The Importance of Motor Evoked Potential Findings in Acute-Subacute Odontoid Dislocations

Background: Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may give a functional assessment of corticospinal conduction. The aim of this study is to confirm the value of MEPs for the assessment of the dysfunction in spinal cord transmission in patients with clinically minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic and acute-subacute odontoid pathologies. Methods: We measured the MEPs of five cases with acute-subacute odontoid dislocations by using TMS. Demografic features, neurological examinations and neuroimaging findings of the patients have also been noted. Results: The CMCTs and MEP latencies after cortical stimulus of all patients with acute-subacute odontoid dislocation prolonged bilaterally. Additionally, MEP amplitudes were observed decreased in all cases. Conclusions: MEP is quite valuable to show involvement in clinically and radiologically silent cases. Our findings in acute-subacute cases without myelopathy showed us that the CMCTs were prolonged especially in the cases who had motor defisits but also in asymptomatic cases.