Question
My wife was in a serious car accident on Monday she had a burst fracture to T4 and T5 they fused from T2 - T8 and did some grafting. She also had a minor fracture to C2 which they were going to leave heal on its own. After the T4-T5 surgery they re-reviewed the images and now say that she has stretched the ligaments/tendons from C1 to C0 and want to fuse from the base of her skull to C2 eliminating the ability to rotate her head. They have indicated that failure to do this could result in spinal cord damage due to jarring or sudden severe movement. A brace may help but will not prevent this. What is your opinion???

Answer
Carl,
Most surgeries are unnecessary although some of them are necessary.  From the sounds of it I would tell you to hold off on any further surgery and let me look at the pictures that they are looking at.  I will then be in a much better position to give you my best advice.  Stretched ligaments and tendons heal, they take about a year or two, but they heal.  So my first inclination is to re-align her spine and then leave it alone and let it heal properly over time, this would give her the best possible outcome.  Otherwise, if you let it heal and it is mis-aligned, she will continue to have trouble.  This could be great opportunity for her to strengthen her upper cervical spine before it heals, so that it heals correctly.  does that make sense?

Yours in Best Health,
Dr Arnone
St Louis, MO