Os Odontoideum - Meaning and Interpretation in Connection with a Traumatic Incident

Traumatic spinal injuries in children are rare, on the other hand fractures in the dens area are only portrayed in the literature in very few cases. In this study we report the patient history, diagnosis and treatment of two patients, a 9-year-old boy and a 10.5-year-old girl. Both showed an acquired os odontoideum, displayed clear neurological symptoms and were surgically stabilised from the dorsal side. In both cases no previous history of traumatic injury could be ascertained. At 18 and 22 months post-operatively, respectively, the iliac crest bone graft and the wire loops were in the correct position. The patients were pain free. When assessing a child with vertebral trauma (os odontoideum), a detailed history and radiological investigations are essential to elicit pre-existing neck symptoms and exclude previous trauma.

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