Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017:2017:8321680.
doi: 10.1155/2017/8321680. Epub 2017 Jan 15.

C2 Fracture Subtypes, Incidence, and Treatment Allocation Change with Age: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 233 Consecutive Cases

Anna-Lena Robinson  1 , Anders Möller  2 , Yohan Robinson  3 , Claes Olerud  3
Affiliations

C2 Fracture Subtypes, Incidence, and Treatment Allocation Change with Age: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 233 Consecutive Cases

Anna-Lena Robinson et al. Biomed Res Int. 2017.

Abstract

The currently available data on the distribution of C2 fracture subtypes is sparse. This study was designed to identify the proportions of the second cervical vertebra (C2) fracture subtypes and to present age and gender specific incidences of subgroups. A dataset of all patients treated between 2002 and 2014 for C2 fractures was extracted from the regional hospital information system. C2 fractures were classified into odontoid fractures types 1, 2, and 3, Hangman's fractures types 1, 2, and 3, and atypical C2 fractures. 233 patients (female 51%, age 72 ± 19 years) were treated for a C2 fracture. Odontoid fractures were found in 183 patients, of which 2 were type 1, 127 type 2, and 54 type 3, while 26 of C2 fractures were Hangman's fractures and 24 were atypical C2 fractures. In the geriatric subgroup 89% of all C2 fractures were odontoid, of which 71% were type 2 and 29% type 3. There was an increasing incidence of odontoid fractures types 2 and 3 from 2002 to 2014. 40% of C2 fractures were treated surgically. This study presents reliable subset proportions of C2 fractures in a prospectively collected regional cohort. Knowledge of these proportions facilitates future epidemiological studies of C2 fractures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of C2 fractures divided into patients < 70 years and ≥70 years of age (%).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Age distribution of C2 fracture subtypes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Annual incidence of odontoid fractures (all types) in patients ≥ 70 years (dotted), divided into subgroups of odontoid fracture type 2 (orange) and type 3 (grey) during the years 2002 to 2014.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Proportion of patients with odontoid fracture type 2 treated surgically 2002–2014.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ryan M. D., Taylor T. K. F. Odontoid fractures in the elderly. Journal of Spinal Disorders. 1993;6(5):397–401. doi: 10.1097/00002517-199306050-00005. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Malik S. A., Murphy M., Connolly P., O'Byrne J. Evaluation of morbidity, mortality and outcome following cervical spine injuries in elderly patients. European Spine Journal. 2008;17(4):585–591. doi: 10.1007/s00586-008-0603-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Müller E. J., Wick M., Russe O., Muhr G. Management of odontoid fractures in the elderly. European Spine Journal. 1999;8(5):360–365. doi: 10.1007/s005860050188. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brolin K. Neck injuries among the elderly in Sweden. Injury Control and Safety Promotion. 2003;10(3):155–164. doi: 10.1076/icsp.10.3.155.14558. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pepin J. W., Bourne R. B., Hawkins R. J. Odontoid fractures, with special reference to the elderly patient. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 1985;193:178–183. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources