Posttraumatic Atlantoaxial Rotatory Dislocation in a Healthy Adult Patient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation (AARD) is a rare complication in adults usually leading to pain, spinal cord injury, or death. Clinical and radiological diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. We report a rare case of posttraumatic AARD in a neurological intact 27-year-old male in which initial...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Giuseppe Maida, Eleonora Marcati, Silvio Sarubbo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2012-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Orthopedics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/183581
Description
Summary:Atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation (AARD) is a rare complication in adults usually leading to pain, spinal cord injury, or death. Clinical and radiological diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. We report a rare case of posttraumatic AARD in a neurological intact 27-year-old male in which initial radiographic evaluation was negative. A computed tomography (CT) scan was promptly done because the patient showed a severe torticollis. Therefore, early diagnosis, immobilisation, and surgical fusion and arthrodesis were performed. After surgery, cervical pain and torticollis were resolved and the patient remained neurologically intact with a CT scan documentation of fusion at the 3-year followup.
ISSN:2090-6749
2090-6757