Anatomical and roentgenographic features of atlantooccipital instability

An anatomical study using six fresh, human cadaveric cervical spine specimens was performed. After the dissection of all soft tissue, flexion-extension radiographs were obtained to verify initial stability. A sagittal plane bone cut was then made, centered on the odontoid and sparing the alar ligaments, the tectorial membrane, and the atlantooccipital (AO) ligaments. Repeat flexion-extension radiographs and photographs were taken to document maintenance of stability of these hemisections. The occipital-atlantoaxial ligaments were then individually and sequentially incised, maintaining all other structures each time. After the sectioning of each ligament, flexion-extension radiographs and photographs were obtained to identify subsequent motion patterns. Both gross anatomical and roentgenographic examinations demonstrated the important stabilizing role of the tectorial membrane in flexion. Additionally, contact between the posterior arch of C1 and the occiput limited hyperextension as a secondary restraint once the tectorial membrane was sectioned. Furthermore, the AO ligaments proved to play an insignificant role in the preservation of AO stability through a flexion-extension arc of motion. Under normal circumstances, the AO articulation is not excessively stressed. However, acute AO injury, as well as the insidious failure of these ligaments, has been documented in several cases involving various pathologies. This study demonstrates a mechanism of instability and highlights the essential role of the tectorial membrane in maintaining upper cervical spine stability.