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Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Abstract

Os odontoideum is a small round or oval corticated ossicle with a smooth corticalborder and no body union to the body of the axis. Posttraumatic injury of the cervical spine isone of the etiologies. We reported a 28-year-old man patient with os odontoideum presentedwith a trivial hyperflexion cervical trauma. He developed neurogenic shock and central cordsyndrome. This case supports the theory that previous trauma is the etiology of the abnormality.Surgical management alleviated his symptom. Occipitocervical fusion with C1 laminectomywas successfully achieved in this case. Odontoid nonunion is a potentially a serious situation.Patients can develop late neurological deficits if conservative treatment is undertaken.Considering prophylactic surgical stabilization in the asymptomatic patient may be relativelyindicated in younger patients with active lifestyles.

Publisher

Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University

First Page

317

Last Page

325

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