Traumatic Atlanto-occipital Dislocation

Prognostic factors in traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation

Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD) is an ominous injury with high mortality and morbidity in trauma patients. Improved survival has been observed with advancements in pre-hospital and hospital care. Furthermore, high quality imaging studies are accessible at most trauma centers; these are crucial for prompt diagnosis of AOD. The objective of this study is to perform a comprehensive literature review of traumatic AOD, with specific emphasis on identifying prognostic factors for survival. A review of the literature was performed using the Medline database for all traumatic atlanto-occipital articles published between March 1959 and June 2015; 141 patients from 60 total studies met eligibility criteria for study inclusion. A binary logistic regression model was utilized to identify prognostic factors. The analysis assessed age, sex, spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), polytrauma injury (PI), and Traynelis AOD Classification. Only TBI was statistically significantly associated with death (OR 8.05 p<0.05); SCI did not reach statistical significance for predicting mortality in AOD patients (OR 1.25 p>0.05). Age, sex, PI, and Traynelis AOD Classification did not meet significance to predict mortality in AOD patients. We found that patients with TBI are eight times more likely to die than patients without TBI. A high degree of suspicion for AOD during pre-hospital care, as well as, prompt diagnosis and management in the trauma center play a key role in the treatment of this devastating injury. The relationship between survival and factors such as TBI and SCI should be further explored.

Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation: do children and adolescents have better or worse outcomes than adults? A narrative review

BACKGROUND

Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation is an uncommon, severely unstable pathology, which can lead to detrimental or even fatal neurological impairment. Specifically, children have consistently been reported to be more susceptible to this type of injury because of their disproportionately larger head, ligament laxity, and injury mechanisms. However, to date, rates of missed injury and outcomes including neurologic recovery of pediatric and adult populations following this insult have not been comparatively evaluated.

METHODS

Standard search engines were used to investigate outcomes of traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation in children and adolescents compared to adults.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on case reports and small series from the literature, it seems that children and adolescents tend to have a better likelihood of survival with the possibility of long-term neurological complications. Comparatively, adults who suffer traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation either succumb to their injuries or survive with very little if any neurological complications.

A rare case of atlantooccipital dissociation in the context of occipitalization of the atlas, with a 2-year follow-up: case report

Atlantooccipital dislocation (AOD) is a rare and often fatal injury. In cases of survival, residual deficits are severe and often include cranial nerve palsy, quadriplegia, or respiratory issues. Occipitalization is defined as partial or complete congenital fusion of the occiput to the atlas and is exceptionally rare. The authors present a rare case of AOD superimposed on a congenital occipitalization of the atlas. This 39-year-old man had AOD following a motor vehicle collision. On examination, his overall motor score on the American Spinal Injury Association scale was 5/100, and his rectal tone was absent. Computed tomography demonstrated AOD in an area of occipitalization. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed ligamentous injury leading to C1-2 instability. Intervention included occipital cervical instrumentation fusion from the occiput to C-3. Six months postoperatively, imaging revealed fusion of the graft and consolidation of the fractured occipitalization. At the 2-year follow-up, the patient's strength was 3/5 for wrist extension and handgrip on the right side and full strength in the rest of the myotomes. Bladder and bowel function was also normalized. A high-velocity collision led to disruption of the atlantooccipital ligaments and fracture of the occipitalized lateral masses in this patient. Internal fixation and fusion led to good fusion postoperatively. Occipitalization probably led to abnormal joint mechanics at the C1-occiput junction, which might have altered the amount of force required to fracture the occipitalization and produce AOD. This difference may partially account for the favorable neurological outcome in the featured patient compared with traditional cases of AOD.