A case of atlantoaxial dislocation associated with ipsilateral vertebral and carotid artery dissections: highlighting the injury biomechanics and management strategy.

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic cervical artery dissections carry significant morbidity and mortality among blunt trauma victims. The current paper illustrates a case with a young male who presented with atlantoaxial dislocation associated with ipsilateral carotid and vertebral artery dissections complicated by middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction.

CASE REPORT: We report a young male who presented to the emergency department with ipsilateral carotid and vertebral artery dissections complicated by middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke associated with atlantoaxial dislocation after jumping into the water from a height. A young patient presented to us 1 year after sustaining an injury. We did posterior C1/2 fusion using the technique described by Harms and Goel to treat his atlantoaxial dislocation. The patient tolerated the surgery well and was discharged on postoperative day 4.

CONCLUSIONS

We highlighted the complicated course of the simultaneously traumatic dissections of ipsilateral cervical arteries along with atlantoaxial dislocation, the biomechanics of this combination of injuries, and their management strategy.