A Clinical Study of Fracture and Dislocation of the Cervical Spine

The cervical spinal injuries may impose a fatal result or permanent neurological disability according to the severity of injury. Authors performed a clinical study consisting of 54 patients who have visited Daejeon Eulji General Hospital for the care of fracture and dislocation of the cervical spine from May 1981 to Jan. 1986, and obtained the following results. 1. The prevalent age distribution was between third and forth decade and the ratio between male and female was 3.5:1 and the most common cause of injury was traffic accident(53.7%). 2. The most common site of injury was CS, 6(22.2%) and the most frequent mechanism of injury was Aexion-rotation type(55.0%). 3. At initial examination, 39 patients(72.2%) had neurological damage and among these, 18 were complete paralysis below the level of injury, 12 were incomplete paralysis, 9 were nerve root injuries. 4. Operative treatment was performed on 24 patients, these were Rogers' posterior fusion on 19 patients, Brooks and Jenkins' atlantoaxial fusion on 3 patients, occipitocervical fusion on 1 patient and excision of hactured fragment on 1 patient. 5. There were no evidences of neurological recovery in completely paralyzed patients, but among incompletely paralyzed and nerve root injured patients, neurological recovery was found in 57.1% of conservatively treated patients and in 71. 4% of operated patients. 6. Radiological stability was found in entire patients who received operative treatment, but, in conservatively treated patients, remained 1 late instability.