A rare complete slip of a neck vertebra without nerve damage: a case report
C3-C4 spondyloptosis without neurological deficit: a case report
In simple words
A rare case report: a man's neck vertebra slipped completely forward over the one below after a fall, yet his nerves and spinal cord were unharmed.
What the study looked at
A single 35-year-old patient who fell from a height and had several fractures at the top of the neck with C3 slipped fully over C4.
What it found
Surgeons gently realigned the neck with traction and fused C3-C4 from the front. Two years later the bones had healed, he had normal nerve function and nearly full neck movement, and he was back at work.
Why it matters for patients
Even dramatic-looking injuries can sometimes be treated with a limited operation that preserves movement elsewhere in the neck. As a single case, it describes one outcome only.
Authors: Srivastava SK, Agrawal KM, Sharma AK, Agrawal MD, Bhosale SK, Renganathan SR · Spine J 2010;10(7):e16–e20