Unilateral facet dislocations and fracture-dislocations of the cervical spine: a review

Unilateral facet dislocations or fracture-dislocations of the cervical spine constitute an important subgroup of cervical spine injuries. According to the literature, the diagnosis of this entity is often missed and the treatment is controversial. On the basis of our patient review, we conclude that operative intervention appears superior to nonoperative treatment of these injuries. Nonoperative management is often fraught with inability to obtain and maintain anatomic reduction and, in addition, late pain and instability frequently ensue. Alternatively, operative intervention provides the greatest probability for achieving and maintaining anatomic reduction and appears to eliminate chances of late symptoms.