BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The STIR sequence is routinely used to assess acute traumatic osseous injury. Because the composition of the odontoid in older individuals may be altered with osteopenia and decreased vascularity, the STIR sequence may not accurately depict the acuity of an odontoid fracture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of the STIR sequence to differentiate a...

AIM Anterior transodontoid screw fixation technique is generally chosen for the management of type II odontoid fractures. The nonunion of type II odontoid fractures is still a major problem especially in elderly and osteoporotic patients. Eleven osteoporotic type II odontoid fracured patients were presented in this article. MATERIAL AND METHODS We have divided 11 patients in two groups as cla...

We describe a duplication of the odontoid process in a 6-year-old patient that included a partially fused midline ossicle on the anterior arch of C-1, fusion of the anterior lip of the foramen magnum and the arch of C-1, and an incomplete bony posterior arch of C-1.

Endosteal hyperostosis was encountered in a 26-year-old-man and his 6-month-old daughter. Both the father and his daughter presented with fractures. Odontoid process hyperplasia, and progressive sclerosis of the posterior spinal elements, was the other significant features. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical report describing distinctive spinal changes in association with ...

Odontoid type I fracture is an avulsion fracture of the odontoid tip resulting from forceful distraction of the alar ligament and has been reported only in a few rare occasions. We have recently encountered an odontoid type I fracture complicated with atlantoaxial dislocation in an 18-year-old male motorcycle rider sustaining neck injury in a crash. An accurate diagnosis was achieved with axial...

OBJECT Fractures of the odontoid process are the most common fractures of the cervical spine in patients over the age of 70 years. The incidence of fracture nonunion in this population has been estimated to be 20-fold greater than that in patients under the age of 50 years if surgical stabilization is not used. Anterior and posterior approaches have both been advocated, with excellent results r...

Os odontoideum (OO) is a rare anomaly of the odontoid process first described by Giacomini in 1886. There is considerable debate about the origin of this anomaly, whether congenital or acquired, though a growing body of evidence favors the latter. Using PubMed, we reviewed the literature on OO with regards to its etiology, clinical presentations, diagnostic modalities, and management. Manuscrip...

An epidural abscess secondary to osteomyelitis of the odontoid peg produced a sudden left-sided weakness. Appropriate antibiotics, transoral evacuation of the pus and subsequent posterior atlanto-axial fusion were associated with a full recovery.

We reviewed 6 patients with atlanto-axial (C1-2) deformities secondary to neglected odontoid fractures. All patients (except one with recent injury) were asymptomatic for a long period before development of neck pain or myelopathy, despite obvious subluxation and kyphotic deformities at the C1-2 joint complex. Patients were treated conservatively, except for one who underwent posterior spinal f...

71/F presented with left sided headaches and neck pain with nuchal rigidity progressively worsening over 3 weeks with no other neurologic symptoms. Odontoid osteomyelitis with epidural abscess was discovered on further workup with neuroimaging. Concurrent jugular vein and transverse sinus venous thrombosis was also found and suspected to be secondary to the pyogenic odontoid osteomyelitis. Pati...