[Surgical management of traumatic injury of upper cervical spine].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze retrospectively the clinical outcome of surgical management for upper cervical spine injury caused by trauma.


METHODS
From January 2005 to March 2007, 16 patients with injury of upper cervical spine were treated by different management. There were 11 males and 5 females with an average age of 44 years ranging from 24 to 75. Of all, 5 cases were the odontoid fracture, 3 were atlas fracture, 5 were Hangman's fracture, 3 were atlanto-axial dislocation. MR imaging of cervical spine showed cervical cord compression and changes of T2 high signal in 5 cases. According to the injury mechanism, the imageological appearance, fracture classification, the methods of treatment were selected.


RESULTS
Seven patients received non-operative treatment and nine patients underwent operation. Sixteen patients were followed up for 7 to 34 months (means 10.5 months). All fractures were healing or bone graft fusion and no internal fixation was lossing. There were no injuries of vertebral artery, nerve root or spinal cord.


CONCLUSIONS
CT and MRI are required in the course of diagnosis for the traumatic injury of upper cervical spine. The optimal modus operandi should be choose to retain upper cervical spine, meanwhile, can reserve the cervical movement.
Li
Liu-Bing
LB
Department of Orthopaedics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou 215004, Jiangsu, China.
Shen
Yi-Xin
YX
Fan
Zhi-Hai
ZH
Zhang
Peng
P
Wang
Lu-Lu
LL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult