Osteoplastic repair of the atlas.

Fractures of the atlas constitute 4% to 12% of all bony injuries of the cervical spine; most are treated successfully by a cervical orthosis. Nonunion may be associated with neck or scalp pain on movement and is treated conventionally by some form of craniocervical fusion, which restricts head movement. The authors describe a case in which direct repair of the bony ring with a titanium plate and screws allowed bone healing, relieved the symptoms and maintained a full range of neck movements. The titanium plate interfered little with postoperative MR and CT imaging.