Upper Cervical Spine Injuries: Profile and Management of 120 Cases.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the profile and management of patients with upper cervical spine injury. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of patients with upper cervical spine injuries managed at Hospital da Restauração between 2014 and 2020. RESULTS: It presents the profile of 145 injuries recorded by location and classification among the 120 patients, and the management performed. Men are more affected than women, almost half of the patients (42.5%) were aged 16 to 29 years. Neurological deficit was present in 18 cases (15%). Twenty cases presented injury involving the level C1. Most injuries (109 [90.8%]) occurred at the C2 level, the most frequent of which were as follows: isolated type II odontoid fracture (29.2%), miscellaneous fracture of C2 (20%), and isolated hangman's fracture (13.3%). The most used management in type II odontoid fracture was C1-C2 posterior arthrodesis (17/42) followed by odontoid osteosynthesis (12/42). Regarding isolated hangman's fracture, conservative management was performed in 37.5% (6/16), and the technical approach most performed was anterior C2-C3 discectomy and interbody fusion (5/16). CONCLUSIONS: Upper cervical spine injury has a higher prevalence in young men and is most often caused by traffic accidents. The main level affected is C2, and type II odontoid fracture is the most frequent subtype. C1 injury is related to conservative treatment, while C2 or combined C1-C2 injury is related to surgical approach. The management of these injuries is mainly performed with surgical treatment, with C1-C2 posterior arthrodesis and anterior odontoid osteosynthesis representing most of the approaches.

Reduction and internal fixation of complex fractures of the odontoid by the transoral approach / Redução e osteossíntese de fratura complexa do odontoide por via transoral / Reducción y fijación interna de fracturas complejas de la odontoides por la vía transoral

ABSTRACT Type II odontoid fractures with irreducible posterior displacement are uncommon, and can cause spinal cord compression, respiratory failure and even death. Treatment is usually surgical, with transoral decompression and posterior fusion or with reduction and fusion of C1-C2 by the transoral approach. We describe a case of type II odontoid fracture with irreducible posterior atlantoaxial dislocation that was treated exclusively by the transoral approach with osteosynthesis of the odontoid, thus preserving functional segmental mobility. Level of Evidence III; therapeutic study.

RESUMO As fraturas do odontoide tipo II com deslocamento posterior irredutível não são comuns e podem causar compressão medular, insuficiência respiratória e até óbito. O tratamento habitualmente é cirúrgico, com descompressão transoral e fusão posterior, ou com a redução e fusão C1-C2 pela via transoral. Descrevemos um caso de fratura do odontoide tipo II, com deslocamento atlantoaxial posterior irredutível, que foi tratado exclusivamente por via transoral, com a osteossíntese do odontoide, preservando, assim, a mobilidade funcional segmentar. Nível de Evidência III; Estudo terapêutico

RESUMEN Las fracturas tipo II de la odontoides con desplazamiento posterior irreductible son poco comunes y pueden causar compresión de la médula espinal, insuficiencia respiratoria e incluso la muerte. El tratamiento suele ser quirúrgico con descompresión transoral y fusión posterior o con reducción y fusión de C1-C2 por vía transoral. Se describe un caso de fractura tipo II de la odontoides con luxación atlantoaxial posterior irreductible que fue tratada exclusivamente por vía transoral con osteosíntesis de la odontoides, preservando así la movilidad segmentaria funcional. Nivel de Evidencia III; Estudio terapéutico.