AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System

J.Sales-Llopis

Neurosurgery Service, Alicante University General Hospital, Alicante, Spain.

• Craniocervical Junction and Upper Cervical Spine Fractures: Historical Systems and Advancements with the AO Spine Classification
• The AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System (AO UCIC) - An Umbrella Review of Traumatic Axis Injuries Factors that May Affect Treatment Decision
• A Correlation Among the Most Classic Axis Injuries Classification and the New AO Upper Cervical Spine Classification System
• Validating the Hierarchical Nature of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Spine Injury Classification System
• Management of C2 fractures following multiple classifications, a narrative review
• Management of non-contiguous upper and lower cervical spine fractures
• Cervical Spine Injuries
• Are severity and location of facial trauma risk factors for cervical spine injuries? 10-year analysis based on the use of the AO spine injury classification and the comprehensive facial injury (CFI) score

see AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System

In the pediatric population. While moderate to substantial agreement was found, limitations to applying the Upper Cervical Injury Classification System to the pediatric population exist, and thus the UCCS can be considered a starting point for developing a pediatric classification ¹⁾

Early phase validation demonstrated classification of upper cervical spine injuries using the AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System to be accurate, reliable, and reproducible. Greater than 80% accuracy was detected for injury classification. The intraobserver reproducibility was excellent, while the interobserver reliability was substantial ²⁾

The AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System can be applied with high accuracy, interobserver reliability, and intraobserver reproducibility. However, lower classification accuracy and reliability were found in regions of Africa and Central/South America, especially for severe atlas injuries (IIB and IIC) and atypical hangman's type fractures (IIIB injuries) ³⁾.

A study reported an acceptable reproducibility of the new AO UCCS and safety in recommending the treatment. Further clinical studies with a larger patient sample, multicenter and international, are necessary to sustain the universal and homogeneity quality of the new AO UCCS ⁴⁾

AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System Type A.

AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System Type B.

AO Spine Upper Cervical Injury Classification System Type C.

see also Atlas fracture classification

see also Axis fracture classification,

AOSpine subaxial cervical spine injury classification system.

The AO classification according to Magerl et al. is used for the subaxial spine, whereas the upper cervical spine should be classified separately because the anatomy is different at each level ⁵⁾