Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this case report is to draw attention to the differences between a Jefferson fracture and a congenital anomaly of the anterior and/or the posterior arch of the atlas.
CLINICAL FEATURES: A 42-year-old woman visited the chiropractic practice complaining of headache, neck pain, dizziness, and numbness in both of her arms after she fell vertically and directly on her head twice on a playground. Before this fall, she had no such complaints. After taking x-rays of the cervical spine, a Jefferson fracture was suspected.
INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: After computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanning, the patient was diagnosed with a congenital anomaly that looked very similar to a Jefferson fracture. After instability of the cervical spine was excluded by the neurosurgeon, chiropractic treatment was delivered. After 6 treatments, the complaints were significantly reduced.
CONCLUSION: It is important to be familiar with the differences between a congenital anomaly of the atlas and a Jefferson fracture and to exclude instability of the upper cervical spine before treatment is started.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 62-4 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2007 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Cervical Atlas/abnormalities
- Cervical Vertebrae/abnormalities
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Female
- Humans
- Manipulation, Chiropractic/methods
- Neck Injuries/diagnosis
- Radiography
- Spinal Fractures/diagnosis
- Treatment Outcome
