Combined approach for a locked unilateral facet fracture-dislocation of the cervicothoracic junction.
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.
Schmidt-Rohlfing
Bernhard
B
Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany. bernhard.schmidt@post.rwth-aachen.de
Nossek
Matthias
M
Knobe
Matthias
M
Das
Marco
M
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*