RESULTS OF CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF UNILATERAL CERVICAL-SPINE DISLOCATIONS

Unilateral cervical dislocations are less common and have fewer accomp anying neurological complications than bilateral dislocations. Being t herefore rated as ''less serious'', these injuries are often treated n on-operatively. A review of 292 patients presenting with acute spine i njuries revealed 32 cases of unilateral dislocation (11%). Analysis of their management showed that non-operative treatment was mostly unsat isfactory. Twenty-four of the 32 (75%) eventually required surgical co rrection. Surgery led to good results in all of these cases. We recomm end surgery as a method of choice for patients with unilateral cervica l dislocations.