Selective denervation for cervical dystonia

Neurosurg Focus Video. 2023 Jan 1;8(1):V3. doi: 10.3171/2022.9.FOCVID2291. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis) is a condition that involves sustained, involuntary contraction of neck and shoulder muscles, leading to abnormal movements and head posture. The authors present the case of a 41-year-old man with severe right rotational torticollis for 1.5 years due to predominant right cervical paraspinal and left sternocleidomastoid muscle hyperactivity. Following failed medical management, the patient elected to undergo surgical treatment for his torticollis. In their video, the authors discuss the steps of selective denervation using a modified Bertrand procedure, highlighting the associated anatomy and surgical planes. At the 1.5-year follow-up, the patient had no pain and his head position remained straight. The video can be found here: https://stream.cadmore.media/r10.3171/2022.9.FOCVID2291.

Keywords: cervical dystonia; modified Bertrand; peripheral nerve; selective denervation; spasmodic torticollis.