Prompt and accurate diagnosis of cervical spine injury is important to prevent the catastrophic results that can be caused by undetected lesions. Delayed or missed diagnosis of cervical spine injury occurs with an incidence of 5 to 20% according to previous studies. In this study, we report four cases of cervical instability without initial radiologic evidence. These cases demonstrate that dyna...

STUDY DESIGN A retrospective multicenter case-series study; case report and review of the literature. OBJECTIVE The anatomy and function of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) are well described; however, the consequences of SLN injury remain variable and poorly defined. The prevalence of SLN injury as a consequence of cervical spine surgery is difficult to discern as its clinical manifestatio...

Injuries to the spinal column are common and road traffic accidents are the commonest cause. Subaxial cervical spine (C3-C7) trauma encompasses a wide spectrum of osseous and ligamentous injuries, in addition to being frequently associated with neurological injury. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is routinely performed to evaluate acute cervical spine trauma, very often as first-line i...

Cervical spine injury occurs in 5-10% of cases of blunt polytrauma. A missed or delayed diagnosis of cervical spine injury may be associated with permanent neurological sequelae. However, there is no consensus about the ideal evaluation and management of the potentially injured cervical spine and, despite the publication of numerous clinical guidelines, this issue remains controversial. In addi...

STANDARDS A three-view cervical spine series (anteroposterior, lateral, and odontoid views) is recommended for radiographic evaluation of the cervical spine in patients who are symptomatic after traumatic injury. This should be supplemented with computed tomography (CT) to further define areas that are suspicious or not well visualized on the plain cervical x-rays. GUIDELINES There is insuffi...

We report on the anesthetic experience of a 38-week pregnant patient in labor with an upper cervical spinal cord injury after an unusual trauma. She was transferred from a district hospital to our medical center with acute quadriplegia and sensory loss. Plain cervical spine x-ray and computed tomographic scan showed a C2 odontoid (dens of axis) process type II fracture and atlantoaxial (C1-C2) ...

This study was undertaken to compare the myoelectric activity of the upper trapezius muscle before, during, and after intermittent, supine cervical traction. Twelve people with diagnosed disease or injury of the cervical spine served as subjects. Electromyographic recordings were taken from the upper trapezius muscle with bipolar surface electrodes. The subjects were treated with 20 minutes of ...

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review. OBJECTIVES To determine the frequency of stable and unstable cervical spine fractures after gunshot wounds to the head or neck; to identify potential risk factor(s) for an unstable versus stable cervical spine fracture. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Cervical spine fractures after gunshot wounds to the head and neck are common. Because of the nature of t...

STUDY OBJECTIVE We designed the Canadian C-Spine Rule for the clinical clearance of the cervical spine, without need for diagnostic imaging, in alert and stable trauma patients. Emergency physicians previously validated the Canadian C-Spine Rule in 8,283 patients. This study prospectively evaluates the performance characteristics, reliability, and clinical sensibility of the Canadian C-Spine Ru...