Question
Hi, I have just been in a halo for 3 and a half months, and am currently in a hard neck brace.  What i did was fracture my Occipital Condoyle, and im wondering the rehab on my neck muscles.

As of now im in this hard brace for a month.  How long would a person normally wear this for this type of injury?  So is the neck brace only for the rehab and strengthening back of my neck muscles, since the ct scan says my bone has healed?  Is my bone still extra vulnerable?

Is come sort of physical therapy on my neck reccommended? Is it neccesary? is it different in every case? how do you know?

Now i will obviously listen to everything my doctor says and take his advice, but i do enjoy second opinions.  Plus, hes a very matter of fact man, and cant get a lot out of him that he doesnt find relevent.

Ok, thanks again :)

Answer
Hi Justin,

If all you broke was the condoyle, then you have a stable fracture. The neck bones are not compromised, the boney protuberance off the back of your skull was cracked. This should heal relatively fast without complication. The muscle attachments at this site will remain quit sore for a few months but overall, things should progress nicely. The sooner you taper off the hard collar and initiate passive range of motion, the better. This slows atrophy and osteoarthritis from setting up. PT is necessary and the amount and type differs from case to case. I can say confidently that of Halo patients, you have the best type of injury, meaning the least risk and most favorable outcome. None the less, follow your physician抯 recommendations and you will be back to normal before you know it.


Good Luck!

Dr. Timothy Durnin