Transmanubrial Approach for Fracture of Lower Cervical Spine (C7) in Elderly Patients: A Case Report

Background: Fractures of the cervical spine are a frequent injury in the elderly with potentially devastating consequences. In most cases surgical therapy is required, in hyperextension fractures most often with anterior cervical fusion. Methods: We report a case of an 88-year old patient with a fracture of C7 (AO-type B3) who underwent anterior cervical fusion with manubrium sterni osteotomy for application of the caudal screws. Results: The insertion-angle of the caudal screws could be optimized; a dorsal instrumentation could be spared. Conclusion: We want to describe a technique that potentially simplifies addressing the vertebral bodies of the cervicothoracic junction for anterior cervical fusion in patients with difficult anatomical conditions and allows a safe and stable insertion of the caudal screws. Level of evidence: Level V (case report). *Corresponding author: Maximilian Leiblein, M.D., Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of the Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60590 Frankfurt, Germany, Tel: 069 6301 6123; Fax: 069 6301 6439; E-mail: [email protected] Received June 20, 2016; Accepted June 28, 2016; Published June 30, 2016 Citation: Leiblein M, Laurer H, Saman AEl, Marzi SMI, Sander AL (2016) Transmanubrial Approach for Fracture of Lower Cervical Spine (C7) in Elderly Patients: A Case Report. J Spine 5: 316. doi:10.4172/2165-7939.1000316 Copyright: © 2016 Leiblein M, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.