Lint: ao-spine-classification-of-upper-cervical-injuries

"The AO Spine classification of upper cervical injuries is a concise and comprehensive system for categorising the spectrum of traumatic bony and ligamentous injuries involving the occipital condyles, atlas (C1), or axis (C2)."

"The AO Spine upper cervical classification system is relatively new, having been described in 2018 and shown to have reproducibility in a pilot study published in 2020 ^1,2. Adoption is not yet widespread and at many institutions, injuries will still be described using more traditional terminology or site-specific classification systems. Nonetheless, the AO Spine classification highlights important unifying principles and uses terminology that is common with the more popular AO Spine classifications of injuries in the subaxial cervical and thoracolumbar spine. As such, familiarity with the system is worthwhile."

"The AO Spine upper cervical classification system is relatively new, having been described in 2018 and shown to have reproducibility in a pilot study published in 2020 ^1,2. Adoption is not yet widespread and at many institutions, injuries will still be described using more traditional terminology or site-specific classification systems. Nonetheless, the AO Spine classification highlights important unifying principles and uses terminology that is common with the more popular AO Spine classifications of injuries in the subaxial cervical and thoracolumbar spine. As such, familiarity with the system is worthwhile."

"The AO Spine upper cervical classification system is relatively new, having been described in 2018 and shown to have reproducibility in a pilot study published in 2020 ^1,2. Adoption is not yet widespread and at many institutions, injuries will still be described using more traditional terminology or site-specific classification systems. Nonetheless, the AO Spine classification highlights important unifying principles and uses terminology that is common with the more popular AO Spine classifications of injuries in the subaxial cervical and thoracolumbar spine. As such, familiarity with the system is worthwhile."

"Combining the site and injury type together indicates the primary injury. The nomenclature can either use the I/II/III site category or the actual name of the site ^1,3, although it seems inconsistent whether type B and C injuries are designated by the motion segment as in other AO Spine systems or by one level."

"IA (OC type A): occipital condyle fracture without craniocervical dissociation"

"IB (OC type B): nondisplaced occipital cervical joint complex (craniocervical junction) ligamentous injury (e.g. alar ligament, often requiring MRI for diagnosis)"

"IC (OC type C): occipital cervical joint complex (craniocervical junction) separation/displacement (atlantooccipital dislocation/subluxation)"

"NX: the patient cannot be examined"

"AO Spine classification systems"

"AO Spine subaxial cervical classification system"

"AO Spine thoracolumbar classification system"

"AO Spine sacral classification system"

"AO Spine Classification Calculator - Rad At Hand"

"Injury types (A, B, or C)"

"Neurological signs (N)"

"Modifiers (M)"

"IIIB (C2 type B): C2-3 tension band/ligamentous injury (e.g., intervertebral disc and posterior longitudinal ligament disruption resulting in angular instability)"

"e.g., fracture through the odontoid waist with significant displacement or angulation"

"e.g., midsubstance tear of the transverse atlantal ligament or significant displacement of the C1 lateral masses >6.9 mm in the coronal plane"

"e.g., vertebral artery dissection, pseudoaneurysm, transection, or arteriovenous fistula"

"Morphology"

"Sites"

"Injury types (A, B, or C)"

"Specific types"

"Neurological signs (N)"

"Modifiers (M)"

"External links"