Nuclear bone scan: a diagnostic procedure in which a radioactive substance is injected into the body to measure activity in the bones.CT scans are more detailed than general X-rays. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. Computed tomography scan (CT scan): a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce detailed images of the body.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.X-rays: test that uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs on film.If a Type II Odontoid Fracture is suspected, the doctor may order the following diagnostic procedures:

The doctor will take a complete medical history and perform a complete physical examination. This makes them the most likely to require surgery. Type II fractures are considered the least stable of the odontoid fractures. In an unstable fracture, the bone is more likely to move out of its normal position and alignment. A stable fracture may “set” and heal itself. In a stable fracture, the bone does not move out of its normal anatomical position and alignment. Some fractures are considered stable, and some are unstable. In a Type III fracture, the bone is broken below the base of the peg. In a Type II fracture, the most common type, the peg is broken at its base. In a Type I odontoid fracture, just the tip of the bone is broken. In an odontoid fracture, that peg of bone is broken. The odontoid process sticks up from the front of C2 and fits into a groove in C1. It is about the size of the tip of a pinky finger. One of the unique features of this joint is a peg of bone called the odontoid process (sometimes called the dens). This is the joint that allows the head to rotate from side to side, bend forward and bend backward. The joint between C2 and the vertebra above, C1, has an outstanding range of motion. The bone involved in odontoid fracture is the second vertebra, C2, high up in the neck. Odontoid = A peg-like part of the second bone in the neckĪ type II odontoid fracture is a break that occurs through a specific part of C2, the second bone in the neck.īones of the spine are called vertebrae. a fracture through the base of the odontoid process severely compromises the stability of the upper cervical spine.

Odontoid processes