Background: Sleep apnea is characterized by repetitive cessation of breathing during sleep. It may be attributed to obstructive, central, or mixed pathologies close to the upper airway resulting in a decreased diameter of the oropharyngeal tract.
Case description: A 36-year-old male with progressive cervicomedullary myelopathy/quadriparesis exhibited obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) attributed to an anteriorly displaced os odontoideum (OO). Atlantoaxial screw-rod stabilization resulted in improvement of both neurological function and OSA.
Conclusion: A symptomatic unstable OO may contribute to suboccipital pain, progressive quadriparesis, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, and OSA. Appropriate operative intervention utilizing atlantoaxial screw-rod stabilization may help to resolve these deficits.
Keywords: Cervical myelopathy; OS odontoideum; Obstructive sleep apnea.