Pediatric Considerations in Craniocervical Fixation

摘要

The purpose of this article manuscript is to provide an overview of the anatomy and radiology of the pediatric craniocervical junction, outline common etiologies of craniocervical instability in children, and describe the surgical management of craniocervical instability in children. The data analyzed were obtained from a combination of the author's experience and the literature. Although instrumentation for pediatric spinal column instability usually should be avoided because of its potential untoward effects involving growth, craniocervical instrumentation is often necessary in children because of the types of instability present and the unacceptable cost of neurologic compromise of the cervicomedullary junction if further pathologic motion occurs despite "adequate" external immobilization.