title: Severe intracranial injury from a fall in the halo external fixator.
abstract: This is a report of a rheumatoid arthritis patient after atlantoaxial stabilization and halo external fixator immobilization who presented with intracranial injury after an accidental fall. Global aphasia and an impaired consciousness resulted from a cerebral hemorrhagic contusion below an impressed bone chip at the left posterior halo-pin site. Cranial penetration of a halo pin has been previously reported; however, brain injury associated with it has not. Since there is a considerable risk of falls in the elderly and in patients with myelopathic gait disturbances, this rare but potentially hazardous complication should be kept in mind during the halo vest fixation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dorfmüller
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Höllerhage
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D001268:Atlanto-Axial Joint / Q000293:injuries*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000293:injuries*; D016267:External Fixators / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000601:surgery; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000601:surgery*