Surgical access to the base of skull and upper cervical spine by extended maxillotomy.

An extended maxillotomy has been developed to permit wider surgical access to the base of the skull. It has proven particularly useful in the management of the previously untreatable neuraxial compression caused by basilar invagination in cases of osteogenesis imperfecta. In addition, patients with extensive extradural space-occupying lesions have been treated. The surgical technique is described and the results of its use in nine patients are presented.