Published date:Mar 13 2025

Journal Title: Journal of Spine Practice

Issue title: Journal of Spine Practice (JSP): Volume 4, Issue 2

Pages:37 - 45

DOI: 10.18502/jsp.v4i2.17631

Wareef Alzahraniwareefalzahrani0533@gmail.comDepartment of Neurosurgery, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah

Sara AljohaniCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Jeddah

Maryam AlshanqitiDepartment of Neurosurgery, King Fahad General Hospital, Madinah

Mahmood Abdulaziz QoqandiDepartment of Neurosurgery, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah

Fayez Dhafer AlshehriDepartment of Neurosurgery, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah

Abdulhadi AlgahtaniDepartment of Neurosurgery, National Guard Hospital, Jeddah

The article presents a case study on the surgical correction of a severe cervical kyphotic deformity that developed as a post-radiotherapy complication in a pediatric patient. This deformity was treated through a two-stage procedure involving gradual halo traction followed by combined anterior and posterior cervical fusion. The patient, a 15-year-old girl with a history of radiation therapy for a posterior fossa tumor, exhibited significant deformities that compromised her quality of life. Initial halo traction improved the curvature by approximately 60%, after which a 180-degree cervical reconstruction was performed to achieve near-complete correction.

The first stage of the surgery involved posterior decompression and occipito-cervical fixation, while the second stage addressed anterior structural support through discectomy and fusion. The multidisciplinary approach led to a stable cervical alignment with notable functional recovery over an 18-month follow-up, including improvements in oral feeding, gaze stability, and motor function. The article discusses the complexities of managing radiation-induced spinal deformities in pediatric patients, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and a comprehensive surgical approach to optimize long-term outcomes

Keywords: cervical traction, cervical deformity, pediatric spinal deformity, cervical fixation, spinal kyphosis, radiation therapy, subluxation

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