatomy and the risks of vascular and medullar injury. The recent advances in 3-D printing have unfolded a whole new range of options for these surgeons.

Methods: In the present study, a guide for the placement of the lateral mass screw in the C1 vertebra was developed using 3-D printing.