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Evaluation of the Cervical Spine

Normal Views

C-Spine Evaluation

 

Fractures and Dislocations

Facet Dislocation - Subluxation

LINES OF LIFE:  There are 4 basic parallel lines to evaluate alignment that help determine c-spine injuries.

  1. Anterior vertebral body line

  2. Posterior vertebral bodyline

  3. Spinal Laminar line

  4. Posterior spinous process

Exception to #2 is in children, where there is often a physiological offset of 2 to 3mm of C2 on C3 or C3 on C4.

Note, in absence of disk disease, the distance between adjacent anterior and posterior vertebral body is uniform at all levels.  A gap at one level suggests ligamentous injury (e.g. anterior if gap is found anteriorly etc).  An abnormal fanning of the spinous processes would support posterior Ligamentous injury. 

It is important to evaluate the facets.  Since Lateral films are not usually positioned perfectly, there is often overlap of the left and right facets at each level. These should be fairly uniform in the absence of rotation. An abrupt change indicates an abnormal rotation.  

Further, the inferior articular surface of the facet should be in full contact with the more distal element’s Superior articular facet.  The absence of such full contact indicates a subluxed, perched, or locked facet. 

  • Inspect C1-C2 Area

  • Atlantodental distance

    • Adults:  <3mm

    • Children <5mm

  • No change with flexion/extension

Some Indications of C-Spine Instability:

  • Subluxation greater than 3.5mm. 

  • Angular deformity of more than 11 deg.

  • Compression fx more than 25% loss of vertebral body height

  • Narrowing of the disk space.

  • Widening of the interspinous distance

  • Facet joint widening

Note:  On AP view, the distance between spinous processes should not be more than 1.5X the distance of subjacent processes.

The posterior aspect of the dens to posterior arch of C1 should be more than 17mm. If not = neurological damage.

PEARLS

  • 20% of spinal fractures are multiple

  • 5% of spinal fractures are at discontinuous levels

  • Most spinal fractures occur in upper (C1-C2) or lower (C5-C7) regions

  • Spinal cord injury occurs

    • At time of trauma 85%

    • At a late complication 15%

  • Any signs/symptoms of cord injury require MRI, if available.

  • Get CT in patients with unexplained Prevertebral  soft tissue swelling, if available.


Lines of Life

 


This section written by:

LCDR Ron Boucher, MC, USN
LT Hugh McSwain, MC, USN

With some assistance from:

CDR Michael Puckett, MC, USN
ENS Robert Post, MC, USNR


 

 

Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited.
The listing of any non-Federal product in this CD is not an endorsement of the product itself, but simply an acknowledgement of the source. 

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Department of the Navy
2300 E Street NW
Washington, D.C
20372-5300

Operational Medicine
 Health Care in Military Settings
CAPT Michael John Hughey, MC, USNR
NAVMED P-5139
  January 1, 2001

United States Special Operations Command
7701 Tampa Point Blvd.
MacDill AFB, Florida
33621-5323

*This web version is provided by The Brookside Associates Medical Education Division.  It contains original contents from the official US Navy NAVMED P-5139, but has been reformatted for web access and includes advertising and links that were not present in the original version. This web version has not been approved by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or the Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates is a private organization, not affiliated with the United States Department of Defense.

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