Fractures of the odontoid process comprise 10–15% of all cervical fractures. Almost two thirds of all dens fractures are classified as type II according to Anderson and D’Alonso classification system. Currently, the direct anterior odontoid screw fixation provides the best anatomical and functional results for this type of fracture and it is considered as the treatment of choice. Regarding the ...

AIM The incidence of cervical fractures in industrialized countries is about 11.000 cases per year. The objective of our study was to determine which of two treatments was more effective for the management of Type II odontoid fractures. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study involved 108 cervical fractures treated at the "Department of Neurosurgery of Policlinico Umberto I" in Rome between 2002 and ...

Craniovertebral junction tuberculosis is a rare lesion in which treatment remains controversial. Options range from conservative treatment to surgery, independently of any associated neurological threat. We here report the first case of pathologic odontoid fracture in a context of spinal tuberculosis, complicated by unusual neurological evolution. The patient presented with non-contiguous multi...

Odontoid "fractures" in children are in fact typical lesions of the cartilaginous plate ("synchondrosis") separating the odontoid process from the body of the axis, 54 cases of which have been described in the literature so far. In our review we report about two 2-year-old children who were back-seat passengers restrained by four-point children's seat belts, in a car involved in a head-on motor...

Odontoid process fracture accounts for 5% to 15% of all cervical spine injuries, and the rate is higher among elderly people. The anterior cannulated screw fixation has been widely used in odontoid process fracture, but the fixation strength may still be limited under some circumstances. This study aims to investigate the biomechanical fixation strength of expansive double-threaded bi-direction...

background & importance: infections of the craniocervical junction are rare. case presentation: we present a case of infection by methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus mitis that was not previously reported. conclusion: neurosurgeons must suspect for diagnosis and initiate broad antimicrobial therapy, including active agents against gram-negative and then initiate a targ...

Associated fractures of the atlas and axis are frequent, particularly in the elderly patients following a simple low-energy fall. This injury can be easily misdiagnosed on initial plain radiographs, and therefore computed tomography scan is a useful adjunct in patients with a degenerative spine. There is still no consensus as to the optimal treatment of combined axis-atlas fractures, and the ma...