[Sudden hearing loss and the cranio-cervical junction].

Morphological alterations of the craniocervical junction as basilar impressions, a ponticulus posterior, an atlas assimilation, an intervertebral narrowing and spondylosis deformans, were found radiologically in patients with sudden hearing loss. There were no radiological differences to a healthy population. No relationship could be established between static morphological changes of the craniocervical junction of the upper cervical spine and the sudden hearing loss. However, there was a statistically significant reduction of the mobility in the upper cervical spine in patients suffering from sudden hearing loss. Very high standard deviations in the atlanto-occipital and the atlanto-odontoid joints are interpreted as hyper- as well as hypomobile joints. These results indicate a possible correlation between sudden hearing loss and a functional pathology of the craniocervical junction.