Main points: Operational excision of tumor lesions in the upper cervical spine remains a tremendous challenge to surgeons due to the local complex anatomic relationships. Meanwhile, no commercially available device has been specially designed to address bone deficiency after surgical resection. Here, we described the reconstruction of unilateral bone deficiency after surgical resection of a giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath originating from the lateral atlantoaxial joint with the employment of a 3D printing technique and reviewed the relevant literature. In our study, 3 patients with giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath in the upper cervical spine achieved complete tumor removal, and received unilateral bone reconstruction with one-armed 3D-printed titanium prosthesis. During the follow-up, these patients remained neurologically intact and got back to a normal life without wearing the braces. Images demonstrated the satisfactory placement of 3D-printed prosthesis with no failure of fixation and no subsidence. In addition, 6 articles describing the employment of 3D-printed prostheses or models for tumor surgery in the upper cervical spine were reviewed, and satisfactory clinical outcomes were reported in these studies. Hence, 3D-printed titanium prosthetic reconstruction of bone deficiency in the upper cervical spine was a safe and effective technique.
Level of evidence: Level IV.
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