The Transoral Approach to Clivus and Cervical Spine: Resurrection of a Technique Fading in Time

The transoral approach to clivus and upper cervical region is a direct route for treating pathology ventral to the brainstem and upper cervical spinal cord with low morbidity and mortality rates. This approach may be used for congenital atlanto-axial dislocation, fracture dislocation, vertebrobasilar aneurysms, basilar invagination, compressive rheumatoid pannus and tumours of the craniovertebral junction such as chordomas, chondromas, chondrosarcomas, giant cell tumours and meningiomas at ventral foramen magnum.