survey finds hospitals lagging behind on safety survey is first to include measures covering all 30 nqfendorsed safety practices protocols policies and procedures found lacking in many different areas survey questions designed to help hospitals focus on potential areas of improvement posttraumatic ligamentous instability of the atlantoaxial joint a comparison between the gallie and brooks fusions we reviewed 37 patients following a posterior spinal fusion for traumatic ligamentous instability of the atlantoaxial joint all patients were neurologically intact and the atlantodental interval ranged from 5 to 9 mm a gallie fusion was performed in 19 patients a brooks fusion in 16 patients and an occipitocervical fusion in two patients a somi brace was used postoperatively for 12 weeks bony fusion was obtained in 32 patients displacement occurred in 11 patients five of whom developed nonunion