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Cervical subluxation associated with posterior cervical hemivertebra

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Abstract

Purpose

Hemivertebrae, associated with a failure in the formation and fusion of vertebral body ossification nuclei, are a common cause of thoracic or lumbar scoliosis. A cervical location is rare and even rarer as a cause of cervical subluxation in flexion and extension (for which only one previous case has been found).

Case report

We report on the case of a 7-year-old female patient, who was examined for a cervical fusion defect, consisting of a posterior C4 hemivertebra and a left hemiblock from C5 to C7. After performing surgery consisting of a C4 corpectomy and anterior fixation with intersomatic graft and plate, adequate cervical stabilization with only a self-limiting left C6 brachialgia and ipsilateral Horner syndrome occurs in the postoperative period.

Conclusion

Posterior cervical hemivertebra associated with instability is a very rare finding. The anterior approach with corpectomy and anterior plate enables suitable stabilization.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosurgery, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, C/ Manuel Siurot s/n, 41006, Seville, Spain

    R. Otero-López, M. Rivero-Garvía, J. Márquez-Rivas & J. Valencia

Authors
  1. R. Otero-López
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  2. M. Rivero-Garvía
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  3. J. Márquez-Rivas
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  4. J. Valencia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Rivero-Garvía.

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Otero-López, R., Rivero-Garvía, M., Márquez-Rivas, J. et al. Cervical subluxation associated with posterior cervical hemivertebra. Childs Nerv Syst 32, 387–390 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-015-2833-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-015-2833-0

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