Biomaterial Database

Stabilization of traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation. Case report. 1991

A J Belzberg, and B I Tranmer

Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Foothills Hospital, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation is most often fatal. Consequently, there are only scattered case reports of patients surviving this injury, and treatment modalities are anecdotal and varied. The case of an 18-year-old woman who suffered an anterior atlanto-occipital dislocation as the result of a motor-vehicle accident is presented. Rigid posterior fixation and complete reduction of the dislocation were achieved using an anatomically contoured steel loop secured to the occiput and cervical vertebrae. The addition of cancellous bone to the graft afforded long-term stability. This operative treatment provided anatomical realignment of the dislocation and allowed early mobilization of the patient with the use of aggressive rehabilitation. Previously reported cases of patients surviving anterior atlanto-occipital dislocation are reviewed. The use of cervical traction, halo bracing, and operative stabilization is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009104	Multiple Trauma	Multiple physical insults or injuries occurring simultaneously.	Injuries, Multiple,Trauma, Multiple,Wounds, Multiple,Multiple Injuries,Polytrauma,Injury, Multiple,Multiple Injury,Multiple Traumas,Multiple Wound,Multiple Wounds,Polytraumas,Traumas, Multiple,Wound, Multiple
D001858	Bone Nails	Rods of bone, metal, or other material used for fixation of the fragments or ends of fractured bones.	Bone Pins,Bone Nail,Bone Pin,Nail, Bone,Nails, Bone,Pin, Bone,Pins, Bone
D004204	Joint Dislocations	Displacement of bones from their normal positions at a joint.	Inferior Dislocation,Joint Subluxations,Luxatio Erecta,Dislocation, Joint,Dislocations, Joint,Inferior Dislocations,Joint Dislocation,Joint Subluxation,Subluxation, Joint,Subluxations, Joint
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000063	Accidents, Traffic	Accidents on streets, roads, and highways involving drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or vehicles. Traffic accidents refer to AUTOMOBILES (passenger cars, buses, and trucks), BICYCLING, and MOTORCYCLES but not OFF-ROAD MOTOR VEHICLES; RAILROADS nor snowmobiles.	Traffic Collisions,Traffic Crashes,Traffic Accidents,Accident, Traffic,Collision, Traffic,Collisions, Traffic,Crashes, Traffic,Traffic Accident,Traffic Collision
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D001269	Atlanto-Occipital Joint	The point of articulation between the OCCIPITAL BONE and the CERVICAL ATLAS.	Atloido-Occipital Joint,Atlanto Occipital Joint,Atlanto-Occipital Joints,Atloido Occipital Joint,Atloido-Occipital Joints,Joint, Atlanto-Occipital,Joint, Atloido-Occipital,Joints, Atlanto-Occipital,Joints, Atloido-Occipital
D013514	Surgical Procedures, Operative	Operations carried out for the correction of deformities and defects, repair of injuries, and diagnosis and cure of certain diseases. (Taber, 18th ed.).	Surgical Procedures,Ghost Surgery,Operative Procedures,Operative Surgical Procedure,Operative Surgical Procedures,Procedure, Operative Surgical,Procedures, Operative Surgical,Surgery, Ghost,Surgical Procedure, Operative,Operative Procedure,Procedure, Operative,Procedure, Surgical,Procedures, Operative,Procedures, Surgical,Surgical Procedure
D014143	Traction	The pull on a limb or a part thereof. Skin traction (indirect traction) is applied by using a bandage to pull on the skin and fascia where light traction is required. Skeletal traction (direct traction), however, uses pins or wires inserted through bone and is attached to weights, pulleys, and ropes. (From Blauvelt & Nelson, A Manual of Orthopaedic Terminology, 5th ed)	Tractions