Injuries of the cervical spine with Forestier's disease.: Problems in the diagnostic and surgical management

The incidence of diffuse idiopathic sceletal hyperostosis (DISH) is described in men more than 50 years old up to 25% and in women up to 15%. Even little trauma in patients with DISH often leads to injuries of the spine, especially the cervical spine. In many cases MRI is necessary to find the injury in this anatomically modified spine. It is often difficult to detect the injury by plane radiographs or even CT. Based on two cases of cervical spine fractures in patients with DISH we will describe the difficulties and specialities in the diagnostics and surgical treatment of injuries of the cervical spine in patients with DISH. In the one case we stabilized a patient with an odontoid fracture type Andersson II, the other case was a traumatic spondylolisthesis C4/C5. Both cases were treated operatively, the oclontoid fracture was stabilized by a single screw, the spodylolisthesis by a ventral plate. If there are modifications in the spinal anatomy by degenerative diseases like DISH or spondylitis ankylosans, it is important to perform an intense search for injuries of the spine. In many cases MRI is indicated to detect the injury because plane radiographs and CT are not sensitive enough. For the planning of the operation it is important to meet concerns to the thick anterior longitudinal ligament and to use screws, that are long enough because the use of standard instruments is often not successful.