Pannus regression after posterior decompression and occipito-cervical fixation in occipito-atlanto-axial instability due to rheumatoid arthritis: case report and literature review.

Objectives: Several techniques have been proposed for treating cervical spine instability due to rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this study was to screen the different treatment options used in this pathology to evaluate the best form of treatment when the progression of rheumatoid disease affected the cranio-vertebral junction (CVJ) stability. The most important purpose of this study was to achieve both the efficacy of occipito-cervical fusion (OCF) to stabilize the occipitocervical junction and stop pannus progression. The authors describe their case example and stress, in the light of a literature review, the hypothesis that a stable biomechanical system extended to all the spaces involved, has both direct and indirect effects on RA pannus progression and the condition responsible for its formation, such as inflammation and articular hypermobility. Hence, the aim of this study is to advance this thesis, which may be extended to a wider statistical sample, with the same characteristics. Method: A systematic literature research of case report articles, review articles, original articles, and prospective cohort studies, published from 1978 to 2011, was performed using PUBMED to analyze the different surgical strategies of RA involving CVJ and the role of OCF in these conditions. The key words used for the search the were: "inflammatory cervical pannus regression", "rheumatoid arthritis of the cranio-cervical junction", "occipito-cervical fusion", "treatment option in rheumatoid cervical instability", "altanto-axial dislocation", "craniovertebral junction" and "surgical technique". In addition, the authors reported their experience in a patient affected by erosive rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) with an anterior and posterior pannus involving C0-C1-C2. They decided to report this exemplative case to emphasize their own assumptions concerning the association between a posterior bony fusion, the arrest of anterior pannus progression and the improvement of functional outcome, without, however, a direct intervention on the anterior pannus. Result: Thirty-seven different studies were identified that reflected search criteria, five of which were literature reviews. The different surgical treatment options in cervical RA disease are described in relation to neurological outcome according to the Ranawat grading system, functional outcome or quality of life according to the Steinbrocker classification, and progression of cervical instability and radiographic index of cranial settling, focusing on the role of OCF. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.