Can a severed body and head be reconnected to save life? This may sound like a fantasy, but it is a real event that happened in Shanghai. Recently, the orthopedic team of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital), together with multidisciplinary experts, successfully performed a reduction and fixation surgery on a patient who suffered a rare and severe cervical fracture. Recently, a reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed Professor Chen Huajiang, one of the chief surgeons and deputy director of the Orthopedics Department and director of the Cervical Surgery Ward at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital. This is the farthest case of cervical dislocation we have seen so far, with a distance of 3.3 centimeters between the vertebral bodies. The dislocation and span are so large that it cannot be described as' head to body dislocation '. Even more dangerous is that spinal cord injury can quickly spread, ultimately affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular centers, leading to patient death. ”Chen Huajiang told reporters that at that time, the patient's spinal cord had a continuous injury of "spinal cord edema contusion nerve signal interruption". The right vertebral artery was ruptured and blocked by a blood clot, and the left vertebral artery was stretched very thin, barely maintaining blood supply. The patient was constantly wandering on the edge of fatal cerebral infarction secondary to massive bleeding or vertebral artery injury. The expert team discussed that surgery is necessary to help patients rebuild cervical stability, but the surgical difficulty is extremely high. The firm request of the patient's family ultimately led the team to take a risk. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, we are willing to try, "Chen Huajiang said. Prior to surgery, the team developed detailed emergency plans and a detailed surgical roadmap for every extreme risk that may arise during the procedure, such as uncontrollable bleeding, circulatory collapse, and cerebral hypoperfusion. On the operating table, experts relied on anatomical judgment and microscopic operation techniques to successfully remove a huge hematoma, overcome severe adhesion and malformation of nerves and blood vessels, and ultimately complete debridement. In the subsequent reduction operation, experts first implanted 2 vertebral screws in the upper vertebral body, and pulled them in the opposite direction through a stretcher. At the same time, the assistant doctor cooperated with manual compression of the head to slowly approach the dislocated vertebral body. After the vertebral bodies approached, we immediately fixed the patient's cervical vertebrae on the right side with a small steel plate, then quickly fixed the dislocated vertebral bodies on the left side of the cervical vertebrae with a long steel plate, and implanted a fusion cage containing autogenous bone in the vertebral space to promote bone healing. ”Chen Huajiang metaphorically referred to this joint fixation technology as a "satellite steel plate" and stated that the application of this technology in such extreme cases is still pioneering. The entire process should balance mechanical stability and neuroprotection. It looks like it's moving bones, but in fact, the surrounding blood vessels and nerves will be stretched. We must be bold and careful, not only to avoid secondary damage, but also to pursue the success rate of the operation. And we cannot try repeatedly, otherwise it will cause blood vessels to rupture and bleed, blocking the view of the operation, "Chen Huajiang said. The surgery, which lasted for 3 hours, was successfully completed. Postoperative CT showed that the patient's dislocated vertebral body was successfully reduced, the position of the steel plate and screws was precise, and the spinal cord compression was completely relieved. Recently, the patient's daughter posted a video showing that the patient is in good condition and the ventilator has been successfully removed. With the assistance of family members, the patient is able to sit up and his neurological function is showing positive signals, and his lung function is also improving. (New Society)