POSTLAMINECTOMY CERVICAL DISLOCATION IN VON-RECKLINGHAUSENS-DISEASE -A CASE-REPORT

Study Design, A case of a 9-year-old girl with von Recklinghausen's di sease who has acute tetraparesis caused by a complete dislocation of C 6-C7 after a cervical laminectomy performed at another hospital, Objec tives, To demonstrate the treatment difficulties of cervical spine abn ormality associated with neurofibromatosis. Summary of Background Data . Craig and Govender have reported cases of neurofibromatosis of the c ervical spine (1992). Methods, The patient underwent emergency surgery starting with a posterior release of the articular facets and with th e positioning of two Roy-Camille plates. The dislocation of C6-C7 was reduced by an anterior approach. Finally the Roy-Camille plates were r emoved, a plate was implanted posteriorly at the C6 and C7 joints, and a posterior cable was positioned around the C2-C3 posterior arches. R esults, More than 4.5 years after surgery, the patient's neurologic co ndition remains satisfactory. She can walk and run and has no sphincte r disorders. Conclusions. The results underline the importance of simu ltaneous anterior and posterior surgical approaches in this disease.