C5-Parese nach Operationen bei zervikaler Myelopathie

One of the most common complications in cervical spine surgery is postoperative C5 nerve root palsy with an overall incidence of 5 – 6 % with ranges from 0 – 50 %. Causative nu- merous differing factors have been discussed especially de- mographic factors, shoulder traction, direct intraoperative nerve root injury, spinal cord rotation, special anatomical characteristics, post decompression nerve root tethering and many others. Unfortunately, the etiology of the post- operative C5 palsy is still not clearly understood for what reason a multifactorial cause is the leading scientific opi- nion. This review presents an overview of the current literature and data of our own large cohort. Approach depending risk factors and possible prophylactic procedures are pres- ented and discussed.