[Injury of the dens axis in early childhood. Clinical case report and discussion].
Because of the special features of the subdental synchondrosis, fractures of the odontoid process in childhood can be seen as a separate entity. The subdental synchondrosis must be regarded as sort of an intervertebral disc and not as a growth plate. Among the generally rare fractures of the cervical spine in children this type ist the most common. Usually conservative treatment with a cast-fixation like the halo fixateur or the minerva jacket leads to consolidation. We report on the case of a 2-year-old girl with a fracture of the odontoid process who developed a unilateral syndrome hours after the accident. The treatment was conservative with a halo-like cast fixation. Nine weeks after the fixation bony consolidation was achieved and the cast could be removed. In the first days after fixation full neurological recovery had occurred. In early childhood (till the 7th year of life) according to the literature, patterns of neurologic dysfunction are incomplete injuries of the spinal cord and have the potential for recovery [4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12].
Vaeckenstedt
J
J
Orthopädische Universitätsklinik Basel.
Friederich
N F
NF
Hefti
F
F
D002675:Child, Preschool; D016267:External Fixators; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009809:Odontoid Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed