Craniocervical instability treated by contoured loop fixation.

Rigid posterior fixation of the skull to the third, fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae was achieved in three patients who, as a result of operation, had gross instability of the craniocervical junction. An anatomically contoured steel loop was secured to the occiput via small burr holes and to the vertebrae by sublaminar wiring. This technique has the advantage over bone grafting, either alone or with cement, in that it affords rigid stabilisation, allows early mobilisation and may contribute to eventual bony fusion.