Odontoid fracture

Mechanism and manifestations

It may follow major trauma or a relatively minor fall in an older adult. Neck pain can be the only initial sign; fractures at the dens base have a risk of nonunion.

Diagnosis and management

Diagnosis relies mainly on CT, with MRI when appropriate. Bracing, monitoring or surgical fixation depends on type, displacement, stability and overall health. Urgent assessment precedes routine conservative care.

Points to consider

After trauma, pain intensity and injury severity are not always proportional. Mechanism, level, neurological status and stability guide care. New weakness, sensory loss, breathing difficulty or impaired walking requires urgent assessment.

Role of TAGMED care

With acute symptoms, urgent hospital assessment takes priority. This condition first requires medical diagnosis and, depending on the situation, specialist management. TAGMED services do not replace treatment of infection or tumor, stabilization of an unstable injury, or neurological or vascular treatment. Any conservative support should be considered only after diagnosis, restrictions and the treating team’s recommendations have been clarified.

Related concepts and distinctions

These concepts belong to the same field, but are not synonyms.

• Jefferson fracture — Fracture of the atlas ring, often related to axial loading, with stability depending partly on the transverse ligament.
• Hangman fracture — Bilateral fracture through the C2 pars region, sometimes associated with C2–C3 displacement and disc-ligament injury.
• Cervical teardrop fracture — Cervical fracture with a teardrop-shaped anteroinferior bone fragment, occurring through different mechanisms with variable stability.

Medical references

1. AO Foundation. AO Surgery Reference — Occipitocervical trauma.
2. AO Spine. AO Spine classification systems.

References document the topic; their inclusion does not imply endorsement of TAGMED services by those organizations.