rauma to the vertebral column is relatively uncommon in the pediatric patient population. It accounts for approximately 5% of all spinal cord and vertebral column injuries.1 In the patient with an immature spine (0-9 years) the majority of spinal injuries occur at the cervical (C) spine, especially between the occiput and C2.2,3 When diagnosed and managed properly, most of these injuries can be...

Cervical spine injuries such as subluxation and fracture dislocation have long been known to result in severe consequences, as well as the trauma management itself. The injury to the region has been identified as one of the major causes of death in Malaysian motorcyclists involved in road crashes, besides head and chest injuries (Pang, 1999). Despite this, cervical spine injury in motorcyclists...

Meristic variation is often limited in serially homologous systems with high internal differentiation and high developmental modularity. The mammalian neck, an extreme example, has a fixed (at seven) count of diversely specialized segments. Imposition of the mammalian cervical constraint has been tentatively linked to the origin of the diaphragm, which is muscularized by cells that migrate from...

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is one of the most commonly performed procedures in spine surgery proven effective in the treatment of various cervical pathologies [1-4]. Single level ACDF is generally a safe procedure with a very good outcome carrying minimal or no complications. However, although rarely encountered, complications can arise but are generally not a source of majo...

HYPOTHESIS Trauma patients with normal motor examination results and normal cervical spine helical computed tomographic (CT) scans with sagittal reconstructions do not have significant cervical spine injury. DESIGN Prospectively collected registry data. SETTING Level II community-based trauma center. PATIENTS All patients admitted to the trauma service from January 1, 1999, to December 31...

Neurologic injury is a rare but devastating complication of spinal surgery that can result in mild sensory to severe motor deficits. Surgeons increasingly use electrophysiological spinal cord function monitoring, including somatosensory- and motor-evoked potentials, intraoperatively to provide information about spinal cord function, aid in surgical decision making, improve outcomes, and reduce ...

We herein describe a 37-year-old man who developed cervical flexion myelopathy 11 years after suffering a cervical spinal cord injury. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging 11 years after the accident demonstrated atrophy and hyperintense lesions at the C6 and C7 levels in the cervical cord with an abnormal alignment of the vertebrae. In the neck flexion position, an anterior shift of the cervica...

A sprain/strain syndrome or "whiplash injury" is the most common cervical injury associated with rear-end impact motor vehicle accidents. This results in a complex injury, often associated with extensive soft tissue injury in the cervical spine. There is additional potential for long term alteration in neurologic, muscular, and skeletal function. Evaluation and treatment should follow standard ...

Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) can cause devastating neurological deficits, including impairment or loss of upper limb and hand function. A majority of the spinal cord injuries in humans occur at the cervical levels. Therefore, developing cervical injury models and developing relevant and sensitive behavioral tests is of great importance. Here we describe the use of a newly developed foreli...

Estimates of the incidence of injury to the cervical spine among patients suffering blunt trauma to the head vary widely, and have been reported to be as high as 20%. Since strict observation of cervical spine precautions may delay attempts to gain control of the airway in a patient with an intracranial injury, the risk involved needs more exact definition. In an attempt to quantify this risk, ...