Hangman Fracture of a Boy treated with Polyaxial Screw and Rod Systems

Abstract

A case of hangman fracture treated with polyaxial & rod systems is presented. This 16-year-old boy with severe neck pain was hospitalized after an accident in which he fell forming a scrum during rugby football. Radiological imaging on admission showed a typical hangman fracture of C2 with interspinous and disc damage at C2-4 level(Effendi Type 2). A week after his admission, C2 anterior slipping and dislocation of fracture deteriorated and he underwent C2-4 posterior fixation using polyaxial screw and rod systems. This system has no necessity for sharp and long K-wire, and an easy and safe rod connection could be completed in case of long fusion. And it will be easy for removal of this system after bony fusion. This patient was discharged on foot without a neck brace and obtained good bony fusion confirmed by CT scan.