Surgical Techniques for Pedicle Screw Fixation of the Cervical Spine and Their Applications

Pedicle screw fixation of the cervical spine allows superior, simultaneous stabilization of all three columns of the cervical spine. However, pedicle screw fixation has the risk of neurovascular injury from penetration of the small cervical pedicle. The chapter introduces the anatomic parameters of the cervical pedicle and describes screw entry points, angles, and depth in details. At the same time, the procedure of inserting C4 pedicle screw in the cadaver is shown as a step-by-step example. Pearls and pitfalls of cervical pedicle screw fixation are summarized at the end of the chapter.