Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift für alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen
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Review Case Reports
[Fixed rotatory subluxation of the atlanto-axial joint in polytrauma patients].
Traumatic atlanto-axial instabilities are rare entities in cervical spine injuries. There may be only subtle abnormal findings by plain radiographs, frequently resulting in a missed or delayed diagnosis. We report a polytraumatized patient with severe maxillofacial injuries, where preliminary radiological studies failed to verify rotatory instability of the atlanto-axial joint. A definite diagnosis was only established by further imaging studies, including CT scan reformations.