C1-C2 Transarticular Anterior Fixation for the Treatment of Atlantoaxial Traumatic Dislocation: A Clinical Case

Abstract

Fractures of the odontoid apophysis are one of the most frequent lesions in the elderly population, and an increasingly preponderant problem with the progressive aging of the world population.

In the present work, we report a clinical case of an 88-year-old male patient who suffered a fall resulting in a type-II fracture of the odontoid apophysis on the Anderson-D'Alonzo classification. Given the age and comorbidities of the patient, we decided to perform osteosynthesis of the fracture through anterior fixation with a transarticular screw in combination with fixation with an odontoid screw.

This technique enables the necessary stability for the consolidation of Anderson-D'Alonzo's type II odontoid apophysis fracture, with the advantage of the lower levels of dissection of the cervical extensor musculature and hemorrhage resulting from this aggression when compared with the posterior approach; moreover, it is a readily-available technique that yields clear benefits in the treatment of this pathology in the geriatric population.

Keywords
axis cervical vertebra; geriatrics; odontoid apophysis; osteosynthesis; spinal fractures