Management of acute traumatic atlas fractures.
OBJECTIVE
A prospective review of a clinical series was performed. The treatment features of atlas fractures with and without associated axis injuries were investigated.


METHODS
Twenty-nine patients were investigated.


RESULTS
No displaced fractures were treated with a cervical orthosis. Patients with displaced fractures were managed with a halo vest immobilization; 96.4% patients had a solid fusion at their last follow-up evaluations.


CONCLUSIONS
Isolated not displaced or combined with not displaced axis fractures atlas fractures can be treated effectively with a rigid cervical collar alone. Isolated displaced fractures or not displaced but with concurrent displaced axis fractures require immobilization by the halo vest.
Kontautas
Egidijus
E
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital, Kaunas, Lithuania.
Ambrozaitis
Kazys Vytautas
KV
Kalesinskas
Romas Jonas
RJ
Spakauskas
Bronius
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001270:Cervical Atlas / Q000293:injuries*; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D017102:Fracture Healing; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome