New Trends in Craniovertebral Junction Surgery: Experimental and Clinical Updates for a New State of Art (Acta Neurochirurgica Supplement Book 125)

This issue of Acta Neurochirururgica presents the latest surgical and experimental approaches to the craniovertebral junction (CVJ). It discusses anterior midline (transoral transnasal), posterior (CVJ craniectomy laminectomy, laminotomy, instrumentation and fusion), posterolateral (far lateral) and anterolateral (extreme lateral) approaches using state-of-the-art supporting tools. It especially highlights open surgery, microsurgical techniques, neuronavigation, the O-arm system, intraoperative MR, neuromonitoring and endoscopy. Endoscopy represents a useful complement to the standard microsurgical approach to the anterior CVJ: it can be used transnasally, transorally and transcervically; and it provides information for better decompression without the need for soft palate splitting, hard palate resection, or extended maxillotomy. While neuronavigation allows improved orientation in the surgical field, intraoperative fluoroscopy helps to recognize residual compression. Under normal anatomic conditions, there are virtually no surgical limitations to endoscopically assisted CVJ and this issue provides valuable information for the new generation of surgeons involved in this complex and challenging field of neurosurgery. Front Matter ....Pages i-x Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Why the Craniovertebral Junction? (Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 3-8 Front Matter ....Pages 9-9 The Craniovertebral Junction and Laboratory Experience: The Italian Paradox (Francesco Signorelli)....Pages 11-12 Mastering Craniovertebral Junction Surgical Approaches: The Dissection Laboratory Experience at the Catholic University of Rome (Francesco Signorelli, Vittorio Stumpo, Antonio Oliva, Vincenzo Lorenzo Pascali, Alessandro Olivi, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 13-15 Surgical Highways to the Craniovertebral Junction: Is It Time for a Reappraisal? (Giuseppe Roberto Giammalva, Domenico Gerardo Iacopino, Francesca Graziano, Antonella Giugno, Carlo Gulì, Luigi Basile et al.)....Pages 17-23 The Endoscopic Endonasal Approach to Craniovertebral Junction Pathologies: Surgical Skills and Anatomical Study (Paolo Pacca, Valentina Tardivo, Giancarlo Pecorari, Diego Garbossa, Alessandro Ducati, Francesco Zenga)....Pages 25-36 Endonasal and Transoral Approaches to the Craniovertebral Junction: A Quantitative Anatomical Study (Francesco Doglietto, Francesco Belotti, Jimmy Qiu, Elena Roca, Ivan Radovanovic, Anne Agur et al.)....Pages 37-44 Ventral Brainstem Anatomy: An Endoscopic Transoral Perspective (Oreste de Divitiis, Alfredo Conti, Teresa Somma, Flavio Angileri, Paolo Cappabianca)....Pages 45-50 Transoral Approach to the Craniovertebral Junction: A Neuronavigated Cadaver Study (Francesco Signorelli, Alessandro Costantini, Vittorio Stumpo, Giulio Conforti, Alessandro Olivi, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 51-55 Front Matter ....Pages 57-57 Atlantoaxial Instability: Evolving Understanding (Atul Goel)....Pages 59-62 Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament: Analysis of the Role of Craniovertebral and Spinal Instability (Atul Goel)....Pages 63-70 Role of Subaxial Spinal and Atlantoaxial Instability in Multisegmental Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (Atul Goel)....Pages 71-78 The Craniovertebral Junction in Rheumatoid Arthritis: State of the Art (Angelo Ferrante, Francesco Ciccia, Giuseppe Roberto Giammalva, Domenico Gerardo Iacopino, Massimiliano Visocchi, Federica Macaluso et al.)....Pages 79-86 Front Matter ....Pages 87-87 Chiari Malformations (Cristina Mancarella, Roberto Delfini, Alessandro Landi)....Pages 89-95 The Role of Arachnoid Veils in Chiari Malformation Associated with Syringomyelia (Pasquale Ciappetta, Francesco Signorelli, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 97-99 Atlantoaxial Fixation for Treatment of Chiari Formation and Syringomyelia with No Craniovertebral Bone Anomaly: Report of an Experience with 57 Cases (Atul Goel, Amol Kaswa, Abhidha Shah)....Pages 101-110 The Relationship Between Basilar Invagination and Chiari Malformation Type I: A Narrative Review (Chenlong Liao, Massimiliano Visocchi, Wenchuan Zhang, Shiting Li, Min Yang, Wenxiang Zhong et al.)....Pages 111-118 Bony Decompression for Chiari Malformation Type I: Long-Term Follow-Up (Luca Massimi, Paolo Frassanito, Daniela Chieffo, Gianpiero Tamburrini, Massimo Caldarelli)....Pages 119-124 Surgical Treatment in Symptomatic Chiari Malformation Type I: A Series of 25 Adult Patients Treated with Cerebellar Tonsil Shrinkage (Alessandro Villa, Alessia Imperato, Rosario Maugeri, Massimiliano Visocchi, Domenico Gerardo Iacopino, Natale Francaviglia)....Pages 125-131 Treatment of Holocord Syringomyelia–Chiari Complex by Posterior Fossa Decompression and a Syringosubarachnoid Shunt in a Single-Stage Single Approach (Giovanni Raffa, Stefano Maria Priola, Rosaria Viola Abbritti, Antonino Scibilia, Lucia Merlo, Antonino Germanò)....Pages 133-138 Surgical Treatment of Chiari Malformation in Adults: Comparison of Surgical Techniques Described in the Literature and Our Experience (L. Lavorato, A. Spallone, M. Visocchi)....Pages 139-143 Front Matter ....Pages 145-145 The High Cervical Anterolateral Retropharyngeal Approach (Nabeel S. Alshafai, V. R. N. Gunness)....Pages 147-149 Compression Syndromes of the Vertebral Artery at the Craniocervical Junction (Jan Frederick Cornelius, Raoul Pop, Marco Fricia, Bernard George, Salvatore Chibbaro)....Pages 151-158 The Far Lateral Approach to the Craniovertebral Junction: An Update (Nabeel S. Alshafai, Tomasz Klepinowski)....Pages 159-164 Endoscope-Assisted Far Lateral Approach to the Craniovertebral Junction with Neuronavigation: A Cadaver Laboratory Experience (Francesco Signorelli, Marco Pace, Vittorio Stumpo, Pasquale Ciappetta, Alessandro Costantini, Alessandro Olivi et al.)....Pages 165-169 Extreme Lateral Approach to the Craniovertebral Junction: An Update (Nabeel S. Alshafai, Tomasz Klepinowski)....Pages 171-174 The Extreme Lateral Approach to the Craniovertebral Junction: An Anatomical Study (Francesco Signorelli, Walter Pisciotta, Vittorio Stumpo, Pasquale Ciappetta, Alessandro Olivi, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 175-178 Front Matter ....Pages 179-179 Transoral Versus Transnasal Approach for Craniovertebral Junction Pathologies: Which Route Is Better? (Massimiliano Visocchi, Francesco Signorelli, Chenlong Liao, Mario Rigante, Pasquale Ciappetta, Giuseppe Barbagallo et al.)....Pages 181-186 The Endonasal Endoscopic Approach to Pathologies of the Anterior Craniocervical Junction: Analytical Review of Cases Treated at Four European Neurosurgical Centres (Salvatore Chibbaro, Mario Ganau, Helene Cebula, Beniamino Nannavecchia, Julien Todeschi, Antonio Romano et al.)....Pages 187-195 Endoscopic Endonasal Odontoidectomy and Posterior Fusion in a Single-Stage Surgery: Description of Surgical Technique and Outcome (Rosaria Viola Abbritti, Felice Esposito, Filippo Flavio Angileri, Fabio Cacciola, Daniele Marino, Giuseppe La Fata et al.)....Pages 197-207 Endoscopic Endonasal Approaches for Treatment of Craniovertebral Junction Tumours (Davide Locatelli, Apostolos Karligkiotis, Mario Turri-Zanoni, Frank Rikki Canevari, Fabio Pozzi, Paolo Castelnuovo)....Pages 209-224 The Endoscopic Endonasal Approach for Treatment of Craniovertebral Junction Pathologies: A Minimally Invasive but not Minimal-Risk Approach (Massimiliano Visocchi, Francesco Signorelli, Chenlong Liao, Mario Rigante, Gaetano Paludetti, Giuseppe Barbagallo et al.)....Pages 225-228 Stability-Sparing Endoscopic Endonasal Odontoidectomy in a Malformative Craniovertebral Junction: Case Report and Biomechanical Considerations (Matteo Vitali, Frank Rikki Canevari, Andrea Cattalani, Teresa Somma, Vincenzo Maria Grasso, Andrea Barbanera)....Pages 229-233 Refinement of the Transoral Approach to Craniovertebral Junction Malformations (Paolo Perrini, Nicola Benedetto, Francesco Cacciola, Pasquale Gallina, Nicola Di Lorenzo)....Pages 235-240 Front Matter ....Pages 241-241 Occipitocervical Fusion (Angelo Lavano, Giusy Guzzi, Carmelino Angelo Stroscio, Attilio Della Torre, Donatella Gabriele, Domenico Chirchiglia et al.)....Pages 243-245 Occipitocervical Fusion: An Updated Review (Nabeel S. Ashafai, Massimiliano Visocchi, Norbert Wąsik)....Pages 247-252 Wiring or Screwing at the Craniovertebral Junction in Childhood: Past and Present Personal Experience (Massimiliano Visocchi, Francesco Signorelli, Alessandro Olivi, Massimo Caldarelli)....Pages 253-258 Retro-odontoid Degenerative Pseudotumour Causing Spinal Cord Compression and Myelopathy: Current Evidence on the Role of Posterior C1–C2 Fixation in Treatment (Francesco Certo, Massimiliano Maione, Massimiliano Visocchi, Giuseppe M. V. Barbagallo)....Pages 259-264 Insights into the Past and Future of Atlantoaxial Stabilization Techniques (Nabeel S. Alshafai, Agnieszka Kramarz, Minou Behboudi)....Pages 265-271 Realignment of Basilar Invagination by C1–C2 Joint Distraction: A Modified Approach to a Paradigm Shift (Francesco Cacciola, Bronek Boszczyk, Paolo Perrini, Pasquale Gallina, Nicola Di Lorenzo)....Pages 273-277 Grisel’s Syndrome: Non-traumatic Atlantoaxial Rotatory Subluxation—Report of Five Cases and Review of the Literature (Corrado Iaccarino, Ormitti Francesca, Spennato Piero, Rubini Monica, Rapanà Armando, Pasquale de Bonis et al.)....Pages 279-288 Odontoid Fusion (Corey T. Walker, Volker K. H. Sonntag)....Pages 289-294 Front Matter ....Pages 295-295 Posttraumatic Anatomical Injuries of the Craniovertebral Junction and Treatment Implications: Part I (Pasquale Ciappetta, M. Alsagheir, Francesco Signorelli, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 297-302 Posttraumatic Anatomical Injuries of the Craniovertebral Junction and Treatment Implications: Part II (Pasquale Ciappetta, M. Alsagheir, Francesco Signorelli, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 303-307 The Decision-Making Process in Traumatic Lesions of the Craniovertebral Junction: An Evidence-Based Approach? Part I (Pasquale Ciappetta, M. Alsagheir, Francesco Signorelli, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 309-311 The Decision-Making Process in Traumatic Lesions of the Craniovertebral Junction: An Evidence-Based Approach? Part II (Pasquale Ciappetta, M. Alsagheir, Francesco Signorelli, Lorenzo Pescatori, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 313-316 Type II Odontoid Fracture: a case series highlighting the treatment strategies (Ettore Fiumara, Silvana Tumbiolo, Maria Cristina Lombardo, Rosario Maugeri, Simona Porcaro, Francesco Gioia et al.)....Pages 317-324 Learning Curve in Surgical Treatment of Odontoid Fixation for a Series of Type II C2 Fractures (Rosario Maugeri, Domenico Gerardo Iacopino, Giuseppe Roberto Giammalva, Francesca Graziano, Carlo Gulì)....Pages 325-327 Functional Outcome After Odontoid Fractures in the Elderly (Pasquale De Bonis, Giorgio Trapella, Lorenzo Mongardi, Simone Olei, Antonio Musio, Corrado Iaccarino et al.)....Pages 329-333 Front Matter ....Pages 335-335 Management of Craniovertebral Junction Tuberculosis Presenting with Atlantoaxial Dislocation (Granit Molliqaj, Philipp Dammann, Karl Schaller, Ulrich Sure, Enrico Tessitore)....Pages 337-344 Extensive Spinal Epidural Abscesses Resolved with Minimally Invasive Surgery: Two Case Reports and Review of the Recent Literature (Luca Proietti, Luca Ricciardi, Giovanni Noia, Giuseppe Barone, Eugenio Valenzi, Andrea Perna et al.)....Pages 345-353 Complications of Halo Placement (Giuseppe Talamonti, Alberto Debernardi, Massimiliano Visocchi, Fabio Villa, Giuseppe D’Aliberti)....Pages 355-361 Front Matter ....Pages 363-363 Occipital Nerve Stimulation for Refractory Pain after Occipitocervical Fusion (Giusy Guzzi, Attilio Della Torre, Donatella Gabriele, Giorgio Volpentesta, Domenico Chirchiglia, Carmelino Angelo Stroscio et al.)....Pages 365-367 Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring for Craniovertebral Junction Surgery (Francesco Sala, Pietro Meneghelli)....Pages 369-380 Management of Anaesthesia (Federica Tosi, Orazio Genovese, Tamara Jovanovic, Massimiliano Visocchi)....Pages 381-386 Back Matter ....Pages 387-398