Transoral unilateral facetectomy in the management of unilateral anterior rotatory atlantoaxial fracture/dislocation: a case report.

An unusual case of unilateral anterior rotatory atlantoaxial fracture/dislocation with neurological deficit is presented. The injury could not be reduced by skeletal traction, but was successfully reduced by partial facetectomy at C-1, C-2 accomplished through a transoral exposure of the atlantoaxial region combined with labiomandibularglossotomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first instance of an injury of this type to be so managed. The details of the operative procedure are described, and the subject of rotatory atlantoaxial dislocation is reviewed.