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Cervical Spine Injuries: Detecting Clinical Significance

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CRITERIA for Determining Cervical Spine Injuries:

Ruling out a cervical spinal injury requires clinical judgement and training.

Cervical spine is determined to be stable if the following is present:

If the patient does not meet the above criteria then they require the following:

  1. A three view cervical x-ray series which includes the C7/T1 interface.
  2. In those with degenerative disease of the cervical spine, a plain film series is often inadequate to assess for injury. Plain radiographs, even when technically optimal, may fail to reveal significant injury.
  3. If there is clinical suspicion, a Computerized Tomography (CT Scan) may be needed to rule out a fracture, and flexion-extension radiographs or Magnetic Resonance Imaging to exclude a ligament injury.

References:

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