Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Craniocervical instability is more common in people with a connective tissue disease, including Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, [1] osteogenesis imperfecta, and rheumatoid arthritis. [2] It is frequently co-morbid with atlanto-axial joint instability, Chiari malformation , [ 3 ] or tethered spinal cord syndrome .
Atlantoaxial instability is a common asymptomatic finding in rheumatoid arthritis patients. [3] However, it can lead to cervical myelopathy . [ 4 ] Patients with atlantoaxial instability can experience neck pain and headaches in the back of the head (occipital headaches).
Atlanto-occipital dislocation, orthopedic decapitation, or internal decapitation describes ligamentous separation of the spinal column from the skull base. It is possible for a human to survive such an injury; however, 70% of cases result in immediate death .
Surgery may be used to fix the joint and any associated bone fractures. [1] Neck movement may be reduced long after this injury. [1] Such injuries may also lead to hypermobility, which may be diagnosed with radiographs. [2] This is especially true if traction is used during treatment. [2]
A widening of the atlanto-axial joint, as measured between the posterior surface of the anterior arch of atlas and the front of the odontoid process, indicates an injury to the transverse atlantal ligament. [6] Normally, this atlanto-dental distance is less than 2 mm, sometimes a maximum of 3 mm is accepted in men and 2.5 mm in women. [6]
Excessive laxity of the posterior transverse ligament can lead to atlantoaxial instability, a common complication in patients with Down Syndrome and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. Laxity has also been hypothesized as the cause of degenerative hypertrophy and mechanical atlantoaxial stress. [ 3 ]
Instability of the cervical spine can cause endangerment of patients and their neurological integrity. [28] Correction and decompression cervical spinal surgeries significantly increase quality of life and reduce symptoms. Post-surgery, 93 to 100 percent of patients report reduced cervicocranial syndrome symptoms such as neck pain. [29] [30]
Spinal manipulation is an intervention performed on synovial joints of the spine, including the z-joints, the atlanto-occipital, atlanto-axial, lumbosacral, sacroiliac, costotransverse and costovertebral joints. It is typically applied with therapeutic intent, most commonly for the treatment of low back pain. [1]