A Case of Delayed Myelopathy Caused by Atlantoaxial Subluxation without Fracture | Zendy

Ryo Takamatsu | Zendy; Hiroshi Takahashi | Zendy; Yuichiro Yokoyama | Zendy; Fumiaki Terajima | Zendy; Yasuhiro Inoue | Zendy; Katsunori Fukutake | Zendy; Akihito Wada | Zendy

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A Case of Delayed Myelopathy Caused by Atlantoaxial Subluxation without Fracture

Author(s) -

Ryo Takamatsu,

Hiroshi Takahashi,

Yuichiro Yokoyama,

Fumiaki Terajima,

Yasuhiro Inoue,

Katsunori Fukutake,

Akihito Wada

Publication year - 2013

Publication title -

case reports in orthopedics

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

eISSN - 2090-6749

pISSN - 2090-6757

DOI - 10.1155/2013/421087

Subject(s) - medicine , surgery , weakness , myelopathy , subluxation , cervical collar , ligament , neck pain , atlantoaxial instability , cervical spine , spinal cord , alternative medicine , pathology , psychiatry

We report a case of delayed myelopathy caused by atlantoaxial subluxation without fracture. The patient was a 38-year-old male who became aware of weakness in extremities. The patient had a history of hitting his head severely while diving into a swimming pool at the age of 14 years old. At that time, cervical spine plain X-ray images showed no fracture, and the cervical pain disappeared after use of a collar for several weeks. At his first visit to our department, X-ray images showed an unstable atlantoaxial joint. After surgery, weakness of the extremities gradually improved. At 6 months after surgery, bone union was completed and the symptoms disappeared. This case shows that atlantoaxial ligament injuries are difficult to diagnose and may easily be missed. A high level of suspicion is important in such cases, since neurological compromise or deterioration may occur many years after the injury.

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