Odontoid fractures in elderly population

<p>Mohammed Allfawareh</p>

Odontoid fractures in elderly population

Mohammed Allfawareh

King Fahad Medical City, Jordan

: J Nurs Patient Care

Abstract

Odontoid fracture treatment is well documented, but challenges remain in treating these fractures in elderly patients. Issues include identifying the optimal treatment for bony union, determining the stability of a nonunion, and understanding the long-term con¬sequences of nonunion. In elderly patients, the focus tends to shift to morbidity and mortality. In elderly patients with odontoid fractures, one should be prepared for a hospital course complicated by medical issues; early mortality rates are significant. These issues appear to exist regardless of the fracture treatment chosen; one must anticipate respiratory, swal¬lowing, balance, and cardiac problems. Management strategies should be individual¬ized to the patients; operative and nonoperative treatments remain viable options.