Spinal Cord Transection in a Type II Odontoid Fracture From a Ground-Level Fall

Odontoid fractures typically occur as a result of trauma: high-velocity injuries like motor vehicle accidents in young people and falls for the elderly. Odontoid fractures are the most common cervical spine fractures in patients over 65, with type II being the most common. However, spinal cord transections are rare with these types of injuries, especially without significant fracture displacement, translation or evidence of ligamentous disruption on post-injury imaging. We report a case of a patient who sustained a spinal cord transection secondary to an acute type II odontoid fracture from a ground-level fall, without computed tomography radiographic evidence of cord disruption or impingement.