Atlanto-occipital dislocation: a report of three patients and a review.

Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation is usually instantaneously fatal when it occurs. Survival is possible with minimal remaining neurologic deficits if diagnosed quickly and treated appropriately. The authors present three reports of patients who survived the incident, and they review the anatomy of the atlanto-occipital joint, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this traumatic injury.