Delayed occurrence of C3 vertebra anterior subluxation diagnosed after surgery for epidural hematoma

A case of delayed occurrence of C3 vertebra anterior subluxation diagnosed 10 days after surgery for epidural hematoma is herein described. A 56-year-old man underwent surgery for right epidural hematoma. No spinal fracture was identified on the cervical–spinal computed tomography (CT) on arrival. The patient developed neck pain after the craniotomy, and cervical magnetic resonance imaging 5 days postoperatively revealed a disruption of the C3–C4 posterior ligament complex. The patient was conservatively treated with immobilization. Cervical CT 10 days postoperatively revealed C3 vertebra anterior subluxation. Posterior fixation surgery was performed 21 days after admission, and the postoperative course was uneventful. This case suggests that awareness of delayed occurrence of cervical dislocation after traumatic intracranial hemorrhage should be increased among neurosurgeons.