title: An unusual reduction technique prior to surgical treatment for traumatic spondylolisthesis in the lower cervical spine.
abstract: Traumatic spondylolisthesis in the lower cervical spine is rare and only a few cases have been reported. We present a 56-year-old man who had severe C6-C7 spondylolisthesis without major neurological complications, caused by a traffic accident. Plain CT images showed a pedicular fracture on the right side and a laminar fracture on the left side at C6, but magnetic resonance images revealed no spinal cord compression. Application of a halo brace and maintaining the neck in slight flexion without traction resulted in reduction of the spondylolisthesis to nearly normal alignment. Anterior fusion using an autogeneous bone graft and a plate was easily performed without loss of correction. We suggest that preoperative reduction using a halo brace in slight flexion without longitudinal skull traction is useful and effective for severe traumatic spondylolisthesis in the lower cervical spine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kurashiki Central Hospital, 1-1-1 Miwa, Kurashiki-city, Okayama, 710-8602 Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ido
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urushidani
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016267:External Fixators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011859:Radiography; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*