Table 1.

Clinical data on six cases of retropharyngeal surgery to the upper cervical spine

Patient	Sex/age	Diagnosis	Symptoms	Anterior procedures	Postoperative care	Posterior procedures	Brace	Follow-up	Complications	Results
1	F, 60	C2–C3 disc herniation + lysthesis	Neck pain, acute cervical myelopathy	ACDF C2–C3 + plate	Extubation immediately	None	Collar	3 years	None	Complete neurologic recovery; solid fusion
2	M, 56	C3–C4 osteomyelitis + severe kyphosis	UE weakness, myalgia	ACDF C2 → C5 + plate	Extubation after 12 h	C2 → C5 lateral mass plate	Collar	2 years	Difficulty swallowing for 2 months	Complete neurologic recovery; failed anterior plating; solid posterior fusion
3	M, 52	Failed anterior decompression and plating for cord compression	UE and LE weakness, inability to walk	Removal of failed cervical plate + ACDF C2 → C5	Extubation immediately	Posterior C2 → C5 fusion with lateral mass plate	Collar	1 year	Difficulty swallowing for 2 weeks	Improved lower extremities strength; UE unchanged; solid fusion
4	M, 26	Fracture C2 body	Incomplete spinal cord injury	C2 partial corpectomy, C2–C3 fusion + plate	Kept intubated	None	Collar	2 months	None	Death in 2 months; respiratory failure; solid fusion
5	M, 46	Rheumatoid arthritis + spinal cord compression C2 → C4	Spastic gait, UE weakness	C3–C4 corpectomy + C2 → C5 fusion + plate	Extubation immediately	Posterior cervical fusion C3–C6	Collar	1 year	None	Good neurologic recovery; solid fusion
6	M, 37	C2 odontoid fracture Type II	None	C2 odontoid screw	Extubation immediately	None	Collar	2 years	None	Remained neurologically intact