A fatal iatrogenic right vertebral injury after transoral odontoidectomy and posterior cervical stabilization for a type II odontoid fracture

The authors present a singular case of an iatrogenic right vertebral artery injury, involving a 67 year-old man, who reported a type II odontoid fracture (Anderson and D'Alonzo Classification) and posterior atlantoaxial dislocation following a road traffic accident. A small injury involving the right vertebral artery occurred as a consequence of transoral odontoidectomy and posterior cervical stabilization. It was caused by bone spicules of spinal origin and their presence was confirmed by the histological section of the right vertebral artery at the level of C1–C2. The case confirms how iatrogenic vertebral artery injuries during cervical spine surgery may be potentially lethal, especially where complications arise some days after surgery.