Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society

The Korean Neurosurgical Society (대한신경외과학회)
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A Concomitant Occurrence of the Atlantoaxial Subluxation with Rare Vertebral Formation and Segmentation Defects

  • Choi, Man Kyu (Department of Neurosurgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Sung Bum (Department of Neurosurgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Jun Ho (Department of Neurosurgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2020.10.12
  • Accepted : 2021.01.27
  • Published : 2021.09.01
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Abstract

An atlantoaxial subluxation from the unstable Os odontoideum by the failure of proper integrations between the embryological somites might be a commonly reported pathology. However, its suspicious origin or paralleled occurrence with other congenital anomalies of vertebral body might be a relatively rare phenomenon. The authors present two cases, who simply presented with clinical signs of prolonged, intractable cervicalgia without any neurological deficits, revealed this rare feature of C1-2 subluxation from the unstable, orthotropic type of Os odontoideum that coincide with congenitally fused cervical vertebral bodies between C2-3. Surprisingly, in one case, when traced from the lower cervical down to the thoracic-lumbar levels during the preoperative work-up process, was also compromised with multi-level butterfly vertebrae formations. Presented cases highlight the association of various congenital vertebrae anomalies and the rationale to fuse only affected joints.

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References

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