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We describe non-operative management a rare traumatic clival fracture extending through the bilateral occipital condyles. Clinical History: A 26-year-old female who was involved in a high-speed motor vehicle crash presented to an outside facility with difficulty speaking. Subsequent CT of the cervical spine demonstrated a fracture of the clivus with extension through the bilateral occipital condyles. She was then transferred to our hospital for further management where complete trauma survey noted multiple other injuries including traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, spinal epidural hematoma, bilateral pneumothoraces, liver laceration, bilateral upper extremity injuries, and lumbosacral fractures. Additional spinal imaging was negative for any associated vascular or spinal cord injury. Given her young age, there was a strong interest to preserve craniocervical motion and the decision was made to treat her with non-operatively with halo placement. After 18 weeks of rigid fixation, follow up imaging demonstrated completely healed fractures and at twenty-one weeks post fixation she demonstrated preserved motion of the craniocervical junction. This is a review of the literature and case report regarding this rare entity and its management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Occipital spur is an abnormal bony outgrowth of the external occipital protuberance (EOP). We describe an interesting and previously unreported case of fracture of an occipital spur following trauma. Our 20-year-old male patient was treated in the emergency department (ED) and discharged home without complication. Neurosurgical consultation was obtained but is not requisite for these injuries. Greater awareness of this unique presentation may help to expedite future emergency department treatment., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present a rare fatal complication of an occipital condylar fracture. The patient was initially neurologically intact, but showed secondary clinical deterioration. Imaging revealed extensive extra-axial hemorrhage at the craniocervical junction and an acute obstructive hydrocephalus. MR imaging demonstrated a T2 hyperintens signal in both the lower brainstem and upper cervical spinal cord, likely caused by the extra-axial hemorrhage. As prognosis was estimated infaust, supportive treatment was discontinued and the patient died soon thereafter. This case report illustrates a rare, delayed complication and unexpected death in a patient having sustained an occipital condylar fracture.

Occipital condyle fractures and occipitalisation of the atlas are rare entities of the craniocervical junction. To the best of our knowledge, a patient presenting with a traumatic occipital condyle fracture and pre-existing occipitalisation of the atlas has not been previously reported. We report the case of a 79-year-old man presenting with an Anderson and Montesano type III fracture through a fused occipital condyle and lateral mass. This fracture was noted to extend into the transverse foramen and the C1-C2 joint space. The transverse ligament and ligamentum flavum were calcified but not disrupted and the atlantodental interval was within normal limits. The neurological examination was unremarkable with the exception of neck pain. The patient was treated conservatively and placed in a rigid cervical collar for 10 weeks with serial CT studies to monitor healing of the fracture. At 4 months of follow-up, the patient was pain free with nearly complete resolution of his occipital condyle fracture., (2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

Background: Occipital condyle fractures are rare injuries of the cranio-cervical junction seen more often in adults than in children. They are best diagnosed with CT of the cranio-cervical junction. Treatment depends on the morphology and stability of the fracture. The aim of the present paper was to present cases of occipital condyle fractures treated at our Department, review the literature, and stress the importance of MRI studies in the diagnostic work-up of these injuries., Material and Methods: Our retrospective study involved a group of 3 female patients (mean age was 16.3 years) with occipital condyle fractures diagnosed/treated at our Department. We assessed the cause and type of fracture, additional damage, available classification systems, treatment methods, outcomes and complications., Results: Mean follow-up period was 16 (10-22) months. We achieved good clinical outcomes (NDI scores) in all the patients. In one patient, a follow-up MRI scan revealed the presence of a clinically silent post-traumatic epidural meningeal cyst at the C2-C6 level, anterior to the spinal cord., Conclusions: CT of the cranio-cervical junction is the best method of diagnosing occipital condyle fractures. 2. The choice of an appropriate treatment method is decisively based on the assessment of the morphology and stability of the fracture in a CT/MRI scan rather than on the fracture type alone. 3. There is no noticeable difference between the usefulness of the classification system developed by Anderson and Montesano and that according to Tuli et al. 4. In our opinion, the system of occipital condyle fracture classification proposed in 2012 does not seem superior in everyday clinical practice. 5. The use of the halo-vest is a good method of treating unstable occipital condyle fractures. 6. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of cranio-cervical junction fractures make it possible for the fracture to heal without severe clinical sequelae.

Occipital condylar fractures (OCFs) are rare and difficult to diagnose. The routine use of computed tomography (CT) scan in traumatology has however now made their diagnosis easier, with an estimated frequency of 4 to 19% of craniospinal traumatized patients and 0.4 to 0.7% of all severe traumatized patients in emergencies. This paper describes a patient who was not diagnosed with OCF during his first hospitalization after a road accident. However, 15 days later a left sided hypoglossal nerve palsy occurred. In this case report, we underline that an examination of the cranial nerve is a quick and easy procedure to screen each head trauma patient for occipital foramen fractures. Also, careful attention must be paid to X-Rays, CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging of the craniocervical junction., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the incidence, management, and outcomes of occipital condyle fractures at a level 1 trauma center. Blunt trauma patients with occipital condyle fracture admitted to a level 1 trauma center over a 3-year period were identified. Prospective clinical and functional follow-up was undertaken, including further radiographic imaging. The incidence of occipital condyle fracture in patients presenting to our level 1 trauma center was 1.7/1,000 per year. Twenty-four patients were followed up at a mean of 27 months post-injury. There was one case of isolated occipital condyle fracture; all other patients had sustained additional orthopedic, cervical spine, and/or head injury. Seven (29%) patients sustained unilateral Type III avulsion fractures, none of which were isolated injuries. Traumatic brain injury was detected in 46% of study patients, and 42% had cervical spine injury. External halothoracic immobilization was used in 33% of cases. Fracture union with anatomical alignment occurred in 21 patients (88%). No patient had cranial nerve deficit at admission or follow-up. Three patients (12.5%) had moderate to severe neck pain/disability at follow-up, all of whom had sustained multiple injuries. Occipital condyle fractures most frequently occur in conjunction with additional injuries, particularly head and cervical spine injuries. Most cases can be managed successfully nonoperatively. Functional outcome is generally determined by pain and disability related to other injuries, rather than occipital fracture configuration.

Occipital condyle fractures are rarely reported in the Emergency Medicine literature. It is unclear whether these fractures are rare or under-diagnosed. Occipital condyle fractures are associated with high-energy blunt trauma with significant cranial-cervical torque or axial loading. We report a case of a female patient with an occipital condyle fracture. The patient only complained of shoulder pain, but was found to have high cervical spine tenderness, after a moderate-speed front-end motor vehicle collision. Initial cervical spine radiographs were non-diagnostic. Computed tomography of the cervical spine demonstrated a non-displaced occipital condyle fracture. Conservative management with a semi-rigid cervical collar was successful in treating this patient's fracture. A review of the literature covers the diagnosis, radiographic findings, and management of this fracture.

Fractures of the occipital condyle are rare. Their prompt diagnosis is crucial since there may be associated cranial nerve palsies and cervical spinal instability. The fracture is often not visible on a plain radiograph. We report the case of a 21-year-old man who sustained an occipital condylar fracture without any associated cranial nerve palsy or further injuries. We have also reviewed the literature on this type of injury, in order to assess the incidence, the mechanism and the association with head and cervical spinal injuries as well as classification systems, options for treatment and outcome.

Injuries to the upper cervical spine (C0-C2) play a major role in surgical treatment of traumatic sequelae in the entire cervical spine. Even though the number of such operations has increased in recent years, there are no clear treatment recommendations for most types of cervical spine injuries. In view of the wide range of injury types and the correspondingly large number of treatment options, this review focuses mainly on the following types of injuries: C0 fractures, occipital condyle fractures (OCF), atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD), atlas fractures, atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD), and axis fractures. Important aspects of the mechanisms of injury, clinical signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and treatment options are discussed. Special emphasis is placed on comparatively reviewing the different treatment options discussed in the literature. A summary in table form is presented at the end of each chapter for quick reference.

Occipital condyle fractures (OCFs) are uncommon and potentially fatal lesions. After the advent of CT, prompt diagnosis can be readily made and consequently better prognosis of these patients is expected. Early recognition of some types of OCF is imperative to avoid fatal results. We analyzed 121 cases of OCF (116 from the literature and five of our own). Rarely patients with a deficit of the lower cranial nerves make a complete recovery. However, quoad vitam prognosis of patients with "pure OCFs" remains good. Immobilization provides good recovery of most OCFs, but delay of treatment can lead to serious morbidity. We want to emphasize that not only an OCF with instability of O-C1-C2 can be a fatal injury unless prompt surgical intervention, but a displacement and migration of the fractured condylar fragment can also result in a fatal outcome. A high level of suspicion is fundamental for the early diagnosis of these fractures, so that when a posterior basal cranial or occipital squama fracture occurs, a CT study of the occipital condyles becomes imperative.

Injuries to the occipito-cervical junction are rare and not easily diagnosed on conventional radiographs. The authors report such a case where the diagnosis was delayed. The patient developed a significant retrophyarngeal haematoma resulting in acute respiratory distress and required emergency endotracheal intubation. The patient remained intubated for five days and received a tapered dose of intravenous dexamethazone to reduce swelling in the proximity of the airway. At six weeks the patient had developed a left hypoglossal nerve palsy that persisted at 12 months. Occipital condyle fractures and the difficulties of diagnosis are discussed. The importance of measuring pre-vertebral soft tissue swelling on lateral radiographs is emphasized. Computed tomography of the C0-C2 region should be performed to identify base of skull and upper cervical fractures.

Introduction: To report the incidence, treatment and outcome of occipital condyle fractures (OCFs) based on the experience of a single neurosurgical department over a period of two years., Material and Methods: From April 1999 to April 2001, ten cases of OCFs were identified in 110 cervical traumas observed over a period of two years. Patients were studied by cervical x-rays, high-resolution CT scan with a 1-2 mm slice of the cranio-cervical junction (CCJ) and MRI in selected cases to evaluate the integrity of supporting ligaments. According to the Anderson and Montesano classification, 5 cases of type III, 3 cases of type II and 2 cases of type I fractures were found. Dysfunction of lower cranial nerves was observed in 8 cases. Treatment was conservative in all cases., Results: At follow-up, ranging from 18 months to 2 years, fusion was obtained in all cases; 8 patients were neurologically intact, one patient presented a mild persistent dysphonia and another mild trapezius weakness., Conclusion: OCFs are actually not rare, rather they are often overlooked. In cases of high-energy trauma of the cervical spine, the diagnostic suspicion should be kept in mind.High-resolution CT scan with slice at 1-2 mm of the CCJ is the key radiological examination in the diagnosis of this lesion. Conservative treatment using a hard collar is sufficient to obtain sound fusion.

Occipital condyle fractures (OCF) are seldom described in children, with only 14 cases reported in the literature. We report the observation of a 13-year-old child in whom such a fracture was diagnosed. A review of the paediatric cases allowed us to identify the clinical features of OCF in children. The average age was found to be 10 years, and the causative traumatism was most often related to road traffic or sporting accidents with associated head injury. The level of consciousness was depressed in 67% of the cases, and in 53%, an injury to the cranial nerves, brain stem or high spinal cord was present. Neck pain with reduction of head mobility was reported in 27% of the cases. Treatment was generally conservative, i.e. a hard collar or halo vest for an average of 8 weeks. The course was favourable with respect to osseous consolidation, mobility and pain. On the other hand, the neurological deficits improved, but sequelae remained. Early diagnosis and treatment is mandatory since the secondary displacement of fractured fragments can injure the cranial nerves in a delayed fashion or even be fatal due to compression of the brain stem., (Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Occipital condyle fracture(OCF) is rarely seen and can be missed during medical evaluation due to the variety of clinical presentations and the difficulty to be visualized radiographically. This fracture can be associated with cranial nerves injuries (31%), being the hipoglossal nerve the most frequently involved (67%). We report a 58 years old female patient who presented with OCF, injury of lower cranial nerves and Jefferson's fracture. The patient was treated with cervical traction for six weeks followed by halo immobilization for three months. There was bone consolidation recovery of the nervous injury after this period. This report emphazises the importance of investigating the skull-cervical transition in all patients with cervical trauma. Although Jefferson's fracture is rarely associated with OCF, it should be remembered and treated appropriately when diagnosed.

The unique anatomy of the upper cervical spine and the typical mechanisms of injury yield a predictable variety of injury patterns. Traumatic ligamentous injuries of the atlanto-occipital joint and transverse atlantal ligament are relatively uncommon, have a poor prognosis for healing, and often respond best to surgical stabilization. Bony injuries, including occipital condyle fractures, atlas fractures, most odontoid fractures, and traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis, generally respond well to nonsurgical management. Controversy in management remains, however, especially with type II odontoid fractures.

Fracture of the occipital condyles is a rare pathology that can be easily undiagnosed. The bibliographic references on this theme are scarce and the majority are related to patients with palsy of the low cranial nerves and/or a high cervical subluxation with abnormal posture of the neck. The authors describe one case of the occipital condyle fracture without clinical manifestations other than persistent pain, and without alterations of the high cervical region. The patient was submitted to conservative treatment by means of a cervical collar due to the existence of minor symptoms. The clinical criteria that should lead to the study of this pathology are discussed, just as the use of a computerized tomography bone window as the fundamental instrument in its diagnosis and classification.

The purpose of this review article is to summarize the epidemiology, pertinent anatomy, mechanisms of injury, and classification systems of occipital condylar fractures (OCFs), as well as their clinical presentation and screening, the importance of computed tomography (CT) for detection, and current treatment options. The authors emphasize the rate of occurrence of OCFs, which may be detected in as many as 16% of patients with craniocervical injury. Clinical presentation is not specific, and OCF is not readily diagnosed at physical examination. Failure to diagnose may result in substantial morbidity, and thus accurate diagnosis is mandatory for both therapeutic and medicolegal implications. The diagnosis is most likely to be made with CT. Thin-section CT technique is the method of choice to evaluate the traumatized craniocervical junction. OCFs should be suspected in all patients sustaining high-energy blunt trauma to the head and/or upper cervical spine, resulting from axial loading, lateral bending and/or rotation, and/or direct blow. Besides a CT study assessing potential intracranial injuries, these patients require CT of the craniocervical junction. Radiologists should be aware of the types of OCFs and associated injuries.

Three patients are described who sustained injuries around the time of a collapse that led to out of hospital cardiac arrest. In this group of patients the importance of taking a complete medical history and recording the circumstances of the syncopal episode cannot be overemphasised. If cardiac output is successfully restored the possibility of occult traumatic injury must be considered in high risk patients.

The use of surgical treatment for depressed skull fractures that are located over major venous sinuses is a matter of controversy. However, if clinical and radiological findings of sinus obliteration and related intracranial hypertension are present, surgical decompression is indicated. The authors present the case of a 38-year-old man who had a depressed skull fracture overlying the posterior one-third portion of the superior sagittal sinus. The lesion was initially treated conservatively and the patient was readmitted 1 month later with signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension. The role of radiological investigation in the detection of venous sinus flow and indications for surgical treatment are discussed. If venous sinus flow obstruction is revealed in the presence of signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension, surgery is indicated as the first line of treatment.

Objective: Occipital condyle fractures (OCFs) are infrequently recognized. Three recent cases of OCF in our center prompted a review of the incidence, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this entity., Methods: A retrospective review of medical records and radiographic results was performed for 93 of 316 consecutive patients who were victims of trauma, who presented at the Toronto Hospital during a 13-month period, and who had undergone computed tomography of the occiput., Results: A review of the literature regarding OCF revealed that cranial nerve deficits occurred in 31% of the patients with OCFs; of those, the deficits were delayed in 38%. Three new cases of OCF, with neck pain but without cranial nerve deficits, have been reported. The cervical spine x-rays revealed nothing abnormal in 96% of the reported cases. In our retrospective review, asymptomatic OCF was revealed by computed tomography for 1 of the 93 patients., Conclusion: OCF is a diagnostic challenge. We suggest that computed tomographic scans of O-C2 be obtained in the following circumstances: presence of lower cranial nerve deficits, associated head injury or basal cranial fracture, or persistent severe neck pain despite normal radiographic results. We propose a new classification system for the management and treatment of OCF based on the stability of the O-C1-C2 joint complex reflected by the presence of displacement of the condyle, computed tomographic or radiographic evidence of O-C1-C2 instability, and magnetic resonance evidence of ligamentous injury. OCFs are divided into the following types: Type 1 (stable), undisplaced fracture; Type 2A (stable), displaced fracture with no ligamentous instability; and Type 2B (unstable), displaced fracture with ligamentous instability.

We report the case of a patient with occipital condyle fracture who was neurologically intact. The patient was treated conservatively with a neck collar, and the symptoms resolved in 3 months. This diagnosis can be suspected in high-velocity road traffic accidents, in a patient with neck pain, disproportionate torticollis, or lower cranial nerve symptoms. Skull radiography and cervical spine films can be normal. The diagnosis is best made by high-resolution computed tomographic (CT) scanning with sagittal and coronal reconstruction.

Study Objective: To delineate complications in patients with basilar skull fractures (BSFs) and normal neurologic findings, including computed tomography (CT) scans without intracranial injury, and to assess the need for hospitalization., Design: Retrospective chart review., Participants: All emergency department patients with the ED diagnosis or hospital discharge diagnosis of BSF. Patients were included if they had a clinical or radiographic diagnosis of BSF. A subgroup of patients ("simple BSF") with normal neurologic examination findings in the ED, Glasgow Coma Scale scores of 15, and cranial CT scans without intracranial pathology was specifically analyzed., Results: We included 239 patients in the study. One hundred fourteen patients (48%) were included in the "simple BSF" subgroup. In this subgroup, vomiting (6%) was the most common complication, meningitis (1%) the most serious. There were no cases of delayed intracranial hemorrhage, and no patient with "simple BSF" required surgery., Conclusion: Given the relatively low frequency of serious complications, our study suggests that some patients with BSFs may not require hospital admission.

Seventy-three patients were treated due to cranio-cerebral junction disorders between 1980 and 1993. All patients were categorized into three groups depending on the disorder type: congenital (38%), traumatic (47%), or neoplastic (15%). In every group character of the lesion, neurological symptoms and indications for surgical or conservative management were analyzed. The outcome was following: neurological status was improved in 24 cases, in 30 cases the condition was stabilized, progressed in 18 cases and 1 patient died.

The authors recently treated three cases involving fractures of the occipital condyle. First described by Bell in 1817, this lesion has proven to be very rare, with only 32 cases previously reported in the literature. Plain films often do not reveal any abnormality, making diagnosis difficult. High-resolution computed tomography has been demonstrated to be very sensitive in diagnosing this lesion. This fact was borne out in the authors' series. All of the authors' patients were managed either with a Philadelphia collar or with halo fixation, with excellent outcomes.

The term fracture of the occipital condyle is a misnomer and usually represents an extensive fracture of the posterior fossa skull base extending onto the squamous portion of the occipital bone and even further forward. These fractures should be suspected when the lower cranial nerves are affected after severe cranial trauma. Conservative management appears to be indicated.

Fracture of the occipital condyle is a rare problem. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion in a patient with a head injury and abnormalities of function of the lower cranial nerves. The diagnosis is best made by high resolution computed tomographic scanning with sagittal and coronal reconstructions. Although transoral and lateral surgical approaches for decompression and stabilization are possible, these are difficult and frought with danger. We report a case of occipital condyle fracture in which operation was deferred and spontaneous recovery occurred, as has happened in previous cases.

Contusion of the brain at the site of the injury and by the contrecoup mechanism as well as vascular dysfunction in the vertebrobasilar basin may occur in craniocerebral injury with fracture of the occipital bone. In view of this, it is necessary to analyse the neurological manifestations of the brain injury carefully, carry out radiography of the occipital bone, and rule out the presence of hematoma at the site of the injury and one of a contrecoup mechanism. Procaine hydrochloride block of points of the vertebral arteries in indicated because of the dysfunction in the vertebrobasilar basin.

In this paper we are reporting a retrospective study of patients under 18 years of age managed at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center from January 1979 through December 1987 with the diagnosis of basilar skull fracture. Sixty-two patients with basilar skull fractures were admitted during that 7 1/2 year period. The most common etiology was pedestrain versus vehicle accidents (42%), followed by falls (27%), vehicle accidents (23%), and being hit by an object (8%). The most common physical findings were hemotympanum (58%) and bleeding in the ear canals (47%). Thirty-four percent of the patients complained of hearing loss. Cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea was noted in 16 patients (26%), while only 1 patient had cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Facial nerve paralysis was present in 8 patients (13%). Vestibular symptoms were rare. Sixty-three percent of the patients had the diagnosis confirmed by radiography. The clinical presentation, complications, management and outcome of basilar skull fractures in the pediatric population are discussed.

The case of an 18 year old young man with an occipital condyle fracture following a motorcycle accident is reported. Guided by this observation and 10 additional case reports of the literature the mechanism of injury, symptoms and diagnostic procedures of this very rare fracture are discussed in detail.