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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Morphological Sciences 2018; 35(01): 28-30
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1660486
Original Article
Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Atlanto-Occipital Synostosis in a Colombian Population Sample

J.E. Duque Parra
1   Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas Biológicas, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
2   Department of Basic Sciences, Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias para la Salud, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
,
J. Barco Ríos
2   Department of Basic Sciences, Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias para la Salud, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
,
J.F. García Aguirre
1   Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas Biológicas, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
2   Department of Basic Sciences, Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias para la Salud, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
3   Programa de Medicina, Universidad de Manizales, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

18 January 2017

07 February 2018

Publication Date:
14 June 2018 (online)

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Abstract

Introduction The Cervico-capital rotation process involves important joints with respect to the neurological field. Among these joints, the atlanto-occipital joint accounts for 40% of the total rotation process and its anatomical changes may affect the joint, i.e when the synostosis of both bones occurs. This anomaly has a reported incidence in the world population of 0.14% to 0.75%. To determine whether this incidence range also corresponds to the Colombian population, atlanto-occipital fusion in Colombian patients was studied.

Materials and Methods The presence of atlanto-occipital fusion was assessed in a random sample of 105 skulls of a Colombian population. Morphometric features were evaluated by using a Vernier caliper.

Results Out of the total sample two cases of atlanto-occipital fusion were identified. One of them exhibited a bilateral fusion between the anterior arch of the foramen magnum and the lateral masses of the atlas; the other one exhibited a left hemisynostosis that compromises the anterior arch foramen magnum and left lateral mass of atlas. The overall frequency of occurrence was 1.9%.

Conclusion A greater incidence of atlanto-occipital fusion was found in contrast to the range of world incidence reported in the literature.

Keywords

occipital bone - atlas - atlanto-occipital - synostosis
 

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