Cervical Spine Trauma
A 6-year-old child is brought to the emergency department after a high-speed motor vehicle accident. He was restrained in a booster seat. He is intubated at the scene due to respiratory insufficiency. On arrival, he has no spontaneous respiration and flaccid quadriplegia. Lateral cervical radiograph shows widening of the basion-dens interval. CT confirms atlantooccipital dislocation. MRI shows complete disruption of the tectorial membrane and alar ligaments. Regarding atlantooccipital dislocation:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
Atlantooccipital dislocation (AOD) is a highly unstable craniocervical junction injury resulting fro...
Children are more susceptible than adults due to relatively large head size, horizontal occipital co...
AOD is most common in elderly adults; it results from low-energy falls; the craniocervical junction ...
Radiographic diagnosis uses the basion-dens interval (normal less than 12mm in adults, less than 10m...
Treatment requires immediate rigid immobilization avoiding traction which can cause distraction; def...
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Click T (True) or F (False) for each option