title: The lateral atlanto-axial joints and their synovial folds: an in vitro study of soft tissue injuries and fractures.
abstract: Thirty victims of blunt cervical trauma, who did not survive (acute death group), were studied at autopsy as were 11 patients who survived trauma for more than 1 month and ten controls without any known cervical trauma. All specimens were sagitally sectioned in 2-mm slices and carefully examined for injuries to the lateral parts of the atlanto-axial joints. In the acute death group, five cases showed a rupture of the joint capsule, three of these with a massive hemarthrosis. In 17 cases there was bruising around the second cervical spinal nerve. Bruising of the intra-articular synovial fold was present in 15 cases, the posterior synovial fold being most commonly affected. There were five intra-articular fractures of the lateral masses, in three cases combined with a dens fracture. In two cases a bone fragment from the fracture compressed and obliterated the lumen of the vertebral artery. The findings are discussed in relation to pain after cervical trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kalmar Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schonstrom
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Twomey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001268:Atlanto-Axial Joint / Q000293:injuries*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003288:Contusions / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006395:Hemarthrosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000293:injuries*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*