Posterolateral Atlantoaxial Dislocation with Joint Block Associated to Odontoid Process Fracture – Rare Case Report and Surgical Treatment

Author(s): Miguel Quesado, Joana Pereira, Marcos Silva, João Afonso, João Carvalho, Jorge Alves

The atlantoaxial dislocation associated to odontoid process fracture is a rare injury with a high mortality rate [1, 2]. The authors describe a case of a patient with posterolateral atlantoaxial dislocation with joint block associated to odontoid process fracture, without neurological injury, submitted to closed reduction and fixation of the odontoid with a screw by anterior approach. Due to the few cases described in the literature, the recommended surgical treatment remains controversial, being conditioned by the type and severity of the lesion, patient specificities as well as by the surgeon experience [3].