title: Delayed diagnosis of isolated alar ligament rupture: A case report.
abstract: Ligament disruptions at the craniovertebral junction are typically associated with atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation during upper cervical spine injuries and require external orthoses or surgical stabilization. Only in few patients isolated ruptures of the alar ligament have been reported. Here we present a further case, in which the diagnosis was initially obscured by a misleading clinical symptomatology but finally established six month following the trauma, demonstrating the value of contrast-enhanced high resolution 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging in identifying this particular lesion.
authors.affiliation: Robin A Kaufmann, Thomas J Vogl, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, D-60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Robin A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.affiliation: Robin A Kaufmann, Thomas J Vogl, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, D-60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marzi
authors.affiliation: Robin A Kaufmann, Thomas J Vogl, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, D-60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Vogl
keywords: Alar ligament rupture; Cervical spine injury; Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging