Endoscopic endonasal odontoidectomy for the treatment of basilar invagination

Neurosurg Focus Video. 2020 Jul 1;3(1):V3. doi: 10.3171/2020.3.FocusVid.20184. eCollection 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Basilar invagination is a challenging dilemma that neurosurgeons may face. Herein, we present a case of a 65-year-old female with a history of rheumatoid arthritis and status post a previous C4-7 ACDF who presented to our clinic with progressive weakness in her bilateral upper and lower extremities. Imaging revealed basilar invagination. She underwent an endoscopic endonasal odontoidectomy followed by an occiput-C6 fusion. We present the endonasal portion of the procedure and have highlighted the technical nuances of this approach. Our goal is to provide better insight into this surgical strategy when dealing with basilar invagination. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/aeMbvI_zYQA.

Keywords: basilar invagination; endoscopic; odontoidectomy.