Summary
A case of traumatic cervical spinal cord injury due to congenital craniocervical abnormalities is described. The autopsy revealed evidence of hyperextension of the neck due to frontal impact, congenital occipitalization of the atlas accompanied by basilar invagination of the odontoid process and atlanto-axial diastasis. The subsequent narrowing of the spinal canal led to a predisposition for this unusual mechanism of spinal cord injury.
Zusammenfassung
Ein Fall einer traumatischen Halsrückenmarkverletzung bei einem Mann mit kongenitalen craniocervikalen Fehlbildungen wird beschrieben. Die Autopsie zeigte Zeichen der Hyperextension des Halses infolge eines Frontalanpralls, eine angeborene Occipitalisation des Atlas, begleitet von einer basalen Invagination des Dens und einer atlanto-axialen Diastase. Die nachfolgende Einengung des Spinalkanals führte zu einer Prädisposition für diesen ungwöhnlichen Mechanismus einer Verletzung des Rückenmarks.
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Aragaki, Y., Takatsu, A. & Shigeta, A. Unusual mechanism of lethal cervical spinal cord injury in a case of atlanto-axial diastasis. Int J Leg Med 106, 41–43 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225023