• Jun-Song Yang, Lei Chu, Fu-Tao Xiao, Dong-Jie Zhang, Yang Wang, Liang Chen, Zhen-Yong Ke, Ding-Jun Hao, and Zhong-Liang Deng.
• Department of Spinal Surgery, Hong-Hui Hospital, Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76 Nanguo Road, Beilin District, Xi'an, 710054, Shanxi province, China; Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, No. 76 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400010, China.
• Spine J. 2015 Mar 1; 15 (3): 539-45.

Background ContextPercutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) has proven to be a valuable palliative treatment option for patients with medically refractory painful osteolytic metastases of the spine. Percutaneous vertebroplasty of the atlas has been reported in only seven articles and has been performed with different techniques and approaches.PurposeTo describe the technique we used to perform PVP of a lytic lesion of the lateral mass of C1 via anterior retropharyngeal approach guided by C-arm fluoroscopy.Study DesignA technical report.Patient SampleIt included a 75-year-old man with known metastatic lung carcinoma and incapacitating right suboccipital and neck pain refractory to conventional medical treatment. Radiologic evaluation showed revealed osteolytic destruction of C1 and C2, mainly invading the right lateral mass of C1 and the vertebral body of C2.Outcome MeasuresThe right suboccipital and neck pain was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS).MethodsUnder C-arm fluoroscopy, a novel anterior retropharyngeal approach, through the vertebral body of C2 into the metastatic osteolytic vertebral lesion of C1, was performed to achieve the PVP in C1 followed by a PVP in C2.ResultsImmediately after the operation, the patient reported substantial pain relief (from VAS 9/10 preoperatively to 3/10). At 12 hours postoperatively, the range of motion was also improved. There were no surgery-related complications. The immediately postoperative cervical plain film and computed tomography scan showed adequate filling of the osteolytic lesion without the obvious leakage of bone cement. Clinical follow-up at 3 months revealed that this pain condition was improved and maintained (VAS 1/10).ConclusionsWhen the transoral approach is unsuitable or contraindicated, the anterior retropharyngeal approach could be an efficacious alternative in selected patients with C1 metastasis, providing adequate filling of bone cement and significant pain relief. Based on our preliminary exploration, only assisted by C-arm fluoroscopy, this approach is feasible to achieve PVP in C1 under local anesthesia and intravenous analgesia. Nevertheless, when considering the substantial potential risks, this technically challenging procedure should be performed by experienced operators.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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