Question
my dad suffered a c1 fracture in December 2009 he was first placed in a cast the a collar when it was removed he suffered serious pain and other complications the doctors here in Ireland  i suppose dismissed his claims and said maybe a fusion of the c1 and c2 would ease the complications pain numbness etc. we wanted a a second opinion so my dad travelled to new york and we have since found out that the bone has been set wrong and has been pushed outwards and it is very serious. could you help me to understand the seriousness of this? we are sick with worry  

Answer
Dear Tarah,  Sorry for my delay in getting back to you. I'm not a doctor, but I do know that when your dealing with possible spinal cord injuries especially in the Cervical vertebrae area your talking about possible Quadriplegia. And the higher the injury the worse the possible effects are. C1 being the highest level, C7 the lowest level. Since you did not mention anything about the spinal cord I'm assuming there isn't any damage to the spinal cord. I will keep good thoughts that your dad will get the care he needs in New York, and I'll pray for him to have a full recovery.
Sincerely, Ken