Occipitopexy as a Fusionless Solution for Dropped Head Syndrome: A Case Report. uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • CASE: A 68-year-old woman suffered from an irradiation-induced dropped head syndrome (DHS). Fusion surgery was vehemently rejected by the patient. A new surgical method, avoiding fusion, was invented and performed to treat her DHS. This novel surgical technique of "occipitopexy"-a ligamentous fixation of the occiput to the upper thoracic spine-is described in detail. One year postoperatively, the patient was very satisfied, able to maintain a horizontal gaze, and rotate her head 20° to each side. CONCLUSION: This is the first report describing "occipitopexy" as an alternative to cervicothoracic fusion for patients with flexible DHS.

publication date

  • August 16, 2021

Research

keywords

  • Muscle Weakness
  • Muscular Diseases

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85127196234

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.2106/JBJS.CC.21.00049

PubMed ID

  • 34398850

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 11

issue

  • 3