Anterior Screw Fixation Versus Halo Immobilization of Type II Odontoid Fractures in Geriatric Patients With Increased Anesthesia Risk

The management of type II odontoid fractures in geriatric trauma victims remains a source of substantial controversy. The purpose of this study was to compare anterior screw fixation with halo-vest-immobilization in patients with type II odontoid fractures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients aged 65 years or older with an ASA (= American society of anesthesiologists) score of 2 or higher
• complete sets of collected data and a follow-up monitoring of at least five years

Exclusion Criteria:

• type III odontoid fractures
• patients with incomplete data sets
• patients with penetrating mechanism of injury or congenital cervical spine anomalies