• Jorge Tirado-Caballero, Gloria Moreno-Madueño, Mónica Rivero-Garvia, María José Mayorga-Buiza, Julio Valencia-Anguita, and Javier Márquez-Rivas.
• Neurosurgery Service, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain; Group of Applied Neuroscience, Biomedicine Institute of Seville, Seville, Spain; Neurosurgery Service, 12 de Octubre University Hospital, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jtiradocaballero@gmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2021 Feb 1; 146: e1021-e1030.

ObjectiveMalformations in the craniocervical junction (CCJ) are rare in the pediatric population but often need surgical treatment. We present a pediatric case series of patients treated with a 2-stage surgical approach with a halo vest and occipitocervical fusion and review complications and outcomes.MethodsA retrospective analysis of a single-center case series was performed. Pediatric patients affected by congenital craniocervical junction anomalies and treated with a 2-stage approach were included. A halo vest was implanted in the first surgery, and ambulatory progressive reduction was performed. When a favorable anatomic situation was observed, arthrodesis was performed. Safety analysis was undertaken by analyzing the incidence of complications in both procedures. Effectivity analysis was carried out analyzing radiologic and clinical outcome (Goel grade and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score). Student t test was used for statistical analysis.ResultsSixteen cases were included. Mean age of patients was 9.38 years. Safety analysis showed 2 halo loosenings, 1 pin infection, 2 wound infections, 1 cerebrospinal fluid leak, and 2 delayed broken rods. No major complications were observed. Radiologic analysis showed an improvement in the tip of the odontoid process to the McRae line distance (from -3.26 mm to -6.16 mm), atlantodental interval (from 3.05 mm to 1.88 mm), clival-canal angle (from 134.61° to 144.38°), and cervical kyphosis (from 6.39° to 1.54°). Clinical analysis also showed improvement in mean Goel grade (from 1.75 to 1.44) and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (from 15.12 to 16.41).ConclusionsThe 2-stage approach was a suitable and effective treatment for craniocervical junction anomalies in pediatric patients.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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