Posttraumatic Atlantoaxial Rotatory Dislocation in a Healthy Adult Patient : A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract EN

Atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation (AARD) is a rare complication in adults usually leading to pain, spinal cord injury, or death.

Clinical and radiological diagnosis is difficult and often delayed.

We report a rare case of posttraumatic AARD in a neurological intact 27-year-old male in which initial radiographic evaluation was negative.

A computed tomography (CT) scan was promptly done because the patient showed a severe torticollis.

Therefore, early diagnosis, immobilisation, and surgical fusion and arthrodesis were performed.

After surgery, cervical pain and torticollis were resolved and the patient remained neurologically intact with a CT scan documentation of fusion at the 3-year followup.