Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Pseudofracture: An Acute Peripheral Tissue Trauma Model
Published on: April 18, 2011
Combined odontoid and jefferson fracture in a child: a case report
John M Mazur1, Eric A Loveless, R Jay Cummings
1Nemours Children's Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
Study Design:
A case of combined odontoid and Jefferson fracture is reported.
Objective:
To alert spine physicians to the rare combination of an odontoid and Jefferson fracture in a child.
Methods:
A 5-year old boy presented with neck pain and torticollis after falling on his head from a four-wheeler that had rolled over. A computed tomography scan confirmed a combined odontoid and Jefferson fracture.
Results:
The child was successfully treated nonsurgically with a hard cervical orthosis. At this writing, the child clinically is asymptomatic 2 years after the injury.
Discussion:
The fall on to the head caused the body weight to be transmitted to the atlas. The resulting force vector produced the classic Jefferson fracture of the atlas. As the atlas fracture spread with continued compressive and axial forces, tension was exerted on the alar ligaments (check ligaments), leading to the avulsion fracture of the odontoid.
Conclusions:
This is only the second reported case of a child with a combined Jefferson and odontoid fracture. This diagnosis should be considered in the evaluation of a child with neck pain and torticollis from a fall on the top of the head.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
01:12General Case of Eccentric Axial Loading
Consider a member subjected to equal and opposite forces that are applied along a line that does not coincide with the member's neutral axis. In unsymmetrical bending,...