Fact-sheet: Fracture of cervical spine
Updated on 09/17/2021 at 12:16 PM
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Definition
Forced extension, or extension following forced flexion, causes a distraction force at the anterior column and a compression force at the posterior column.
If this hyperextension force continues to develop, it will lead, after rupture of the anterior disco-ligamentous structures, to avulsion of the posterior longitudinal ligament, creating a severe extension sprain.
The frequency (2%) of these severe extension sprains is lower than that of flexion sprains (12%), but the instability is severe with significant neurological complications. This lesion is sometimes visible radiographically as an anterior gapping between the anterior margins of the vertebral bodies, which increases on dynamic hyperextension views
Classification
Anderson and Alonzo classification (1974) of C2 fractures:
- type 1: fracture of the tip
- type 2: fracture of the body located above the horizontal plane passing through the superior border of the superior articular processes of C2 = fracture of the odontoid neck in the De Mourgues and Fischer classification.
- type 3: fracture of the base located below the horizontal plane passing through the superior border of the superior articular processes of C2