What is the mechanism of Jefferson fracture?

Mechanism. A typical mechanism of injury is diving headfirst into shallow water. Axial loading along the axis of the cervical spine results in the occipital condyles being driven into the lateral masses of C1.

What causes a Jefferson fracture?

The Jefferson fracture occurs most likely because of a diving accident (striking the bottom of the pool) with hyperextension of the cervical spine or may result from an axial load on the posterior side of the head. It may also result from an impact against the roof of a vehicle.

Is Jefferson fracture stable or unstable?

(B) Jefferson fracture caused by a vertical (axial) compression mechanism is unstable. This fracture of all aspects of the C1 ring is associated with possible disruption of the transverse ligament of the atlas.

Is Jefferson fracture a burst fracture?

Type I fractures are isolated to the anterior or posterior arch, a rare injury with intact transverse ligament. Type II injuries, also known as Jefferson fractures, are burst fractures with bilateral fractures of the anterior and posterior arch of C1.

Is a Jefferson fracture serious?

The most serious concern is damage to the spinal cord. If you’ve experienced a Jefferson fracture without any neurological problems, you should be able to achieve a full recovery.

What is a Type 2 Odontoid fracture?

A type II odontoid fracture is a break that occurs through a specific part of C2, the second bone in the neck. Bones of the spine are called vertebrae. The bone involved in odontoid fracture is the second vertebra, C2, high up in the neck.

How long does it take for a Jefferson fracture to heal?

If surgery is needed, recovery will likely take about 12 weeks. This is regardless of the type of surgery. If the fracture is minor, you may be able to get by with wearing a neck brace for six to eight weeks. A more serious case could require surgery and then a couple of months in traction.

Is type 2 Odontoid fracture unstable?

A type II odontoid fracture is inherently unstable, and a rigid cervical orthosis is not the ideal treatment for such an injury. In the elderly population, many are not surgical candidates (due to comorbidities or poor bone quality), and the elderly typically poorly tolerate a halo vest immobilization.

What is open fracture type I or II?

They categorized open injuries into the familiar three categories, based on wound size, level of contamination, and osseous injury, as follows: Type I = an open fracture with a wound less than 1 cm long and clean; Type II = an open fracture with a laceration greater than 1 cm long without extensive soft tissue damage.

What is Type 2 Odontoid fracture?

What are the different types of Jefferson fractures?

The 4 types are: Type-I: anterior arch fracture. Type-II: posterior arch fracture. Type-III: anterior and posterior arch double fracture. Type-IV: lateral mass fracture. The study says that the fractures result from an axial force on the vertebra at slow speed and at high speed.

Can a Jefferson fracture be treated with physical therapy?

Physical Therapy Management. Patients with a Jefferson fracture must be diagnosed for the injury with X-Rays films. There are patients with unstable Jefferson fractures and there are patients with stable fractures. Patients with an atlas fractures are most likely to undergo a surgical treatment.

How is Jefferson fracture related to spinal cord injury?

Axial loading along the axis of the cervical spine results in the occipital condyles being driven into the lateral masses of C1. The Jefferson fracture is not normally associated with neurological deficit although spinal cord injury may occur if there is a retropulsed fragment.

What kind of fractures occur at slow speed?

The results show us that at slow speed 13 of 20 fractures where type-IV fractures. The results at high speed are Type-III fractures, burst fractures of 2 to 4 parts. Type-III fracture occurred in all 20 tested specimens. There conclusion is that the Type of atlas fracture depends on the speed of axial force impact.