Descending necrotizing mediastinitis caused by a minor whiplash injury.

We describe a case of descending necrotizing mediastinitis from a very unusual origin, caused by cervical oesophageal perforation by osteophytes after an apparently minor whiplash injury. Diagnosis was delayed by atypical and predominantly neurological clinical presentation. Despite late presentation, minimally invasive access surgical debridement of mediastinum and cervical injury site lead to full recovery.

Prognostic Significance of Multifactorial Analysis in Complex Cervical Aero-Digestive Trauma Cases.

Background and Objectives: In the context of complex aerodigestive cervical traumas, the prognosis and outcome heavily depend on risk factors, particularly injuries to the larynx, trachea, major digestive tissues, cervical vertebrae, and vascular structures. With the increasing prevalence of trauma as a public health concern, there is a pressing need for epidemiological research and the implementation of preventative measures. The purpose of this research is to establish the profile of the predictable impact factors that determine the prognosis of patients with complex cervical trauma. Methods and Methods: The study group consisted of 106 patients with complex cervical trauma pathology developed by various mechanisms such as car accidents, home-related accidents, aggression, gunshot wounds, and self-inflicted attempts, resulting in hospitalization in the E.N.T. Clinic at "St. Spiridon" Iași Hospital, from 2012 to 2016; medical records were the source of the collected data. Results: Hemodynamic instability upon admission associated with age, muscle and laryngeal injuries, and anemia were identified as negative prognostic factors. Additionally, the utilization of imaging-based paraclinical investigations for diagnosing traumatic lesions emerged as a positive prognostic factor in managing this pathology. The management of penetrating cervical trauma remains a subject of debate, with some advocating for surgical exploration beyond the platysma layer in all cases, while others argue for a more selective conservative approach due to a high rate of negative explorations. Conclusions: The statistical evaluation of epidemiological, clinical, lesion, paraclinical, and therapeutic parameters is needed to establish predictable risk factors in the prognosis of complex aerodigestive cervical trauma.

Our experience with the surgical management of lower cervical spine fractures: fifty case series.

PURPOSE: Trauma to the lower cervical spine is a serious lesion due to its neurological consequences which jeopardize the vital and functional prognosis. They constitute a public health problem due to their frequency and seriousness requiring rapid and adequate treatment. The aim of our study is to (1) describe the epidemiological, clinical, and radiological characteristics of lower cervical spine trauma patients; (2) support the therapeutic management of these patients and show our experience in surgery for lower cervical spine trauma; and (3) analyze the anatomical and functional results and discuss them with literature data. METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study of 50 patients with lower cervical spine trauma treated surgically over a period of five years from January 1, 2016, to December 2020. RESULTS: The average age of our patients was 34.5 years, with a sex ratio of 1.7. The etiologies are dominated by accidents on public roads (58%). They show neurological disorders such as spinal cord damage in 30% of cases and root damage in 20% of cases. The radiological assessment revealed eight tear drops, ten comminuted fractures, 12 severe sprains, 12 biarticular dislocations, six uniarticular dislocations, and two herniated discs. Treatment was surgical in all patients with an anterolateral approach and anterior arthrodesis. The evolution was favourable in 21 patients and stationary in 29 patients. CONCLUSION: Our study concluded that dislocations and fracture dislocations were the predominant type of injury in cases of AVP. Tetraplegia was mainly observed with uni- and biarticular dislocations. The variation in consolidation time was not correlated with trauma-to-surgery time. Better neurological recovery was observed with mild initial neurological damage than with initially severe damage. The appearance of an adjacent syndrome is less frequent with monosegmental arthrodesis than with multisegmental arthrodesis. Cage arthrodesis was an alternative to iliac harvesting with similar results.

Traumatic retropharyngeal hematoma: A systematic review of reported cases.

OBJECTIVES: To study the mechanisms of injury, clinical manifestations, radiological findings, management, and outcomes of traumatic retropharyngeal hematoma (RH). METHODS: We used the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews guidelines to carry out a systematic literature review to identify all published cases of traumatic RH by searching the PubMed database. Articles published between 1988 and 2022 that reported traumatic RH were included. However, articles that reported non-traumatic RHs and non-English articles were excluded from this study. RESULTS: Of the 62 articles screened, 56 were included. Most patients (55%) were above the mean age of 61.7. The majority of patients were male (69.7%). The main symptom was dyspnea (66.6%) and symptoms usually presented within 24 hours. Among the patients, 90.9% did not take anticoagulants or have coagulation disorders, and the main injury mechanism was falling (54.5%). Most of the computed tomography findings reported retropharyngeal (38%) and prevertebral (15%) hematoma. Meanwhile, magnetic resonance imaging revealed 2 masses in the retropharyngeal space and 2 RHs. With several treatment modalities, more than 50% of the cases were only observed (44 cases), and endotracheal intubation was the most commonly used airway management method (n=35). CONCLUSION: Traumatic RH is often caused by falls, particularly in elderly patients. Dyspnea is the primary symptom, usually appearing within 24 hours. Cervical vertebral fractures are the leading cause, and observation is the most common treatment approach.PROSPERO Reg. No.: CRD42022349010.

Association between cervical fracture patterns and blunt cerebrovascular injury when screened with computed tomographic angiography.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Prior studies have demonstrated a close association between cervical spine fractures and blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI). Undiagnosed BCVI is a feared complication because of the potentially catastrophic outcomes in a missed posterior circulation stroke. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is commonly used to screen BCVI in the trauma setting. However, determining which cervical fracture patterns mandate screening is still not clearly known. PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective review is to further elucidate which fracture patterns are associated with BCVI when using CTA and may mandate screening. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE: All patients that presented to our trauma and emergency departments with a blunt cervical spine fracture from January 2018 to December 2021. Inclusion criteria included blunt cervical trauma and the use of CTA for BCVI screening. Exclusion criteria included patients under the age of 18, penetrating cervical trauma, and use any imaging modality besides CTA for BCVI screening. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient demographics (age, gender, Glasgow coma scale, hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit LOS, mechanism of energy of injury, polytrauma status), fracture location, fracture pattern (anterior arch, dens, dislocations/subluxations, facet, hangman, Jefferson, lamina, lateral mass, occipital condyle dissociation, occipital condyle, pedicle, posterior arch, spinous process, transverse process, transverse foramen, and vertebral body), and whether the patient sustained a BCVI or CVA. METHODS: If a patient had multiple fracture levels or fracture patterns, each level and pattern was counted as a separate BCVI. Multilevel fractures were defined as any patient with fractures at two distinct cervical levels. Differences between the patients who had a BCVI and those who did not were analyzed using independent sample t-tests for continuous variables and the chi-square or Fisher exact test for categorical variables. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess likelihood between patient characteristics/fracture characteristics and BCVI. RESULTS: A total of 690 patients were identified as having a blunt cervical spine injury. A total of 453 patients (66%) underwent screening for BCVI with CTA. Among patients who underwent CTA, BCVI was diagnosed in 138 patients (30%), VAI in 119 patients (26%), CAI in 30 patients (7%), and 11 patients were diagnosed with both a VAI and CAI (2%). Overall, among all patients there were 9 strokes, all in patients identified with a BCVI (1%). No individual cervical level was associated with increased risk of BCVI, but when combined, OC-C3 fractures were associated with an increased risk (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0-1.9, p-value: .006). Multilevel fractures were also associated with an increased risk (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.3, p-value: .01). The only fracture pattern associated with increased risk of BCVI were fractures associated with a dislocation/subluxation (OR: 3.8, 95% CI: 1.9-7.8, p-value = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The only fracture pattern associated with an increased risk of BCVI were fractures associated with dislocation/subluxation. The only fracture levels associated with BCVI were combined OC-C3 and multilevel fractures. We recommend that any upper cervical fracture (OC-C3), multilevel fracture, or fracture with dislocation/subluxation undergo screening for BCVI.

Type II odontoid fractures in the elderly presenting to the emergency department: an assessment of factors affecting in-hospital mortality and discharge to skilled nursing facilities.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Type II odontoid fractures (OF) are among the most common cervical spine injuries in the geriatric population. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding their epidemiology. Additionally, the optimal management of these injuries remains controversial, and no study has evaluated the short-term outcomes of geriatric patients presenting to emergency departments (ED). PURPOSE: This study aims to document the epidemiology of geriatric patients presenting to EDs with type II OFs and determine whether surgical management was associated with early adverse outcomes such as in-hospital mortality and discharge to skilled nursing facilities (SNF). STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE: Data was used from the 2016-2020 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Patient encounters corresponding to type II OFs were identified. Patients younger than 65 at the time of presentation to the ED and those with concomitant spinal pathology were excluded. OUTCOME MEASURES: The association between the surgical management of geriatric type II OFs and outcomes such as in-hospital mortality and discharge to SNFs. METHODS: Patient, fracture, and surgical management characteristics were recorded. A propensity score matched cohort was constructed to reduce differences in age, comorbidities, and injury severity between patients undergoing operative and nonoperative management. Additionally, to develop a positive control for the analysis of geriatric patients with type II OFs and no other concomitant spinal pathology, a cohort of patients that had been excluded due to the presence of a concomitant spinal cord injury (SCI) was also constructed. Multivariate regressions were then performed on both the matched and unmatched cohorts to ascertain the associations between surgical treatment and in-hospital mortality, inpatient length of stay, encounter charges, and discharge to SNFs. RESULTS: A total of 11,325 encounters were included. The mean total charge per encounter was $60,221. 634 (5.6%) patients passed away during their encounters. In total, 1,005 (8.9%) patients were managed surgically. Surgical management of type II OFs was associated with a 316% increase in visit charge (95% CI: 291%-341%, p<.001), increased inpatient length of stay (IRR: 2.87, 95% CI: 2.62-3.12, p<.001), and increased likelihood of discharge to SNFs (OR=2.62, 95% CI: 2.26-3.05, p<.001), but decreased in-hospital mortality (OR=0.32, CI: 0.21-0.45, p<.001). The propensity score matched cohort consisted of 2,010 patients, matching each of the 1,005 that underwent surgery to 1,005 that did not. These cohorts were well balanced across age (78.24 vs 77.91 years), Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (3.68 vs 3.71), and Injury Severity Score (30.15 vs 28.93). This matching did not meaningfully alter the associations determined between surgical management and in-hospital mortality (OR=0.34, CI=0.21-0.55, p<.001) or SNF discharge (OR=2.59, CI=2.13-3.16, p<.001). Lastly, the positive control cohort of patients with concurrent SCI had higher rates of SNF discharge (50.0% vs 42.6%, p<.001), surgical management (32.3% vs 9.7%, p<.001), and in-hospital mortality (28.9% vs 5.6%, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study lends insight into the epidemiology of geriatric type II OFs and quantifies risk factors influencing adverse outcomes. Patient informed consent should include a discussion of the protective association between definitive surgical management and in-hospital mortality against potential operative morbidity, increased lengths of hospital stay, and increased likelihood of discharge to SNFs. This information may impact patient treatment selection and decision making.

C2 Synchondrosal Injuries: A Case Report and Anatomic Review.

Developmental succession in the pediatric patient requires special consideration in post-traumatic assessment. An understanding of the sequential development of this region and common patterns of injury can provide an accurate initial assessment before proceeding to further management and prognostic evaluation. Primarily, this article focuses on the synchondrosal development of C2 and its role in the craniocervical junction, as well as its common patterns of injury. This article presents two sample cases and offers a review of treatment options with added prognostic factors.

Vertebral Artery Dissection: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Arterial dissection is the result of blood entering along the intima-media plane through a breach produced either spontaneously or traumatically. Cervical arterial dissections are an important cause of acute ischemic stroke in children, young adults, and patients with cranio-cervical traumatic injuries. Arterial dissections occur either spontaneously, in genetic diseases, the most important association being with fibromuscular dysplasia. In most of the cases dissection involve the extracranial portions of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries. Magnetic resonance with T1 fat-saturation (T1 FS) sequence of the cervical region or computed tomography (CT) with computed tomography angiography (CTA) shows a very high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of cervical artery dissections. Therapeutic options are still debatable in patients with acute ischemic stroke and vertebral or carotid artery dissection.

The successful use of a subcutaneous catheter in the management of severe subcutaneous emphysema in a dog with laryngeal crush injury and tracheostomy tube placement.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the placement of a subcutaneous catheter in a dog for the management of severe subcutaneous emphysema secondary to severe laryngeal crushing injury and temporary tracheostomy tube placement. CASE SUMMARY: A 6-year-old male neutered Kelpie suffered a severe laryngeal crushing injury following a dog attack. Case management included the placement of a temporary tracheostomy tube due to severe respiratory compromise and inspiratory dyspnea associated with the crush injury. During hospitalization, the patient developed severe subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, and a pneumothorax as a complication of the laryngeal crushing injury and temporary tracheostomy. A subcutaneous catheter was placed to manage the recurrent subcutaneous emphysema while the tracheostomy stoma healed. Five months posttrauma, the dog returned to normal with mild stridor during excitement and while panting. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: This is the first report in veterinary medicine describing the use of a subcutaneous catheter for the management of subcutaneous emphysema secondary to laryngeal crush injury and temporary tracheostomy tube placement.

Combining Endovascular Coiling and Open Evacuation for a Delayed-Onset Ruptured Post-traumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Distal Paracentral Pericallosal Artery Branch.

Cerebrovascular pseudoaneurysm development and rupture is a rare, delayed sequelae of trauma. We present a case of a female patient in her sixties who presented after a fall without evidence of vascular injury on imaging. However, after one week, repeat imaging due to an abrupt change in mental status revealed a ruptured pseudoaneurysm, which was treated with a combination of coil embolization and open surgical evacuation of associated intracranial hematoma. This case illustrates the importance of continued surveillance beyond the acute traumatic period to identify late-onset complications in trauma patients requiring emergent treatment.

Delayed Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Following Cervical Spine Trauma.

Bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a potentially life-threatening condition, depending on the position in which the vocal cords are paralyzed. When the vocal cords are fixed in adduction, patients develop respiratory distress, inspiratory stridor, aspiration, and minimal phonation deficits. This condition can result from acute injuries to the right and left recurrent laryngeal nerves, or from chronic bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. The clinical presentation is variable with such nerve injuries. Traumatic injuries to the cervical spine are an uncommon cause of this condition. In this report, we describe a patient who developed progressive respiratory distress, inspiratory stridor, and dysphagia to liquids several weeks after suffering major trauma to the head and neck. Laryngoscopy revealed immobile bilateral vocal cords fixed in the paramedian position, resulting in severe airway obstruction that warranted an emergency tracheostomy.

A C1 Jefferson Fracture With Vertebral Artery Occlusion and Cerebellar Infarction: A Case Report.

Jefferson fracture is a C1 fracture, which happens when an axial load is from the occiput downward to the C1 ring. Usually, it causes outward displacement of the C1 arch, which can injure the vertebral artery. We present a Jefferson fracture with vertebral artery injury, resulting in an asymptomatic ischemic stroke of the left cerebellum. Usually, vertebral artery injuries are asymptomatic since the contralateral vertebral artery and the collateral arteries will adequately supply the cerebellum. Vertebral artery injury (VAI) is typically treated with conservative management with anticoagulants and antiplatelet therapy.

Trauma cervical penetrante con cuerpo extraño transcarotídeo / Penetrating cervical injury due to a foreign body

Introducción: los traumas vasculares civiles o domésticos constituyen una modalidad poco frecuente que seasocia fundamentalmente a cuestiones accidentales. En estos casos los sangrados pueden ser profusos, inclusoprovocar shock y muerte por hipovolemia. Caso clínico: aquí se describe el caso de un adolescente con una herida penetrante debida a un alambre en laregión cervical anterolateral derecha mientras cortaba el césped con una con una desbrozadora. Cabe destacarla reacción de quienes lo asistieron en el momento del accidente, ya que no intentaron extraer el alambre, quese movía al ritmo cardíaco. Se remitió a la guardia de emergencias. Después de una rápida evaluación clínica,radiológica y ecografía, ingresó en el quirófano para extraer el alambre con control vascular carotídeo total y rafi ade cara anterior y posterior de la carótida común. Discusión: se discute la posibilidad de haber podido extraer el cuerpo extraño sin cirugía y aplicar compresióncon eventual reparación endovascular con stent graft.

Introduction: civilian or domestic vascular traumas constitute a rare modality that is fundamentally associatedwith accidental issues. In these cases, bleeding can be profuse, even causing shock and death due to hypovolemia. Case report: here we describe a case of an adolescent who sustained a penetrating wire wound to the rightanterolateral cervical region while mowing the lawn with a brushcutter. The actions of those who assisted himat the time stand out since they did not try to remove the wire which moved to the heart rate. He was referredto the emergency room and after a rapid clinical, radiological and ultrasound evaluation, he was admitted to theoperating room in order to remove the wire during the surgical act with total carotid vascular control and raffia ofthe anterior and posterior face of the common carotid. Discussion: the possibility of having removed the foreign body without surgery and applying compression witheventual endovascular repair with a stent graft is discussed.(AU)

A pictorial review of imaging findings associated with upper cervical trauma.

The diagnosis of cervical spine injury in the emergency department remains a critical skill of emergency room physicians as well as radiologists. Such diagnoses are often associated with high morbidity and mortality unless readily identified and treated appropriately. Both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often are crucial in the workup of spinal injury and play a key role in arriving at a diagnosis. Unfortunately, missed cervical spine injuries are not necessarily uncommon and often precede detrimental neurologic sequalae. With the increase in whole-body imaging ordered from the emergency department, it is critical for radiologists to be acutely aware of key imaging features associated with upper cervical trauma, possible mimics, and radiographic clues suggesting potential high-risk patient populations. This pictorial review will cover key imaging features from several different imaging modalities associated with upper cervical spine trauma, explore patient epidemiology, mechanism, and presentation, as well as identify confounding radiographic signs to aid in confident and accurate diagnoses.

Complete resolution of syrinx after circumferential adhesiolysis without deformity correction in a case of 6 year old neglected cervical facet dislocation.

Neglected traumatic cervical dislocation can be difficult to treat as such and more so if they are accompanied by an associated post traumatic syringomyelia (PTS). We present the case of a 55 year old gentleman who had a traumatic C6-C7 grade 2 listhesis which was neglected and presented 6 year later with 6 months history of neck pain, spastic quadriparesis and bowel bladder involvement. The patient was diagnosed with a PTS extending from C4 to D5. The possible aetiology and management of such cases has been discussed. The patient was successfully treated with decompression, adhesiolysis of arachnoid bands and syringotomy without the correction of deformity. The patient improved neurologically and had complete resolution of syrinx at final followup.

Multidisciplinary Therapeutic Management in Complex Cervical Trauma.

Background and Objectives: In the current literature, mandatory surgical exploration is a controversial topic, with some advocating for it and others against it, proposing a selective conservative management. This multidisciplinary therapeutic approach is based on clinical examination and serial paraclinical explorations associated with supportive drug treatment. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 103 patients with complex cervical trauma pathology produced by various mechanisms such as car or domestic accidents, aggression, ballistic trauma, self-inflicted attempts, hanging or strangulation hospitalized in the Ear, Nose and Throat (E.N.T.) Clinic, at "St. Spiridon" Iași Hospital, between 2012 and 2016. Results: The universal clinical indication for urgent surgical exploration of the patient with complex cervical trauma is the presence of the following symptoms: unstable vital signs, significant pulsatile bleeding, hematoma with a substantial increase in size, shock, airway obstruction, open airway wound, hematemesis, or hemoptysis. In this context, we considered it worthwhile to research the management of complex cervical trauma in a reference university medical center, alongside the analysis of the patient's characteristics under different aspects (demographic, pathological aspects, therapeutic). Conclusions: Complex cervical trauma has a variety of clinical aspects, with a variable evolution, which involves multidisciplinary therapeutic management. The increasing trauma rate is one of the main public health problems, requiring epidemiological studies, and the implementation of control strategies.

Perioperative complications of a transvaginal cervical cerclage in singleton pregnancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Given that many studies report on a limited spectrum of adverse events of transvaginal cervical cerclage for preventing preterm birth, but are not powered to draw conclusions about its safety, the objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review with pooled risk analyses of perioperative complications and compare characteristics on the basis of indication for cerclage in singleton pregnancies. DATA SOURCES: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and the prospective trial registers ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched from inception to April 2020. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All randomized controlled trials and both retrospective and prospective observational cohort studies reporting about complications in history-indicated cerclage, ultrasound-indicated cerclage, or physical examination-indicated cerclage were eligible. Studies were included if they contained original data on the occurrence of adverse events during surgery or within 24 hours after surgery. METHODS: The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for cohort and case-control studies were used for the critical appraisal. The pooled risk assessment was conducted using meta and metafor packages in R (studio), version 4.0.3. RESULTS: The search yielded 2328 potential studies; 3 randomized controlled trials, 3 prospective, and 38 retrospective cohort studies were included in the final analysis. Of the 4511 women with singleton gestations, 1561 (34.6%) underwent history-indicated cerclage, 1348 (29.9%) underwent ultrasound-indicated cerclage, and 1549 (33.3%) underwent physical examination-indicated cerclage. Most perioperative complications occurred in physical examination-indicated cerclage, especially hemorrhage (2.3%; 95% confidence interval, 0.0-7.6) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (2.5%; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-4.5). The fewest complications occurred in history-indicated cerclage, varying from 0.0% of preterm premature rupture of membranes (95% confidence interval, 0.0-1.7) to 0.9% of hemorrhage (95% confidence interval, 0.0-7.9). In ultrasound-indicated cerclage, the most common complication was hemorrhage (1.4%; 95% confidence interval, 0.0-4.1), followed by lacerations (0.6%; 95% confidence interval, 0.0-3.1) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (0.3%; 95% confidence interval, 0.0-0.8). CONCLUSION: The highest risk of perioperative complications was observed in physical examination-indicated cerclage in comparison with ultrasound- and history-indicated cerclage. However, the occurrence of complications is poorly documented in the published literature, as is the timing of the complications (ie, perioperative or later in pregnancy). There is an urgent need for uniform complication reporting policy in both cohort studies and randomized controlled trials on cerclage.

Salvage posterior atlantoaxial fixation techniques: A retrospective study / Técnicas de fijación atlantoaxial posterior de rescate: un estudio retrospectivo

Object Since the atlantoaxial region have critical neurovascular anatomy and limited bone surface for fusion, the application and choice of salvage fixation techniques are highly important. To discuss alternative posterior atlantoaxial fixation surgery techniques. Methods We retrospectively surgical records of 22 patients that posterior atlantoaxial fixation techniques were applied. Results The patients included 11 males and 11 females (mean age: 65.7 years). The fracture type that caused instability is type 2 odontoid fractures (22). In six of these patients alternative stabilization techniques were applied due to anatomical variations, huge venous bleeding and iatrogenic trauma of the screw entry points during surgery. Conclusions Owing to anatomical variations, intraoperative challenges, and/or instrumentation failures, performing alternative surgical fixation technique is an important factor that affects the success of stabilization of the atlantoaxial region. Knowledge of salvage techniques especially during the learning curve is vitally important. Surgeons should adapt to intraoperative surgical challenges as required (AU)

Objetivo Dado que la región atlantoaxial tiene una anatomía neurovascular crítica y una superficie ósea limitada para la fusión, la elección y la aplicación de las técnicas de fijación de rescate son muy importantes. El objetivo de este estudio es describir técnicas alternativas de cirugía de fijación atlantoaxial posterior. Métodos Realizamos retrospectivamente registros quirúrgicos de 22 pacientes a los que se les aplicaron técnicas de fijación atlantoaxial posterior. Resultados Entre los pacientes se incluyeron 11 varones y 11 mujeres (edad media: 65,7 años). El tipo de fractura que causó inestabilidad fue la fractura de odontoides tipo 2 (22). En seis de estos pacientes se aplicaron técnicas alternativas de estabilización debido a variaciones anatómicas, sangrado venoso considerable y trauma iatrogénico en los puntos de entrada del tornillo durante la cirugía. Conclusiones Debido a variaciones anatómicas, dificultades intraoperatorias y/o fallas de instrumentación, la realización de una técnica de fijación quirúrgica alternativa es un factor importante que afecta el éxito de la estabilización de la región atlantoaxial. Conocer las técnicas de salvamento, especialmente durante la curva de aprendizaje, es de vital importancia. Los cirujanos deben adaptarse a los desafíos quirúrgicos intraoperatorios, según sea necesario (AU)

Salvage posterior atlantoaxial fixation techniques: A retrospective study.

OBJECT: Since the atlantoaxial region have critical neurovascular anatomy and limited bone surface for fusion, the application and choice of salvage fixation techniques are highly important. To discuss alternative posterior atlantoaxial fixation surgery techniques. METHODS: We retrospectively surgical records of 22 patients that posterior atlantoaxial fixation techniques were applied. RESULTS: The patients included 11 males and 11 females (mean age: 65.7 years). The fracture type that caused instability is type 2 odontoid fractures (22). In six of these patients alternative stabilization techniques were applied due to anatomical variations, huge venous bleeding and iatrogenic trauma of the screw entry points during surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Owing to anatomical variations, intraoperative challenges, and/or instrumentation failures, performing alternative surgical fixation technique is an important factor that affects the success of stabilization of the atlantoaxial region. Knowledge of salvage techniques especially during the learning curve is vitally important. Surgeons should adapt to intraoperative surgical challenges as required.

Atlanto-occipital dislocation in a child: a challenging diagnosis. Illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD) is a highly unstable injury of the osseoligamentous complex at the craniocervical junction that is more common in children. Its diagnosis remains a challenging process that must integrate clinical presentation and radiological criteria. OBSERVATIONS: A 9-year-old child presented with severe craniocervical trauma (Glasgow Coma Scale score 6) and cardiorespiratory arrest on-site. Prompt resuscitation on-site and transfer to the university hospital were performed, and a computed tomography (CT) scan showed a subarachnoid hemorrhage around the brainstem and a retroclival hematoma. Most of the radiological criteria on CT scans for AOD were negative, except for the occipital condyle-C1 interval, and further imaging with magnetic resonance imaging permitted the diagnosis of AOD with rupture of both the tectorial membrane and the transverse ligament. Occipital-cervical Oc-C1-2 fixation was performed. The neurological outcome was excellent, with full recovery 6 months after the trauma. LESSONS: AOD should be suspected in all high-intensity trauma in children, especially if the clinical presentation includes cardiorespiratory arrest and other brainstem and/or upper cervical cord symptoms along with premedullary subarachnoid hemorrhage. Understanding the ligamentous nature of the injury resulting in "normal" radiographs or CT scans is important to avoid underdiagnosing AOD, which can have detrimental consequences.