Bryan artificial cervical disc arthroplasty in a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome

Clarence HS Leung, WK Ma, WS Poon
Department of Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong

Technological advances have made more options available for surgical intervention in spinal disorders. From spinal fusion to artificial disc implantation, these advancements have brought great benefits, allowing preservation of spinal motion and flexibility after intervertebral discectomy. Yet the use of artificial discs as a treatment for congenital spinal disorders has been documented in only a handful of publications. We report a case where a Bryan artificial cervical disc arthroplasty was used to maintain and preserve the mobility and function of the cervical motion segments adjacent to fused vertebral lesions in a 33-year-old woman with Klippel-Feil syndrome who presented with chronic neck pain and signs of early myelopathy. The rationales for using the Bryan disc prosthesis system in patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome and its advantages over conventional surgical interventions are discussed.

Hong Kong Med J 2007;13:399-402

Key words: Arthroplasty, replacement; Cervical vertebrae; Klippel-Feil syndrome; Spinal cord compression