Doctors, such as Jens Chapman from the University of Washington, discuss the increasing prevalence of elderly patients who sustain complex fractures to their upper cervical spine from falls, fractures that can lead to high rates of morbidity and mortality. A number of treatment options for odontoid fractures with emphasis on nonoperative care are discussed, as well as recently developed surgical techniques. Recent biomechanical advances in instrumentation allow for more efficient applications in a wider range of patients. From the Series:The Aging Spine