Syndromic approach in assessing the surgical pathology of the cervical spine

Object of study The existing variety of cervical spine pathologies resulted in a huge number of nosologic classifications and complicates their interpretation. Purpose Based on the analysis of patients with various surgical pathologies of the cervical spine, we suggest a syndromic approach to their evaluation to simplify the choice of a therapeutic algorithm. Study design Retrospective monocentre multicohort study and literature review Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of 336 patients aged 0.9 to 77 years with cervical spine surgical pathology who underwent interventions at the Ilizarov center between 2010 to 2017 was performed. Results Based on the analysis of the symptoms that led to the surgical interventions, the following clinical syndromes were identified: compression-ischemic syndrome, instability syndrome, imbalance syndrome. Conclusion The proposed concept of assessing syndromes identifies the pathology of the cervical spine regarding its clinical manifestations. The use of the syndromic approach will facilitate intra- and interdisciplinary interaction, as well as allows for tactical decisions.