Cervical Vertebrae - Clinical Significance

Clinical Significance

Injuries to the cervical spine are common at the level of the second cervical vertebrae, but neurological injury is uncommon.

If it does occur, however, it may cause death or profound disability, including paralysis of the arms, legs, and diaphragm, which leads to respiratory failure.

Common patterns of injury include the odontoid fracture and the hangman's fracture, both of which are often treated with immobilization in a cervical collar or Halo brace.

A common EMS practice is to immobilize a patient's cervical spine to prevent further damage during transport to Medical Aid. This practice has come under review recently as incidence rates of unstable spinal trauma can be as low as 2% in immobilized patients. Canadian studies have developed the Canadian C-Spine Rule (CCR) for physicians to decide who should receive radiological imaging.