Congenital anomaly of the cervical spine: fusion of the occiput, atlas, and odontoid process. A case report.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Search PubMed
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Nine cases of superior facet fractures of the axis vertebra are reported. In seven cases, there were associated odontoid fractures. These fractures can occur in a coronal or sagittal direction, shearing off the anterior or lateral plateau of the facet. In addition, the lateral mass of the atlas may sublux into the depressed facet fracture. The fracture complex should be well documented with conventional radiography and tomography. Computerized tomographic scanning has been found to be particularly helpful in diagnosing these fractures and other injuries about the axis or atlas. Patients with undisplaced or well-reduced facet fractures can be managed satisfactorily by conservative means, but surgery (posterior atlantoaxial fusion) should be considered for unreduced fractures in order to prevent long-term instability, nonunion, malunion, and degenerative arthritis.
OBJECT: The goal of this project was to measure vertebral dimensions at the craniocervical junction and to investigate degenerative changes in this region and their correlations with the anatomical data. These studies will assist in an understanding of biomechanical conditions in this region, which are clinically relevant in cases of cervicogenic headaches and vertigo. METHODS: The authors examined 30 cadaveric specimens obtained from patients ranging in age from 24 to 88 years at death. Measurements of angles of the vertebrae were conducted using an imprint method. Microsections of osseous endplates and articular cartilage were graded according to their degrees of degeneration by using the Petersson classification (0, no sign of degeneration; I, superficial degeneration with several fragmentations; II, deeper degeneration with cartilaginous disintegration and penetrating ulceration; or III, complete cartilaginous degeneration with the appearance of subchondral bone in > 50% of the articular surface). The authors found Grade I changes in 100% of the occiput specimens. In the superior articular cartilage of C-1 no changes (Grade 0) were found in two specimens, whereas 6% of the specimens exhibited Grade II changes and 89% exhibited Grade I changes. In the inferior articular cartilage of C-1, 57% of the specimens displayed Grade I changes, 14% Grade II, and 20% Grade III changes. In the superior articular cartilage of C-2, 62.5% of the specimens displayed Grade I changes and 25% Grade II changes. At the occiput-C1 level the authors found a higher frequency of degeneration at the upper left articular surface of the atlas (Quadrants 1 and 3), and at the C1-2 level they found a higher frequency of degeneration at the upper left and upper right articular surfaces of the axis (Quadrants 2 and 3, respectively). Using the McNemar test, the authors investigated the frequency of affection of single quadrants in a left-right side comparison (lateral reversal). Significant differences were identified for Quadrant 2 of the upper left articular surface of C-2 and Quadrant 3 of the upper right articular surface of C-2. These results correlate with the analysis of single articular surfaces of the axis, but contradict the results for the atlas, in which no significant difference in the left-right side comparison was found. CONCLUSIONS: Severe degeneration in the atlantooccipital joints appears to be a rare condition, with no Grade II or III degeneration found in the occipital condyles and 6% Grade I, 89% Grade II, but no Grade III changes in the superior articular cartilage of the atlas. Degeneration of the inferior articular cartilage of C-1 and the superior articular cartilage of C-2 indicates that the atlantoaxial joint faces more intense mechanical exposure, which is increased at the upper joint surfaces.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A three month old lamb suffering from locomotory disturbances was submitted to the clinic. It had a tilted head to the left and an atactic gait especially in the hind limbs. When it was forced to stop or to change direction it fell down. General condition and sensorium were apart from a reduced bathyaesthesia normal. By clinical and laboratory examination some possible causes of locomotion disturbances in lambs like copper deficiency, nutritive muscle dystrophy and meningitis could be ruled out. By X-ray examination an asymmetry of the os occipitale and atlas was diagnosed. They were not well distinguishable from each other. The second vertebra showed a rotation with angulation of its longitudinal axis to the left and a dorso-lateral subluxation. By myelography a narrowing of the vertebral canal between first and second vertebra could be shown. Because of the poor prognosis the animal was euthanised. The pathological examination confirmed and completed the X-ray findings.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
By integrating transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, and a self-established colorectal cancer (CRC) cohort, it was identified that synaptotagmin 8 (SYT8) is significantly up-regulated in tumors and is predictive of poor prognosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence experiments demonstrate that SYT8 expression is largely confined to tumor cells, predominantly in the nucleus. Functional assays reveal that depletion of SYT8 impairs, whereas its overexpression enhances, CRC cell proliferation and invasion. Transcriptomic profiling indicates an enrichment of cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition signatures. Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation/mass spectrometry identifies SET domain containing 1A (SETD1A) as a direct SYT8-interacting partner. The SYT8-SETD1A axis forms a positive-feedback loop that increases histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) levels and drives the transcription of protumorigenic genes. Immune profiling further indicates that high SYT8 expression correlates with increased regulatory T-cell infiltration, suggesting an immunosuppressive microenvironment and potential resistance to immunotherapy. Collectively, SYT8 promotes CRC progression through the SETD1A/H3K4me3-mediated activation of the cell cycle, induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and remodeling of the immune microenvironment. Therefore, SYT8 is established as a prognostic biomarker and serves as a therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
This paper describes a limited exposure for posterior C1-C2 arthrodesis aided by percutaneous transarticular fixation. The purpose of this study was to report the fusion rate using the aforementioned method. Fifty-seven patients (54 females and three males) with C1-C2 instability due to rheumatoid disease constituted the material of this study. The exposure was restricted to C0-C3 levels. The drilling and insertion of the screws was done through two mini stab wounds. A special sleeve and screwdriver were developed to facilitate this step. An autogenous iliac bone graft was fixed between the decorticated posterior arch of the atlas and the lamina of the axis vertebra. The mean of the atlantodental interval decreased from 8.5 mm (SD 2.3 mm) to 2.6 mm (SD 0.6 mm) at the immediate postoperative periods and reached 2.7 mm (SD 0.7 mm) after a mean follow-up of 30.4 months (SD 5.6 months). Malposition of the screws was observed in two patients and warranted a second operation in one. Fusion was evident in 98% of the cases. Percutaneous insertion of the screws in posterior C1-C2 transarticular fixation reduces the size of the exposure and the surgical trauma to the cervical segments below the fixation.
We report on the development and differentiation of the somites with respect to vertebral column formation in avian and human embryos. The somites, which are made up of different compartments, establish a segmental pattern which becomes transferred to adjacent structures such as the peripheral nervous system and the vascular system. Each vertebra arises from three sclerotomic areas. The paired lateral ones give rise to the neural arches, the ribs and the pedicles of vertebrae, whereas the vertebral body and the intervening disc develop from the axially-located mesenchyme. The neural arches originate from the caudal half of one somite, whereas the vertebral body is made up of the adjacent parts of two somites. Interactions between notochord and axial mesenchyme are a prerequisite for the normal development of vertebral bodies and intervening discs. The neural arches form a frame for the neural tube and spinal ganglia. The boundary between head and vertebral column is located between the 5th and 6th somites. In the human embryo, proatlas, body of the atlas segment, and body of the axis fuse to form the axis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The width of the articular space of the lateral atlantoaxial joint was measured to evaluate normal range values and possible variations according to age and sex. The study was based on X-rays of the lateral atlantoaxial joint of 52 females (age range: 18-82 ys) and 50 males (age range: 20-82 ys). The radiograms were taken using a semiautomatic computerized morphometric system (Videoplan II, Image Analysis system-Kontron, Munich, Germany). The articular space width of the lateral atlantoaxial joint was measured on both sides, at the medial, lateral and median levels. The mean value at these levels, on both sides, was calculated. Regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationships between the width of the articular space at the three different levels and the patient's age and gender. No significant differences were found in the mean values of the articular space width at the three levels as regards gender. However, a significant inverse correlation was found between the articular space width and the patients' age in both males and females. Comparative analysis of regression lines showed that the slope of these lines was not significantly different when the sexes were compared. On the contrary, the intercept of the regression lines at the medial and median levels was significantly higher in the females than in the males; the contrary was encountered at the lateral level. This feature is probably due to the different types of inclination of the articular facets of the axis or of those of the atlas in the two sexes.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.