Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 2012 , Vol 22 , Num 3
The Efficacy of 3D Imaging in the Diagnosis of Unilateral Locked Cervical Facets: A Case Report
Vaner KÖKSAL
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi, Nöroşirürji Anabilim Dalı, Rize, Türkiye A 35-year-old male patient presented to the Emergency Unit with pain originating from the posterior and left lateral aspects of the neck and extending over the left arm secondary to traffic accident. Although the cervical movements were painful, there was no limitation or prominent neurologic deficit. Despite application of an initial analgesic therapy, the radicular pain was observed to persist. The first radiographic examination revealed no suspicious entity. Persistence of the cervical pain which was unresponsive to the simple analgesics, required further imaging studies. Conventional axial sections of the computed tomography and magnetic resonance studies revealed an irregularity at the left facet joint at C6-C7 level. Our diagnosis was verified by the 3D images obtained with axial CT sections. In this report, we aimed to underscore the importance of findings of unilateral locked cervical facet on plain cervical films and conventional cervical CT images along with the benefit of 3D evaluation of cervical spine, in the prevention of permanent neurologic deficits that may arise in patients with cervical trauma. Anahtar Kelimeler : Cervical trauma, Locked facet, Unilateral locked facet, Spinal 3-dimensional radiographic imaging