Congenital Absence of the Odontoid Process

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Congenital absence of the odontoid process has been reported in the literature only seven times since 1933. One of these reports was of 2 cases, so that a total of 8 cases have been recorded (1–3, 5–8). A ninth case is described in this paper. The odontoid process is ossified from three centers—two lateral centers, which soon merge, appearing in the fifth month, and one apical center, appearing from the second to fifth year. In the third or fourth year the odontoid process and the body of the axis co-ossify, the line of union being indicated frequently by a small disk of cartilage entirely surrounded by bone, which may persist to old age. The apical ossification center of the odontoid unites with the odontoid process proper at the twelfth year (4). Failure of development of the three centers is undoubtedly what occurs to produce congenital absence of the odontoid process. Case Report B. H., a 56-year-old male, complained of pain in the left trapezius muscle following head injury six weeks before hospital ...

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: