Evaluating Need for Drainage in Intermuscular Posterior Atlantoaxial Fixation for Odontoid Fractures .
Evaluation of postoperative drainage necessity in posterior atlantoaxial fixation via intermuscular approach for odontoid fracture.
Sci Rep . 2025 Jan 2;15(1):482.One hundred eight patients with odontoid fractures were randomized to receive posterior atlantoaxial fixation via intermuscular approach either without drainage (n=40) or with drainage (n=68). The primary outcome was neck pain assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VASSNP). Secondary outcomes included ASIA grade, analgesic use, ecchymosis incidence, time to ambulation, paravertebral tissue edema, and bone fusion rates. Outcomes were assessed up to 6 months postoperatively. Overall, the results revealed no significant differences between groups across all outcomes, including analgesic consumption, edema, or bone fusion rates. These findings suggest that omitting a postoperative drainage tube in this setting is safe and does not compromise patient outcomes.
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