Missing Screw as a Rare Complication of Anterior Cervical Instrumentation

Although anterior cervical arthrodesis is an effective procedure for the treatment of cervical disorders, the method has some complications. Here, we describe this rare complication of cervical instrumentation with a literature review. A 23-year-old male patient was operated for a C6-C7 dislocation....

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Published inCase reports in orthopedics Vol. 2013; no. 2013; pp. 1 - 4
Main Authors Duransoy, Yusuf Kurtuluş, Mete, Mesut, Zengel, Baha, Selçukı, Mehmet
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Puplishing Corporation 01.01.2013
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Hindawi Limited
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Case Report
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Summary:Although anterior cervical arthrodesis is an effective procedure for the treatment of cervical disorders, the method has some complications. Here, we describe this rare complication of cervical instrumentation with a literature review. A 23-year-old male patient was operated for a C6-C7 dislocation. At postoperative month 10, he presented with hemoptysis and dysphagia. Cervical roentgenograms showed anterior migrations of one broken screw and a plate-locking screw at the C6 corpus. One screw was missing. We concluded that the missing screw had perforated the esophagus and had been eliminated spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract. No screw should migrate. Even loose screws should be noted in follow-up X-ray studies. If such findings are detected, a second operation for revision should be considered as soon as possible to prevent potentially fatal complications.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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Academic Editors: M. Gotoh and M. K. Lyons
ISSN:2090-6749
2090-6757
DOI:10.1155/2013/593905