Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 2012; 79(1):69-73 | DOI: 10.55095/achot2012/011

Dens Fracture with Concurrent Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury in Patients with Ankylosing SpondylitisCase report

L. HRABÁLEK1,*, M. ADAMUS2
1 Neurochirurgická klinika FN a LF UP v Olomouci
2 Klinika anesteziologie a resuscitace FN a LF UP v Olomouci

Odontoid process fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are rare and their finding together with subaxial cervical spine injury is a great exception. Neither the mechanism of such a combined cervical spine injury nor its surgical treatment has so far been reported in the relevant literature (MEDLINE). The authors present two such cases, one in a 30-and the other in a 74-year-old man. Both AS patients showed a common mechanism of injury sustained in a car accident, which involved hitting a solid barrier at 60 to 70 kilometres per hour, resulting in hyperextension of the cervical spine. In both patients the fractures were stabilised from the anterior approach: the dens fractures with one or two screws by the Magerl-Böhler method and the subaxial fractures with long-plate and screw fixation. At 2 post-operative years complete bone union of the subaxial spine was recorded in both patients; complete healing of the dens fracture was achieved in one patient while in the other partial fibrous union of the dens fracture occurred.

Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis, fracture, odontoid process, cervical spine, surgery

Published: February 1, 2012  Show citation

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HRABÁLEK L, ADAMUS M. Dens Fracture with Concurrent Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 2012;79(1):69-73. doi: 10.55095/achot2012/011. PubMed PMID: 22405553.
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