Geriatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Description: In this University of Washington program, Jens R. Chapman, orthopaedic surgeon from the University of Washington Medical Center, Andrew T. Dailey, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Utah, and Randall Chesnut, professor of neurotrauma at the University of Washington School of Medicine, discuss the increasing prevalence of elderly patients who sustain complex fractures to their upper cervical spine from falls, fractures that can lead to high rates of morbidity and mortality. A number of treatment options for odontoid fractures with emphasis on nonoperative care are discussed, as well as recently developed surgical techniques. Recent biomechanical advances in instrumentation allow for more efficient applications in a wider range of patients.