Anderson Type III Odontoid Fracture

Abstract

A case of Anderson type III odontoid fracture was reported. A 56-year-old woman suffered severe trauma from a traffic accident. She reported a short period of unconsciousness, at the time of impact but in the emergency room of our hospital, she was alert, oriented, and cooperative. There was no evidence of any neurological deficit, but she complained of pain in the back of the neck. No fracture or subluxation was identified by cervical X-ray films (standard anteroposterior, lateral, and odontoid views), but cervical computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an Anderson type III odontoid fracture. Fortunately, no intrathecal lesion was found by MRI. Because of minimal signs traceable to the neck, and no cervical dislocation, we chose conservative therapy for this patient. She was doing well, with no neurological deficit, 18 weeks after cervial brace fixation. Odontoid fracture should be considered as a possible complication in traffic trauma patients. We should pay particularly attention to patients with period of unconsciousness or memory disturbance, or with complaint of neck pain. We emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and following appropriate treatment of odontoid fracture to avoid a delayed disability.