Background:
Cervical spondyloptosis is usually caused by trauma, and correlated with significant neurological deficits that can include quadriplegia, respiratory disorders, vertebral artery injury, and death.
Case description:
A 34-year-old male presented with C2-C3 spondylolisthesis after a fall from a tree. Although he had no neurological deficits, CT and X-ray studies confirmed C2-C3 a spondyloptosis. He was treated with emergent anterior and posterior cervical reduction, decompression, and fixation, remaining neurologically intact in the postoperative period.
Conclusion:
Patients with C2-C3 spondyloptosis documented on X-ray/CT studies should be considered for circumferential decompression/fusion to preserve neurological function.