Dens Axis Vertebroplasty Combined with C 3 Vertebral Body Arthroplasty. Case Study.

Spinal tumors are most commonly located in the thoracic and lumbar spine, less commonly in the cervical section of the spine. Diagnosis is usually late and surgery is not radical. Myeloma is one of the most frequent metastatic spinal tumors. Surgical treatment of osteolytic lesions in the spine involves posterior and anterior stabilization, full or partial tumorectomies as well as decompression of neural structures. Bone cement injection has been increasingly used in plastic surgery of vertebral bodies and is most frequently performed percutaneously in the thoracic and lumbar spine. Cervical vertebroplasty can be performed both percutaneously and after anterior exposure of the spine. The dens axis can also be approached transorally. The safest surgical technique seems to be the Southwick approach, which allows exposure of the spine at C2-Th2 and, if necessary, can be extended both proximally and distally. Cemented cervical vertebroplasty, especially dens axis vertebroplasty, shows good results, yet this technique has rarely been described in the literature. It has the advantage of early patient mobility and little limitation of motion of the spine. Cervical vertebroplasty can be successfully combined with other procedures utilizing the same surgical approach in a single-stage operation. Post-resection anterior stabilization of the cervical spine with plates and vertebral body prosthesis allows for good stability of the spine and makes it possible to restore the spinal axis and curvatures.