title: Occipital condyle fractures diagnosed by high-definition CT and coronal reconstructions.
abstract: We describe four cases of fracture of the occipital condyle. In all cases plain cervical spine films were normal. The fracture was diagnosed on the lowest section of a routine CT examination of the head. Further detail was then obtained with high-definition CT and coronal reconstructions. All the patients were found to have a small atlanto-occipital subluxation, no greater than 11 mm. Classification and treatment of these fractures is discussed. It is stressed that the lower-most section of a CT head study for cerebral trauma should include the inferior margin of the foramen magnum and that both bone and soft tissue images should be obtained.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001269:Atlanto-Occipital Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed