Completely dislocated hangman's fracture with a locked C2-3 facet. Case report

J Neurosurg. 1997 Nov;87(5):757-60. doi: 10.3171/jns.1997.87.5.0757.

Abstract

The authors report a rare case of a hangman's fracture involving complete dislocation of C-2 onto C-3, accompanied by a C2-3 locked facet and asymptomatic bilateral vertebral artery injuries. The patient, a 25-year-old man who sustained a neck injury in an industrial accident, presented with a mild central spinal cord syndrome. His initial lateral cervical radiograph showed complete anterior dislocation of the C-2 body onto C-3, bilateral neural arch fractures, and a unilateral locked facet. The mechanism was likely flexion and compression. The grossly unstable spine and the locked facet were treated by posterior decompression, reduction, and C1-3 fixation. The patient recovered in several days and is without neurological deficit.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cervical Vertebrae / diagnostic imaging
  • Cervical Vertebrae / injuries
  • Cervical Vertebrae / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Radiography
  • Spinal Fractures / classification
  • Spinal Fractures / diagnostic imaging
  • Spinal Fractures / etiology
  • Spinal Fractures / pathology*
  • Spinal Fractures / therapy