Atlantooccipital Fusion: Prevalence and its Developmental and Clinical Correlation
Introduction: Atlantooccipital fusion or occipitalization of atlas or assimilation of atlas is a rare or uncommon abnormality recorded in anatomical, morphological and radiological studies. It is usually associated with reduction in dimensions of foramen magnum leading to acute or chronic neurov...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JCDR Research and Publications Private Limited
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jcdr.net/articles/PDF/9999/26183_CE[Ra]_F(Sh)_PF1(SY_SS)_PFA(P_SY).pdf |
| Summary: | Introduction: Atlantooccipital fusion or occipitalization of atlas
or assimilation of atlas is a rare or uncommon abnormality
recorded in anatomical, morphological and radiological
studies. It is usually associated with reduction in dimensions
of foramen magnum leading to acute or chronic neurovascular
compression and clinical manifestations of varying severity.
Though, atlantooccipital fusion is rare but it is important and
significant for the physicians and surgeons for their diagnostic
and therapeutic approach.
Aim: To know the prevalence of atlantooccipital fusion in
South Asian population predominantly in Central India and its
embryological and clinical correlation by reviewing literature
and earlier studies.
Materials and Methods: This study included careful examination
for the atlantooccipital fusion on total 192 human skulls of both
genders, available in the Department of Anatomy AIIMS Raipur,
Chhattisgarh, India, Department of Anatomy and Forensic
Medicine of Gandhi Medical Colledge, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh,
India and Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Medical College,
Raipur. Morphometric measurements of the abnormal skulls
were done, analysed and recorded. Observations and findings
of this study were correlated embryologically and clinically with
the results and claims of previous studies and literature, and
accordingly the conclusions were drawn.
Results: We found only two skulls with atlantooccipital fusion,
in overall study of 192 skulls. The first skull showed incomplete
atlantooccipital fusion on the left side with little right lateral
inclination and missing posterior tubercle/spinous process and
adjoining part of posterior arch of atlas, whereas the second
skull showed complete atlantooccipital fusion.
Conclusion: We conclude that the prevalence of atlantooccipital
fusion including complete and incomplete fusion was 1.04%,
which is higher than the proclaimed prevalence rate of 0.12%
to 0.72%, by the previous studies. In accordance with the
fact that the atlantooccipital fusion represents a synostosis
between the atlas and the occipital bone due to developmental
abnormal segmentation of cranial part of paraxial mesoderm
and abnormal fusion between segments of caudal occipital and
cranial cervical sclerotomes, we would like to thereby assert
that the fusion associated with the reduction in dimensions
of foramen magnum (reduction also seen in our study) is
definitely significant for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes to
clinicians. |
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| ISSN: | 2249-782X 0973-709X |