The patient was a 79-year-old man with a chief complaint of neck pain after a fall. Three days following the fall, the patient was seen in the emergency department, where computed tomography imaging of the head and radiographs of the cervical spine were completed. The patient was subsequently referred to a physical therapist. Due to concern for a possible undetected cervical spine fracture, the patient was immediately referred to his physician. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a type II fracture of the odontoid.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2011;41(12):981. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.0424

KEY WORDS: cervical spine, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, radiography