Selection of treatment strategy for upper cervical injury

Abstract

Upper cervical spine injury is a common spine injury in the clinic, which mainly refers to the fracture, ligament tear, and dislocation of atlantoaxial and its accessory structures due to violence. The injury of upper cervical ligament complex is the main cause of instability after injury. The controversy lies in how to evaluate the effect of ligaments on stability. The injuries of different sports units may involve different ligament composite structures which show different instability characteristics and types, requiring special attention. In addition to the shape and location of the fracture, fixation method and range of the surgical treatment should be selected mainly based on whether there are stable or unstable types. The author mainly expounds the characteristics of upper cervical injury, clinical classification, diagnosis and treatment measures to discusses the difficulties and focus of the treatment of upper cervical injury, so as to provide reference for clinical treatment. Key words: Cervical vertebrae; Spinal injuries; Ligaments, joint