Surgical management of craniocervical dissociation secondary to transclival fracture and bilateral occipital condyle disruption: illustrative case.

BACKGROUND

Severe craniocervical trauma often occurs as a consequence of high-velocity motor vehicle collisions. These patients frequently do not survive to hospital presentation, and when they do, they are often neurologically devastated. There is a paucity of literature available to inform surgical treatment options for patients based on injury morphology.

OBSERVATIONS

Here the authors describe the case of a young female patient with craniocervical dissociation after motor vehicle collision, but with preserved neurological function. This case illustrates a unique fracture pattern managed operatively with rigid internal fixation and excellent postoperative outcome.

LESSONS

In a subset of patients with severe craniocervical trauma, temporary surgical fixation offers effective internal bracing to facilitate fracture healing without long-term occipitocervical immobilization. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24847.