Ventrale Fusion bei Halswirbelsäulenverletzungen.

Anterior fusion is the gold standard procedure for unstable traumatic spinal injuries because most injuries can be managed with this atraumatic approach, which also allows good correction of kyphosis. To prevent functional deficits and degeneration of the adjacent segments, the length of fusion should be as short as possible. In recent years, a trend towards anterior fusion with cages in combination with bone substitutes can be recognized. In contrast, fusion performed with a tricortical iliac bone graft is performed less frequently because relevant donor site morbidity has to be taken into account. Additional anterior plate fixation is mandatory in cases of anterior stabilization for traumatic instability of the cervical spine. Besides anterior fusion, restoration of the sagittal profile seems to be important for the outcome following traumatic cervical spine injuries. This is due to the fact that persisting cervical kyphosis has a negative impact on the long-term results after cervical spine stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]