Journal of spinal disorders
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Articular mass fracture-separation accounts for 9% of the fractures of the lower cervical spine. Neurologic complications are frequent and are usually radicular in nature. Unreduced, these fractures may cause persistent neck pain. ⋯ After placement of 33 screws in cadaver pedicles of the cervical spine, 10 had minor breakout of the cortex of the pedicle (only small parts of the threads were penetrating the cortex); none showed major violation of the pedicle wall. The most common direction of minor pedicle violation was lateral. Transpedicular screw fixation has been successfully used in three patients.