Dataset Information

Application of Normative Occipital Condyle-C1 Interval Measurements to Detect Atlanto-Occipital Injury in Children.

ABSTRACT:

Background and purpose

Prior studies have found that widening or asymmetry of the occipital condyle-C1 interval on CT is a sensitive and specific marker for atlanto-occipital dislocation. Previously reported abnormal occipital condyle-C1 interval values are not age-specific, possibly leading to false-positive findings in younger children, in whom this joint space is normally larger than that in adults. This study assesses the utility of applying age-specific normative occipital condyle-C1 interval ranges to documented cases of atlanto-occipital injury compared with previously reported abnormal cutoff values.

Materials and methods

Retrospective review of CT and MR imaging of 14 subjects with atlanto-occipital injury was performed, and occipital condyle-C1 interval measurements were made for each subject. Sensitivities and specificities of proposed occipital condyle-C1 interval cutoffs of 2 and 3 SDs above the mean and previously published occipital condyle-C1 interval cutoffs for atlanto-occipital injury were then calculated on the basis of occipital condyle-C1 interval measurements for each subject.

Results

An occipital condyle-C1 interval 2 SDs above the age-specific mean has a sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 89%-100%, depending on the age group. An occipital condyle-C1 interval 3 SDs above the age-specific mean has a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 95%-100%. A 4.0-mm occipital condyle-C1 interval has a sensitivity of 36% and a specificity of 100% in all age groups. A 2.5-mm occipital condyle-C1 interval has a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 18%-100%.

Conclusions

Occipital condyle-C1 interval widening cutoffs used to establish atlanto-occipital injury lack both sensitivity and specificity in children and young teenagers. MR imaging is necessary to establish a diagnosis of atlanto-occipital injury in children and young teenagers when the appropriate mechanism of injury is present.

SUBMITTER: Corcoran B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7960294 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Application of Normative Occipital Condyle-C1 Interval Measurements to Detect Atlanto-Occipital Injury in Children.

Corcoran B B Linscott L L LL Leach J L JL Vadivelu S S

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 20160107 5

<h4>Background and purpose</h4>Prior studies have found that widening or asymmetry of the occipital condyle-C1 interval on CT is a sensitive and specific marker for atlanto-occipital dislocation. Previously reported abnormal occipital condyle-C1 interval values are not age-specific, possibly leading to false-positive findings in younger children, in whom this joint space is normally larger than that in adults. This study assesses the utility of applying age-specific normative occipital condyle-C ...[more]

PMID: 26744446

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Project description:BackgroundTraumatic occipitocervical dislocations (OCDs) are rare and potentially devastating injuries, and delayed diagnosis and management is a well-known risk factor for poor outcomes in high energy trauma. Early surgical stabilization has been shown to improve outcomes and neurologic recovery in these patients. We present a case of incongruent atlanto-occipital (O-C1) joints found on post-operative computed tomography (CT) imaging following C1-C2 fusion. This patient was treated non-operatively in a cervical collar (C-collar) after traction testing revealed no dynamic instability.Case descriptionA 19-year-old male with history of obesity was involved in a high-speed motor vehicle collision (MVC). On arrival, he had elevated troponins but otherwise normal laboratory workup and electrocardiogram (EKG). He remained hypotensive throughout his initial presentation. A reliable neurologic exam could not be obtained due to the patient's intubated and sedated status, however, bulbocavernosus reflex was intact, reflexes were normal and the patient did not demonstrate evidence of spinal or neurogenic shock. CT of the full spine revealed distraction of the C1-C2 articulation without associated fracture, and without clear disruption or distraction of the O-C1 joint. He was taken to the operating room for C1-C2 posterior instrumentation and fusion. Post-operative cervical spine CT revealed further distraction and subluxation of the occipitocervical junction bilaterally, with condyle to C1 interval (CCI) of 4-mm bilaterally, a basion-dens interval (BDI) of 10 mm, and a Power's Ratio of 1.1. The patient was brought back urgently to the operating room for traction testing to rule out OCD. There was no distraction noted on dynamic traction testing, and the patient was treated non-operatively in a C-collar. At 12 weeks post-injury, the patient experienced no neck pain, and flexion/extension radiographs showed no evidence of subluxation or distraction at the O-C1 joints.ConclusionsIncongruity of the O-C1 joint may not be synonymous with instability as previously thought, and in cases of O-C1 incongruity with stable traction testing, non-operative treatment with external immobilization can be considered as a viable treatment option even in the polytraumatized patient.

Project description:BackgroundBody mass estimation is of paramount importance for paleobiological studies, as body size influences numerous other biological parameters. In mammals, body mass has been traditionally estimated using regression equations based on measurements of the dentition or limb bones, but for many species teeth are unreliable estimators of body mass and postcranial elements are unknown. This issue is exemplified in several groups of extinct mammals that have disproportionately large heads relative to their body size and for which postcranial remains are rare. In these taxa, previous authors have noted that the occiput is unusually small relative to the skull, suggesting that occiput dimensions may be a more accurate predictor of body mass.ResultsThe relationship between occipital condyle width (OCW) and body mass was tested using a large dataset (2127 specimens and 404 species) of mammals with associated in vivo body mass. OCW was found to be a strong predictor of body mass across therian mammals, with regression models of Mammalia as a whole producing error values (~ 31.1% error) comparable to within-order regression equations of other skeletal variables in previous studies. Some clades (e.g., monotremes, lagomorphs) exhibited specialized occiput morphology but followed the same allometric relationship as the majority of mammals. Compared to two traditional metrics of body mass estimation, skull length, and head-body length, OCW outperformed both in terms of model accuracy.ConclusionsOCW-based regression models provide an alternative method of estimating body mass to traditional craniodental and postcranial metrics and are highly accurate despite the broad taxonomic scope of the dataset. Because OCW accurately predicts body mass in most therian mammals, it can be used to estimate body mass in taxa with no close living analogues without concerns of insufficient phylogenetic bracketing or extrapolating beyond the bounds of the data. This, in turn, provides a robust method for estimating body mass in groups for which body mass estimation has previously been problematic (e.g., "creodonts" and other extinct Paleogene mammals).

Project description:IntroductionThe fibrous posterior atlanto-occipital membrane (PAOM) at the craniocervical junction is typically removed during decompression surgery for Chiari malformation type I (CM-I); however, its importance and ultrastructural architecture have not been investigated in children. We hypothesized that there are structural differences in the PAOM of patients with CM-I and those without.MethodsIn this prospective study, blinded pathological analysis was performed on PAOM specimens from children who had surgery for CM-I and children who had surgery for posterior fossa tumors (controls). Clinical and radiographic data were collected. Statistical analysis included comparisons between the CM-I and control cohorts and correlations with imaging measures.ResultsA total of 35 children (mean age at surgery 10.7 years; 94.3% white) with viable specimens for evaluation were enrolled: 24 with CM-I and 11 controls. There were no statistical demographic differences between the two cohorts. Four children had a family history of CM-I and five had a syndromic condition. The cohorts had similar measurements of tonsillar descent, syringomyelia, basion to C2, and condylar-to-C2 vertical axis (all p>0.05). The clival-axial angle was lower in patients with CM-I (138.1 vs. 149.3 degrees, p = 0.016). Morphologically, the PAOM demonstrated statistically higher proportions of disorganized architecture in patients with CM-I (75.0% vs. 36.4%, p = 0.012). There were no differences in PAOM fat, elastin, or collagen percentages overall and no differences in imaging or ultrastructural findings between male and female patients. Posterior fossa volume was lower in children with CM-I (163,234 mm3 vs. 218,305 mm3, p<0.001), a difference that persisted after normalizing for patient height (129.9 vs. 160.9, p = 0.028).ConclusionsIn patients with CM-I, the PAOM demonstrates disorganized architecture compared with that of control patients. This likely represents an anatomic adaptation in the presence of CM-I rather than a pathologic contribution.

Project description:Study Design Case series with surgical technical note. Objectives This article reports experiences and results of muscle-preserving temporary C0-C2 fixation for the treatment of atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD). Methods AOD is a rare injury caused by high-energy trauma, occurring in less than 1% of pediatric trauma patients. Recommended treatment is C0-C2 fusion which, however, will result in significant loss of mobility in the craniocervical junction (CCJ), especially C1-C2 rotation. An alternative approach, with the ability of preserving mobility in the C1-C2 segment, is a temporary fixation that allows the ligaments to heal, after which the implants can be removed to regain function in the CCJ joints. By using a muscle-preserving approach and navigation for the C2 screws, a relatively atraumatic fixation of the CCJ can be achieved with motion recovery after implant removal. Results We present two cases of AOD treated with temporary fixation. A 12-year-old boy involved in a frontal car collision, as a strapped back seat passenger, was treated with temporary C0-C2 fixation for 10 months. Follow-up at 11 months after implant removal included clinical evaluation, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and flexion-extension X-rays. He was free of symptoms at follow-up. The CCJ was radiographically stable and he had 45 degrees of C1-C2 rotation. A 7-year-old girl was hit by a car as she got off a bus. She was treated with temporary fixation for 4 months after which the implant was removed. Follow-up at 8 years included clinical evaluation and MRI in rotation. She was free of symptoms. The ligaments of the CCJ appeared normal and her C1-C2 rotation was 30 degrees. Conclusion C0-C2 fixation without fusion allows the CCJ ligaments to heal in pediatric AOD. By removing the implants after ligament healing, rotation in the C1-C2 segment can be regained without subsequent instability. Both our patients tolerated the treatment well and were free of symptoms at follow-up. By using minimally invasive muscle-preserving technique and navigation, temporary fixation of the CCJ can be achieved with minimal damage to the soft tissues allowing recovery of almost normal function after implant removal.

Dataset Information

Application of Normative Occipital Condyle-C1 Interval Measurements to Detect Atlanto-Occipital Injury in Children.

Background and purpose

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Application of Normative Occipital Condyle-C1 Interval Measurements to Detect Atlanto-Occipital Injury in Children.

Similar Datasets

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