Traynelis classification of atlanto-occipital dislocations

Last revised by Calum Worsley ◉ on 31 Oct 2024

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Hacking C, Worsley C, Bell D, Traynelis classification of atlanto-occipital dislocations. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-86945

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-86945

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/86945?embed_domain=external.radpair.com%2527%255b0%255d

rID:

86945

Article created:

16 Feb 2021, Craig Hacking ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.

View Craig Hacking's current disclosures

Last revised:

31 Oct 2024, Calum Worsley ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Calum Worsley had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Calum Worsley's current disclosures

Revisions:

7 times, by 3 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Head & Neck, Musculoskeletal, Spine, Trauma

Sections:

Classifications

The Traynelis classification of atlanto-occipital dislocations describes injuries of the atlanto-occipital joint according to the displacement of the occipital condyles relative to the atlas:

type I: anterior displacement
type II: distraction (vertical displacement)
type III: posterior displacement

A limitation of this classification system is that rotatory or coronal malalignment are not taken into consideration.

Treatment and prognosis

Type I and III injuries are treated with longitudinal traction to reduce the dislocation followed by surgical fixation. Non-operative management including collar or halo immobilisation is used for certain patients but has a high rate of failure. Persistent traction is contraindicated due to the increased rate of neurological complications.