Cervical spine injuries from motor vehicle accidents

The objective of the study was to delineate the critical regions of the human cervical spine and determine the mechanisms of injury in motor vehicle accidents (MVA). The clinical data were gathered from patient records. Results indicated that while neck injuries in MVA are complex and can occur at any level of the cervical spine, the craniocervical junction (among fatalities) and the lower cervical spine (among survivors) were the most frequently injured. Among survivors with complete or incomplete quadriplegia, compression-flexion was the most common injury mechanism. However, rotation forces appeared to contribute to injury among nonparalyzing neck injuries.<>