C-DISLOCATIONS OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN
153
plegics who stayed in the horizontal position the bone graft took very well, and in one who
was allowed to sit up after 4 months his bone graft showed perfect healing. Three were
allowed to sit up 3 weeks after operation and were given a four-poster neck brace for
10-12 weeks. All three, within 20-24 months, developed severe anterior angulation
with the centre of angulation close to the centre of the bone graft. These observations
to which others could be added, reveal the fallacy of the claims made that this procedure
will stabilize the broken spine unless the patient's post-operative care over long periods in
horizontal position is strictly observed until the healing of the broken spine and the
bone graft is firmly secured. Myers & Buckley (1967) reported 218 patients of the
Neurosurgey Service of Wilford Hall U.S.A.F. Hospital in whom anterior cervical
fusions were performed (128 single level fusions, 79 multiple level fusions, n block
graft fusions). Complications occurred in 60 patients including 6 who had 2 complica
tions each. These complications include primary graft problems such as an obstruction
or collapse of the graft, collapse of vertebral body between two grafts, furthermore
damage to accessory structures such as damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve,
Jf •<?
2
FIG. 82.
