An unusual reduction technique prior to surgical treatment for traumatic spondylolisthesis in the lower cervical spine

Traumatic spondylolisthesis in the lower cervical spine is rare and only a few cases have been reported. We present a 56-year-old man who had severe C6-C7 spondylolisthesis without major neurological complications, caused by a traffic accident. Plain CT images showed a pedicular fracture on the right side and a laminar fracture on the left side at C6, but magnetic resonance images revealed no spinal cord compression. Application of a halo brace and maintaining the neck in slight flexion without traction resulted in reduction of the spondylolisthesis to nearly normal alignment. Anterior fusion using an autogeneous bone graft and a plate was easily performed without loss of correction. We suggest that preoperative reduction using a halo brace in slight flexion without longitudinal skull traction is useful and effective for severe traumatic spondylolisthesis in the lower cervical spine.