Computed tomography morphometric analysis for C-1 posterior arch crossing screw placement in the pediatric cervical spine.

Object: The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the C-1 posterior arch crossing screw fixation technique in the pediatric age group.
Methods: One hundred twenty-three pediatric patients were divided into 6 age groups. Computed tomography morphometric analysis of the C-1 posterior arch was performed. Measurements included height, width, and length. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student t-test and linear regression analysis.
Results: The mean measurement of the posterior arch was height (6.35 ± 1.80 mm), width (Width 1: 4.48 ± 1.25 mm; Width 2: 4.42 ± 0.68 mm; Width 3: 4.42 ± 0.50 mm), and length (14.48 ± 1.67 mm). Seven (6.93%) of the 101 children in Groups 1-4 and 13 (59.1%) of the 22 children in Groups 5 and 6 could safely accommodate placement of C-1 posterior arch crossing screws.
Conclusions: This investigation found that a C-1 posterior arch crossing screw was feasible in this group of Chinese pediatric patients, particularly in those 13 years and older. Preoperative thin-cut CT is essential for identifying children in whom this technique is applicable and for planning screw placement.