J Korean Radiol Soc.  1983 Mar;19(1):191-200. 10.3348/jkrs.1983.19.1.191.

Radiological evaluation of the cervical spinal trauma

• Bae WK
• Koh BH
• Hahm CK
• Kim JJ

• KMID: 2463221
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1983.19.1.191

Abstract

Acute injuries of the cervical spine are the most common causes of severe diability following trauma, yet thediagnosis of these infuries are often delayed and the treatement, inadequate. Traumatic injuries of the cervicalspine are diagnosed by radiological examinations. And complete evaluations of bony structures and soft tissuechanges on conventional radiograms are very important for determining the therapeutic plans and prognoses of theinjuried patients. During the period of 5 years form June 1976 to May 1981, the radiological and clinicalevaluation had been made on 38 patients suffered from acute cervical spinal injuries which were confirmed by theradiological examinations. The resuls were as follows; 1. Age distribution of total 38 patients was broad rangingfrom 19 years to 72 years. 2. The most common cause of injury was graffic accident, next fall down, other accidentrespectively. 3. Levels of the cervical spinal injuries were as follows; Upper cervical spine in 15.8%, lowercervical spine in 84.2%, and the most common injuried level was C5. Most of the lower cervical spinal injurieswere located in the vertebral body and spinous process. 4. Anatomical sites of the cerical spinal injuries were asfollows; vertebral body in 55.3%, spnous process in 23.7%, neural arch in 15.8%, and locked facet in 18.4%, etc.5. Most of the patients with severe mental changes were injuried in upper cervical spine rather than lower. Andmost of the patients with quadriplegia or paraplegia were shown marked disrruption of spinal canal.

MeSH Terms

Age Distribution
Humans
Paraplegia
Prognosis
Quadriplegia
Spinal Canal
Spinal Injuries
Spine