Cervical Hyperextension and Scoliosis in Muscular Dystrophy : Case Report and Literature Review

Introduction: Cervical hyperextension is rarely seen, there has been a paucity of data on the association of this condition in the published literature. The current case is even rarer, because it presented not only a cervical hyperextension but also a scoliotic curve involving C1-T5. Materials and methods: This article presents a case of cervical hyperextension and scoliosis in a 19-year-old patient with EmeryDreyfus muscular dystrophy who underwent surgical correction using navigated pedicle screw placement. The Patient was followed for 2 years. A thorough review of the literature was conducted using the Medline database between 1988 and 2014. Results: The time consumption for the surgery was 320 min. Blood loss was 600 ml, which was collected by cell saver. No surgical complications occurred. Both the cervical hyperextension and scoliosis were significantly corrected. The scoliotic curve was corrected from 35.0° to 6.2°, and the hyperextension was corrected from 56.6° to 24.5°. After surgery, the patient’s trunk had been well balanced on both frontal and sagittal view. And he was able to walk in an upright position with looking straight ahead on his own accord. Conclusions: Cervical deformity associated with muscular dystrophy is rare. The rigid and significantly increased cervical lordosis often forces the patients to bend their trunk forward and assume awkward compensating postures in order to look straight ahead, worsening significantly their quality of life. Posterior cervical muscle release and instrumented fusion are effective for correcting such deformities. The selection of candidates for surgery depends mainly on the type of myopathy and cardiorespiratory function. Preoperative CT scans of patients should be thoroughly analyzed and close attention paid to the pedicle diameter. Citation: Xiaodong Yi., et al. “Cervical Hyperextension and Scoliosis in Muscular Dystrophy: Case Report and Literature Review”. EC Orthopaedics 3.2 (2016): 261-267.