Traumatic cervical spine injuries in a patient with pycnodysostosis.

Abstract

Pycnodysostosis is a rare hereditary disease, characterized by systemic bone sclerosis. Susceptibility to long bone fractures is characteristic, whereas vertebral fractures are extremely rare. We report a case of a 21-year-old man with a past history of pycnodysostosis and spontaneous leg fractures who was admitted in hospital for a neck pain after a banal fall. Radiological examination revealed C1-C2-C3 posterior arch fractures with a C3-C4 left articular fracture dislocation. A surgical stabilization was decided but refused by the patient. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first publication that reports pycnodysostosis with cervical spine traumatic staged injuries.