Pedicle screw fixation in the cervical spine.

Pedicle screw fixation of the lower cervical spine is a new technique that provides an alternative to posterior lateral mass plating. Although biomechanical studies support the use of pedicle screws to reconstruct the cervical spine, placing screws into the small cervical pedicle poses a technical challenge. Penetration of the pedicle is the primary complication associated with screw insertion in the lower cervical spine. Pedicle screw fixation at the C2 and C7 pedicles in conjunction with use of plates for occipitocervical or cervicothoracic plating is becoming an accepted technique; however, pedicle screw fixation should not be routinely used at the C3-C6 levels. It may be indicated in patients who have osteoporotic bone or when rigid internal fixation cannot be achieved by conventional techniques.