Surgical treatment of spinal instability: a clinical analysis of 196 cases.

Fixation of the spine, consisting in surgical stiffening of vertebrae at various levels, was performed in 196 cases during the period 1995-1999 in the Department and Clinic of Neurosurgery at the Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences in Poznań. In all these cases there was damage to nerve structures, spinal cord and/or nerve roots, accompanied by spinal instability, resulting mainly from injuries (144 cases), less frequently from neoplastic diseases (24 cases), degenerative diseases (21 cases), or other causes (7 cases). There were 154 males and 42 females ranging in age from to 69 years (mean age 37,82 +/- 15,10).

[Multiple myeloma of the second cervical vertebrae with C2-C3 translocation. Case report].

A case of 40 years old female with C2 vertebrae destruction caused by multiple myeloma treated surgically has been presented. The tumor has been resected through transoral approach and posterior pharyngeal wall. Posterior fusion has been performed with the use of a bony iliac graft.

[Injuries of the spine and spinal cord as isolated and multiple injuries].

A series of 511 patients after vertebral column and spinal trauma admitted to Department of Neurosurgery of University of Medical Sciences, Poznań from 1979 to 1992 has been analyzed. Isolated vertebral and spinal injuries in 49 per cent. In 51 per cent they were associated with multiple injuries.

[Conservative operative procedure in surgery of the spine].

An operative treatment within the spine due to the traumatic, neoplastic, vascular or other indications frequently result in complications as disturbance of the shape, flexibility, strength, mobility of the spine and injury of neural structures of a various degree. These complications may be prevented by minimizing surgical injury to the bone, ligaments, nerves and vessels and by adequate intra- and postoperative stabilization of the spine. The management will be effective only if the level, range and type of injury as well as spine tolerance against mechanical loads is diagnosed accurately.