Anatomical Variation of Dens Ankylosis in a 91-Year-Old Donor: A Case Report and Literature Review

2LT Justin Knapp; ENS Heather L MacEwen; 2LT Paige Mitchell; 2dLt Addison Stemmer; Gary Wind; Maria Ximena Leighton; Kerrie Lashley; Juan Jose Valenzuela-Fuenzalida; Guinevere Granite

doi:10.61797/ijcsav.v7i1.683

2LT Justin Knapp F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
ENS Heather L MacEwen F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA
2LT Paige Mitchell F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA
2dLt Addison Stemmer F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA
Gary Wind Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
Maria Ximena Leighton Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
Kerrie Lashley The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
Juan Jose Valenzuela-Fuenzalida Departamento de Morfología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago 8370146, Chile
Guinevere Granite Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3953-2250

DOI: https://doi.org/10.61797/ijcsav.v7i1.683

Keywords: Odontoid process, Craniovertebral junction, Ankylosis, Foramen magnum, Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

This case highlights a previously undescribed lesion at the craniovertebral junction characterized by ankylosis of the dens to the anterior arch of the atlas (C1) and the anterior rim of the foramen magnum. This fusion was identified during donor dissection as part of a medical school neuroanatomy curriculum. Results of a thorough literature review are reported, confirming the novelty of the lesion described herein. Although a limited clinical history from our donor was available, the lesion may have influenced neurologic symptomatology. This case underscores the ongoing significance of human donor dissection in both the evolving field of anatomy and biomedical education.