Treatment of Upper Cervical Spine Injuries

Abstract

Seventy three patients with upper cervical spine injuries are reviewed. These 73 consisted of 2 atlanto-occipital dislocations, 8 fractures of atlas, 17 hangman's fractures, 33 fractures of dens, 6 fractures of axis-body and 10 atlantoaxial subluxations. Five cases of them had died when carried to our clinic.In acute stage most of them showed occipitalgia, nape pain, knock pain on C2 spinous process and limitation of neck movement. In some cases we could observe occipital neuralgia, hypelgesia or hypesthesia which were considered of upper cervical root symptomes. Twenty six of them showed cervical cord symptomes.In acute stage most of them were treated conservatively. Some cases of hangman's fractures, old fractures of dens and atlantoaxial subluxations needed operative procedures.