Abstract
For surgical treatment of symptomatic unstable cervical spines in RA, we have used halo vest in order to reduce subluxation of cervical vertebrae and to improve neurological involvement before operation and further to resume earlier and safer exercise right after operation.
In five patients with RA, spine fusion with the help of halo vest was performed. Two patients with subaxial subluxation had their cervical vertebrae partially removed for decompression of spinal cord, followed with anterior spine fusion. Postoperative immobilization with the use of halo vest was found to be very useful in those two cases for initiating earlier exercise in the ward.
Three RA patients with atlanto-axial and vertical subluxations were anesthetized with halo vest attached; and posterior spine fusion was subsequently performed. In these 3 cases also, halo vest immobilization was quite useful for improving neurological findings preoperatively and for resuming earlier exercise postoperatively as well.
