title: Combined approach for a locked unilateral facet fracture-dislocation of the cervicothoracic junction.
abstract: The authors present the case of a 36-year-old patient who sustained a unilateral fracture-dislocation C7-T1 involving all three columns, given the lesion of the C7-T1 disc on MRI. In view of the fractured facet, closed reduction without anaesthesia was not attempted. First, open reduction and instrumentation were performed from posteriorly. In a second operation, anterior fusion C7-T1 was added, using a tricortical bone graft and instrumentation. The authors felt that this three-column lesion at the cervicothoracic junction necessitated combined posterior-anterior stabilisation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany. bernhard.schmidt@post.rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Rohlfing
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nossek
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knobe
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D021801:Zygapophyseal Joint / Q000293:injuries*