Upper Cervical Spine
A 55-year-old woman with a 15-year history of rheumatoid arthritis presents with neck pain, occipital headaches, and progressive hand weakness. She reports occasional electric shock sensations down her arms with neck movement. On examination, there is hyperreflexia in the upper and lower extremities and a positive Hoffman sign. Flexion-extension cervical radiographs show an atlantodental interval of 10mm. Regarding atlantoaxial instability:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
The atlantodental interval (ADI) measures from the posterior cortex of the anterior arch of C1 to th...
The transverse ligament is the primary stabilizer preventing anterior translation of C1 on C2; it at...
The ADI measures from the anterior arch of C1 to the posterior dens; normal ADI is less than 10mm in...
Rheumatoid arthritis causes atlantoaxial instability through pannus formation and ligament destructi...
Surgical indications include myelopathy, intractable pain, ADI greater than 8-10mm, PADI less than 1...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option