Combined approach for a locked unilateral facet fracture-dislocation of the cervicothoracic junction


Published online: Dec 27 2008

Bernhard Schmidt-Rohlfing, Matthias Nossek, Matthias Knobe, Marco Das

From Aachen University Hospital, Germany

Abstract

The authors present the case of a 36-year-old patient who sustained a unilateral fracture-dislocation C7-T1 involving all three columns, given the lesion of the C7-T1 disc on MRI. In view of the fractured facet, closed reduction without anaesthesia was not attempted. First, open reduction and instrumentation were performed from posteriorly. In a second operation, anterior fusion C7-T1 was added, using a tricortical bone graft and instrumentation. The authors felt that this three-column lesion at the cervicothoracic junction necessitated combined posterior- anterior stabilisation.