The cervical spine is basically the highest part of the spine, and is made up of seven vertebrae, the smallest in the spine.
She is in charge of moving and placing the head in the most correct position to perform elementary and common functions such as reading, driving, walking, cooking, among others. In fact, it is estimated that we move the cervical spine about 600 times per hour.
How to detect that you have a cervical injury?
Because of the pain! When your neck hurts, you may have difficulty moving it, especially turning it sideways; what they call having a stiff neck.
Also, numbness, tingling, or weakness may be felt in the arm or hands, if it involves compression of the nerves.
Why do cervical spine injuries occur?
The truth is that due to the sedentary life that many people lead and the loss of muscle mass, cervical degenerative problems often occur that generate a lot of pain in the neck and back, radiating to one or both arms.
Injuries can occasionally appear from poor posture while working, reading or watching television, from bending over a desk for hours, placing the computer monitor too high or too low, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, turning the neck abruptly or by falls and accidents.
Other causes could be:
- Conditions such as fibromyalgia.
- Cervical arthritis or spondylosis.
- Small fractures of the spine due to osteoporosis.
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal).
- Sprains.
- Infection of the spine (osteomyelitis, dischitis, abscess).
- Torticollis.
- Some type of cancer that affects the cervical spine.
Now, what is the anterior approach and how can it help treat cervical spine injuries?
This surgical approach is indicated for the resection of herniated discs, interbody fusion, osteophyte resection of the uncinate processes and the anterior and posterior lip of the vertebral bodies.
It can also be used for the treatment of osteomyelitis, the biopsy of vertebral bodies and disc spaces, and the drainage of abscesses.
This approach is executed in the plane between the trachea and the esophagus medially to the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the carotid artery laterally.
It is usually performed using the blunt dissection technique through the pretracheal fascia and prevertebral fascia reaching the midpoint of the cervical spine.
And although everything may sound very confusing because they are technical terms and parts of the body that an ordinary person does not even know exist, the only thing you have to understand is that this intervention requires specialized knowledge, experience, methodology, the appropriate instruments and the support of the best technology.
Just what I offer my patients, in addition to empathy, transparency and information. Contact me, I will be happy to assist you and help you regain your quality of life and freedom of movement, so that there is nothing that prevents you from achieving your goals.
