ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the clinical effect of treating atlanto-axial subluxation by manipulative reduction therapy. Methods 128 patients with atlanto-axial subluxation confirmed by cervical plain X ray were randomized into two groups: 64 in the treatment group treated by manipulative reduction therapy, and 64 in the control group treated by the routine cervical traction. The clinical effect was evaluated by both clinical and X-ray confirmation. Results The X-ray study showed that after treatment the reconstruction of excursion in odontoid process in the treatment group was better than that in the control group significantly (P<0.01). The improvement of vertebra basal artery blood flow in the treatment group was also better than that in the control group significantly (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the treatment group was 95.3%, while the control group was 78.1%. Conclusion The technique of manipulative reduction on atlanto-axial subluxation acts more directly on the cause of the disease than the routine traction, and exerts better results in restoring proper atlanto-axiai joint position and mechanics stability of cervical vertebra.. Thus it is the effective shortcut way with high safety and low cost.