Reduction of Lower Cervical Facet Dislocation: A Review of All Techniques

Objective The surgical treatment of lower cervical facet dislocation is controversial. Great advancements on reduction techniques for lower cervical facet dislocation have been made in the past decades. However, there is no article reviewing all the reduction techniques yet. The aim is to review the evolution and advancements of the reduction techniques for lower cervical facet dislocation. Methods The application of all reduction techniques for lower cervical facet dislocation, including closed reduction, anterior-only, posterior-only, and combined approach reduction, is reviewed and discussed. Recent advancements on the novel techniques of reduction are also described. The principles of various techniques for reduction of cervical facet dislocation are described in detail. Results All reduction techniques are useful. The anterior-only surgical approach appears to be the most popular approach. Moreover, many novel or modified reduction and fixation methods have been introduced in recent years. Conclusion The selection of surgical approach depends on a combination of factors, including surgeon preference, patient factors, injury morphology, and inherent advantages and disadvantages of any given approach.