C DISLOCATIONS OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN
105
displaced forward. Skull traction and small support behind the 4th vertebra resulted in
reduction and very satisfactory re-alignment including fusion of the rejoined, initially
anterior piece with the adjacent 03 and
05
vertebrae. No change of the tetraplegia.
Fig. 52 showing a fracture-dislocation of C6 is an example of retro- or dorso-hyper-
flexion injury with backward displacement locking articular facets and disruption of the
intervertebral disc. A piece from the anterior part of the body was evulsed forwards and
upwards. The upward displacement of the chipped off piece demonstrates the inaccuracy
of the often wrongly used term 'tear-drop fracture'. Skull traction did not achieve a
completely anatomical reduction of the posterior margin of the body. The chipped off
FIG. 54.
