title: Management of acute traumatic atlas fractures.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Egidijus
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kontautas
authors.forename: Kazys Vytautas
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Ambrozaitis
authors.forename: Romas Jonas
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kalesinskas
authors.forename: Bronius
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spakauskas
mesh_terms: 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