A Novel, Minimally Invasive Resection of a Pediatric Cervical Spine Osteoblastoma: A Case Report

JBJS Case Connect. 2015 Oct-Dec;5(4):e108. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.O.00088.

Abstract

Case: An eleven-year-old girl with a left C6 pedicle mass consistent with an osteoblastoma was treated with a minimally invasive procedure with use of intraoperative imaging to guide intralesional curettage and grafting.

Conclusion: Intraoperative navigation allowed localization of the tumor. We used a muscle-splitting approach and avoided the muscle stripping and blood loss associated with a standard midline incision. Performing tumor resection with minimally invasive methods enabled us to avoid a spinal fusion; this eliminated the additional risks associated with fusion, including nonunion, loss of motion, and future revisions related to the instrumentation.