Traumatic Spondylolysthesis Of The Axis

The axis is anatomically, developmentally and biomechanically unique from the five lower cervical vertebrae as well as the axis above it. The pars interarticularis is a transitional structure and a thin tube of cortical bone with small amount of cancellous bone. The canal-to-cord ratio is extremely large, hence the minimal risk of neurological deficit after injury.Objective:To report long-term, minimum 5 years, clinical and radiological outcome of our series of patients with traumatic spondylolysthesis of the axis managed non-operativelyMethod and material:Thirty patients had traumatic spondylolysthesis of the axis over a period of five years (January 2005 to December 2010). There were 22 males and eight females with an average age of 36 years. Plain X-rays and CT scans were obtained to evaluate the injury. All patients were managed non-operatively.Results:The majority (90%) of the fractures were Type I and type II traumatic spondylolistheses of the axis. The fractures were managed with Philadelphia colla...