Concomitant Atlanto-Occiptial Dislocation and Severe C6-C7 Distraction Spinal Cord Injury in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report

Introduction Pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI) is a rare but serious cause of morbidity and mortality in young children. While several methods and modalities have been described to treat pediatric SCI, few cases have been described in the literature, limiting the creation of treatment guidelines. Thus, the objective of this case study is to Describe a novel approach to an unstable cervical spine injury in a pediatric patient Methods This was a case study. Relevant information from the patients chart was reviewed and synthesized, and a literature review was undertaken. Results The patient underwent a successful reduction and fixation of atlanto-occiptal dislocation and C6-C7 distraction injury. While the atlanto-occipital dislocation was amenable to halo vest placement, the C6-C7 distraction injury required further bony fusion. This was done through using suture fixation to repair the posterior distraction and an anterior arthrodesis. The anterior arthrodesis was achieved through a posterior approach and used the existing C6-C7 diastasis to place anterior instrumentation. Conclusion The use of anterior-posterior fixation via posterior sutures and anterior arthrodesis is safe and effective at treating a lower spinal cord injury in the pediatric population.