Radiologic and clinical spectrum of occipital condyle fractures: retrospective review of 107 consecutive fractures in 95 patients.

OBJECTIVE. We proposed to characterize the radiologic spectrum of occipital condyle fractures in a large series of patients and to correlate fracture pathology with neurosurgical treatment and patient outcome.MATERIALS AND METHODS. We conducted a retrospective review of the findings on conventional radiography, CT, and MR imaging in 95 patients with 107 occipital condyle fractures. We described fracture patterns according to two previously published classification systems. Clinical findings, neurosurgical management, and patient outcome were obtained from the medical records.RESULTS. Inferomedial avulsions (Anderson and Montesano type III) were the most common type of occipital condyle fracture, constituting 80 (75%) of 107 overall fractures. Unilateral occipital condyle fractures were found in 73 (77%) of 95 patients, and 58 patients were treated nonoperatively; occipitocervical fusion was required in nine patients for complex C1-C2 injuries, and six patients died. Bilateral occipital condyle fractures o...