Abstract
The authors analysed the results of posterior fusions for craniocervical bone lesions. They were composed by 20 cases of one-stage transoral decompression and posterior fusion and 27 cases of simple posterior fusion. Among these, occipitocervical fusions were carried out in 26 cases with good bone fusions. For the case of long fusion, for example from occiput to C5, autologous long costal rib fragments were used and tightened by sublaminar wiring. Simple posterior cervical fusions (C1-C2 or C1-C2-C3) were made in 21 cases. Reduction loss was encountered in a case of Down syndrome. Fracture of sublaminar Songer cable wire was seen in one case and there were two cases of bone fusion failures which resulted in fibrous unions. To avoid these failures, more than three cable wires must be used for sublaminar wiring and /or more rigid external fixation using a halo-brace must be made.
