Surgery in the degenerative cervical spine

Degenerative changes of the cervical spine include changes of the bony and discoligamentous structures that can create mechanical alterations of the anatomy. Compressive syndromes and deformation or instability represent basic indications for surgery. In the upper cervical spine, osteoarthritis of the C1-C2 facet manifests with suboccipital pain syndrome caused by generally unilateral degenerative changes of the atlantoaxial facet. Fixation and atlantoaxial fusion represent the treatment of choice. In rare instances the presence of os odontoideum is responsible for atlantoaxial instability. Narrowing of the lateral recess in the subaxial spine produces radicular symptoms. The clinical symptoms should be supported with imaging methods such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Selective decompression produces satisfactory results. Spondylotic cervical myelopathy requires the addition of neurophysiologic investigations. Posterior decompression with laminoplasty or anterior decompression procedures with corpectomy of the involved segments represent therapeutic options with comparable results. In the presence of axial neck pain, the exact location of the painful segment challenges clinicians and radiologists. Only in cases in which clinical findings correlate with the radiologic changes should surgical fusion be considered as a last therapeutic means to resolve the painful condition.