Pasciak M, Doniec J
Spine Department, District Orthopaedic Hospital, Piekary Slaskie, Poland.
Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 1993;112(5):226-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00451879.
Unilateral cervical dislocations are less common and have fewer accompanying neurological complications than bilateral dislocations. Being therefore rated as "less serious", these injuries are often treated non-operatively. A review of 292 patients presenting with acute spine injuries revealed 32 cases of unilateral dislocation (11%). Analysis of their management showed that non-operative treatment was mostly unsatisfactory. Twenty-four of the 32 (75%) eventually required surgical correction. Surgery led to good results in all of these cases. We recommend surgery as a method of choice for patients with unilateral cervical dislocations.
