Traction for the treatment of traumatic atlantoaxial subluxation in adults / 中国骨伤

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the application of modified traction therapy in traumatic atlantoaxial subluxation in adults.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 31 patients with atlantoaxial subluxation treated from March 2018 to June 2019 were restropectively analyzed. There were 15 males and 16 females, aged from 18 to 68 years old with an average of 39 years old, including 10 cases of 18-40 years, 15 cases of 41-60 years, 6 cases of 51-68 years. The main manifestations of the patients were limited neck movement, pain, and atlantoaxial CT scan showed different degrees of atlantoaxial subluxation. Three dimensional multifunctional traction bed was used for traction for 2 min, relaxation for 10 s. The traction angle starts from the rearward extension of 5°-10° and weight from 3-6 kg. The weight increased by 1 kg every two days until the symptoms were improved. Traction time was 30 min twice a day and 10 days for a course of treatment. One course of treatment was performed in patients with 1-2 mm left and right equal width of atlantoaxial space, and two courses of treatment were performed in patients with 3-4 mm left and right equal width of atlantoaxial space, and the course of treatment could be increased to 3 months in especially patients with serious problems, such as 4 mm left and right equal width of atlantoaxial space and no improvement after conventional treatment. The criteria to evaluate the clinical effect was cureno pain in the neck, normal range of neck movement, CT showed normal atlantoaxial space and odontoid process was in the middle, patients with normal neck movement were followed up 1 month after the end of treatment;improvementneck pain was significantly improved and CT showed that the left and right atlantoaxial space was less than 1 mm in equal width.@*RESULTS@#Among the 31 patients, 17 cases were cured by one course of treatment, 11 cases were cured by 2 courses of treatment, and 2 caseswere improved.@*CONCLUSION@#The modified traction therapy has obvious effect on adult traumatic atlantoaxial subluxation, especially the subluxation of 3-4 mm equal width in left and right atlantoaxial space, and this method is safe and reliable with good efficacy and the patients without discomfort.