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A single fracture in the atlas ring: report of two cases and a review of the literature

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Abstract

Atlas fractures commonly present more than two breaks in its ring structure because of the unique anatomy and the mechanism of injury. The incidence of a single break in the atlas ring is exceedingly rare. However, we encountered two cases of a single fracture of the atlas. One patient was struck by a falling tree on the right side of the head and the other was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Radiographs of the cervical spine failed to show a single fracture or other abnormalities. Computed tomography demonstrated the single fracture. The patients were treated conservatively with a cervical collar, and they both recovered completely. In this article, we present two cases of a single fracture of the atlas with a review of the literature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Tsutomu Inaoka, Kenjirou Ohashi & Georges Y. El-Khoury

Authors
  1. Tsutomu Inaoka
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  2. Kenjirou Ohashi
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  3. Georges Y. El-Khoury
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Correspondence to Tsutomu Inaoka.

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Inaoka, T., Ohashi, K. & El-Khoury, G.Y. A single fracture in the atlas ring: report of two cases and a review of the literature. Emerg Radiol 14, 191–194 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-007-0584-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-007-0584-2

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