Cervical Spine Trauma

Traumatic injuries to the cervical spine are often difficult to detect and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Along with standard trauma radiographs, a thorough physical examination and meticulous documentation are of the utmost importance because many neurologic injuries evolve over time. Although many injuries to the cervical spine can be treated nonoperatively, any injuries with neurologic deficits, instability, or ligamentous injury require instrumentation and fusion. It is crucial to recognize injuries to the cervical spine and the different treatment options. Computed tomography can be very helpful in defining the bony injury and evaluating the spinal canal, whereas magnetic resonance imaging can better evaluate the spinal cord and assess ligamentous injury. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 14(1):8–16, 2005)