Atlanto-axial fusion in rheumatoid arthritis. A new method of fixation with wire and bone cement.

Twenty-eight occipito-cervical fusions performed over the past 4 years in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are discussed. All of the patients with one exception had signs of neurological involvement preoperatively due to pressure on occipital nerve roots, spinal cord and/or vertebral arteries. A surgical technique using wire, pin and bone cement and permitting early mobilization without external fixation was used and is described in detail. The clinical results were excellent in 21 cases with an additional five patients showing improvement. One patient did not benefit from surgery and one had no symptoms preoperatively. The results are encouraging and the possibility of early mobilization (the day after surgery) is of the utmost importance for this group of patients.