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Our ServicesCervical Spine Fractures & Dislocations

  • Cervical Fracture: A break in the neck vertebrae.
  • Cervical Dislocation: Ligament injury leading to abnormal separation between spine bones.
  • Prevalence: ~25,000 cervical fractures annually in the U.S. (Lasfargues, 1995); account for ~50% of spinal injuries.
  • High-Risk Scenarios: Motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports, violence.
Orthopedic Doctor in Ahmedabad

Classification

1. Occipital-Cervical Injuries (Occiput–C2)

  • Atlanto-Occipital Dislocation (AOD)
  • Occipital Condyle Fracture
  • Atlanto-Axial Instability/Rotatory Subluxation
  • C1 (Atlas) Fractures
  • C2 (Axis) Injuries:
    • Odontoid fractures
    • Traumatic spondylolisthesis
    • Axis body fractures

2. Subaxial Cervical Spine Injuries (C3–C7)

  • Injury types based on mechanism:
    • Distraction-Flexion (DF)
    • Vertical Compression (VC)
    • Compression-Flexion (CF)
    • Compression-Extension (CE)
    • Distraction-Extension (DE)
    • Lateral Flexion (LF)
Back pain and beyond

When conservative care needs
a specialist’s touch.

Physical Examination

Local tenderness, spasm, swelling

Limited range of motion

Step-off deformity

Neurologic deficits if spinal cord is compromised

Imaging & Diagnosis

X-Ray: Initial imaging

CT Scan: Gold standard for bony detail

MRI: Best for soft tissue, spinal cord, and ligament evaluation

Flexion/Extension Views: Assess ligamentous instability

Labs: Not typically diagnostic

Treatment Overview

01.

Goals:

  • Preserve/improve neurologic function
  • Stabilize the spine
  • Alleviate pain

02.

Non-Operative:

  • Bracing (soft collars, hard orthoses, halo vest)
  • Medications
  • Skeletal traction in some cases

03.

Surgical:

  • Posterior/Anterior spinal fusion (PSF/ACDF)
  • Instrumentation (screws, rods, plates)
  • Decompression in case of cord compression

Cervical Spine Fractures & DislocationsTreatment Guidelines by Injury Type

Occipital-Cervical Injuries

  • AOD: Almost all need Occ-C2 posterior spinal fusion (PSF) after halo vest reduction.
  • Occipital Condyle Fx:
    • Type I/II: CT orthosis 6–8 weeks
    • Type III (stable): Cervical orthosis
    • Type III (unstable): Occ-C2 PSF
  • Atlanto-Axial Instability:
    • TAL rupture >5 mm: Surgery
    • C1 fx with >7 mm displacement: Halo → C1-C2 PSF

  • Rotatory Subluxation: Halo traction → Surgery if pain/deformity persists

  • Atlas Fx (C1): Mostly non-operative unless >7 mm displacement

Axis (C2) Fractures

  • Odontoid Fx:
    • Type I: Orthosis
    • Type II: <5 mm displ – Halo; >5 mm – Reduction + Fusion/Screw fixation
    • Type III: Similar to Type II
  • Spondylolisthesis (Hangman’s fracture):
    • Type I: Orthosis
    • Type II/IIA: Halo → Possible surgery
    • Type III: Surgery (ACDF + PCF if needed)

Subaxial Injuries (C3–C7)

  • DF (Facet dislocation): Closed reduction → PCF; ACDF + PCF if needed
  • CF: Stable – Orthosis; Unstable – ACVF ± PCF
  • VC: Stable – Orthosis; Unstable – ACVF
  • CE/DE: Check for disc injury → ACDF if unstable
  • LF: ACDF