Failure of transodontoid screw fixation - Case report

Anterior odontoid screw fixation is being performed with increasing frequency and may currently he the treatment of choice for Type II and selected Type III odontoid fractures, because it is the only surgical fusion that preserves C1-2 motion. Typically patients are immobilized postoperatively in a simple cervical collar. The authors present a case of post-operative fracture of the anterior body Of the axis secondary to screw dislocation 5 weeks after single anterior odontoid screw osteosynthesis. Possible reasons for this rare complication and its implications for the technique are discussed.