Anterior plate stabilization for fracture-dislocations of the lower cervical spine.

In fracture-dislocations of the cervical spine with associated injury to the supporting posterior elements, anterior interbody bone block or dowel fusion does not give sufficient stability to the involved area. Additional fixation using an H- or HH-ASIF plate has been employed over the past 2 years in 26 cases. All patients had achieved solid fusion of the involved region of the cervical spine without recurrence of the deformity. None has required additional external plaster fixation. In 21 patients with neurologic involvement, recovery (complete, marked, or partial) occurred in 14; there was no recovery in four; deaths in three patients were late and in two were not related to their operations.