Guidelines outline vertebra selection for cervical deformity surgery

This literature reports proposed principles for selecting the upper and lower instrumented vertebra in adult cervical spinal deformity surgery. It states that upper instrumented vertebra choice (C2 versus C3/C4) should depend on factors such as bone health, deformity type, and planned osteotomies, while lower instrumented vertebra selection depends on sagittal alignment and whether thoracolumbar deformity is also present, with concepts such as the sagittal stable vertebra or first lordotic vertebra considered.

Most relevant for: Surgical planning for adult patients undergoing instrumented fusion for cervical spinal deformity, including those with poor bone health or combined cervical and thoracolumbar deformity.

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