Pediatric Jefferson Fracture

Etiology: trauma
Imaging: fracture through the anterior and posterior arches of C1 resulting on the open mouth odontoid view that the C1 vertebral body has a wider diameter than C2 vertebral body

Radiology Cases of Jefferson Fracture

CT of fracture of C1 vertebral body / Jefferson fracture — Axial CT without contrast of the cervical spine shows lucencies through the left anterior and posterior arches of the C1 vertebral body with minimal displacement of the fracture fragments.

CT of fracture of C1 vertebral body / Jefferson fracture — Axial CT without contrast of the cervical spine (upper left) shows lucencies through the left anterior and posterior arches of the C1 vertebral body with displacement of the fracture fragments. Coronal 2-D reconstruction (lower left) and the 3-D reconstruction (right) which simulates an open-mouth odontoid radiograph shows the lateral masses of the C1 vertebral body are now wider than the lateral masses of the C2 vertebral body.