Atlantoaxial facet joints have been proposed as the center of mobility and also center for instability of the atlantoaxial region. Because of the high mobility of the atlantoaxial (C1-C2) motion segment, fusion rates at this level have been substantially lower than those at the subaxial spine. The success of craniovertebral junction surgery depends on adequate reduction, decompression of cranio...

Few studies have specifically examined the efficacy of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2)/absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) in posterolateral lumbar spine fusion. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical outcomes in elderly patients treated with posterior C1-C2 fusion with iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) plus rhBMP-2/ACS vs ICBG alone. One hundred forty patients o...

Background: According to the findings of previous studies, treatment of C1/C2 subluxation especially in congenital anomaly depends on preoperative dynamic radiograph and site (anterior or posterior) of cord compression. Evolution of new technique for instrumentation intraoperative manipulation is more feasible. We present our experience of treating 5 cases “apparently” irreducible atlantoaxial ...

Background: Concomitant Hangman’s fracture and atlantoaxial subluxation is a rare phenomenon. Herein, we reported a victim of motor vehicle crash with traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis and atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation. Case presentation: the patient was a 32 years old female with a chief complaint of severe neck pain and normal neurologic examination except for mild torticollis. Ima...

INTRODUCTION Atlantoaxial instability is a common and serious injury of the upper cervical spine. Brooks' procedure is widely used to reconstruct the unstable atlantoaxial joint. The migration into spinal cord of titanium cable and spontaneous fusion between C2 and C3 has been little reported and the management of such a patient is difficult. We describe an unusual case of fatigue failure of po...

OBJECTIVE To study the vertebral involvement of the cervical spine, in particular the stability of C1-C2, in children with proven Goldenhar's syndrome. DESIGN A case review. SETTING The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa. PATIENTS Eight children who had a minimum of 2 out of 3 Goldenhar criteria plus other strong associations with the syndrome and for whom detailed radiographi...

The cisternal progression/maturation model of Golgi trafficking predicts that cis-Golgi cisternae are formed de novo on the cis-side of the Golgi. Here we describe structural and functional intermediates of the cis cisterna assembly process in high-pressure frozen algae (Scherffelia dubia, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and plants (Arabidopsis thaliana, Dionaea muscipula; Venus flytrap) as determin...