FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AFTER CORPECTOMY AND CORTICO CANCELLOUS ILIAC BONE GRAFTING FOR CERVICAL SPINAL CORD INJURY :INITIAL EXPERIENCE.

Twelve patients with post-traumatic cervical spinal cord injury from C3 to C7 having anterior compression and instability underwent corpectomy and corticocancellous iliac bone grafting from Jan 95 to Dec 96. Corpectomy and tricortical iliac bone grafting was carried out at one level in 10 and two levels in 2 patients. Neurological function was recorded using a functional scale pre and post-operatively. There was complete functional recovery in 5, improvement in 5 and no change in neurological status in 2 patients. This technique is simple, safe, biomechanically sound providing stability with good functional recovery in these patients.