Question
My son, 40 years old, just spent the last 10 days walking around with a C1 fracture, 4 Xrays, two cat scans and they did not see that he had a C1 Fracture.  We are sickened and appalled at how this can happen.  Now he has a "Halo" screwed to his head.  The chances for healing are possible, but he cannot fall, or he could be dead or a paraplegic ....we left the hospital feeling not very educated at all.  He is strong but has always worked very hard, not lazy..how does one survive this kind of accident.  He was in a car accident on July 27th and it was only discovered after going back to the Emergency several times saying something is not right!  How do you care for someone wearing a halo? what is the most important?  How can we help him help himself heal?

Answer
Hi Denyse,

I took my friend flying in my plane with his halo. Many C1 fractures are missed early, that's why they are called occult fractures. It can take up to 3 days before hairline fractures to show up. The CT should have caught it though. If it was missed, it must be small so I doubt it made a difference. He can do normal activities, watch the screws at the skin for signs of redness or infection. Clean them with sterile gauze 3-4X/day with hydrogen peroxide. It will be off in 8 weeks or less, my friend became a pro on Nintendo with his halo playing video games. look at the bright side, he'll never get more sympathy in his life again.:)

He'll be fine, it will heal and with proper post removal care by a Chiropractor with ultrasound and manipulation, he won't have to worry about Osteoarthritis setting in.

Good Luck!

Dr. Timothy Durnin
drs.chiroweb.com