Management of Fracture Separations of the Articular Mass Using Posterior Cervical Plating

Fracture separations of the articular mass are a specific group of unilateral facet fractures that must be considered separately because of their unique two-level instability. This fracture pattern involves a longitudinal fracture of the lamina and a fracture of the pedicle on the same side of the spine at the same level. It is characterized roentgenographically by horizontalization of the lateral mass, with a mean translation of 4.6 mm and a mean angulation of 6.9 degrees