Cervical spine fractures
Updates to Article Attributes
Cervical spine fractures can occur secondary to exaggerated flexion or extension, or because of direct trauma or axial loading.
Epidemiology
Males are affected more commonly than females with the median age of injury being 56 years. Falls, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian accidents, cycling and diving are common causes of injury 6,7.
Pathology
The cervical spine is susceptible to injury because it is highly mobile with relatively small vertebral bodies and supports the head which is both heavy and acts as a lever. Fulcrum of movement is different in children than adults, C2/3 compared to C5/6, respectively; hence, in children, cervical fracturesC2 (~30%) and C7 (~20%) are more common in upper vertebrae.
There are also other anatomical differences of the cervical spine between children and adults which are worth bearing in mind while interpreting paediatric studies. These include more horizontal orientation of the facet joints in children, underdeveloped uncal joints, mild physiological anterior wedging of the vertebral bodies, and incomplete ossification of the odontoid processmost commonly fractured levels 7.
There are many types of cervical spine fracture, some of which are unstable; general indicators of instability include:
- more than one vertebral column involvement
- increased or reduced intervertebral disc space height
- increased interspinous distance
- facet joint widening
-
vertebral compression
greater than 25>25%
Associations
Some fracturesAssociated injuries are associated with present in ~67% of patients 7:
-
blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI)
such asespecially in high(C1-C3)cervical fractures, those associated with subluxation andof course, thosefractures involving the transverse foramen - rib and/or sternal fractures
- base of skull fractures
- facial fractures
Paediatric
The fulcrum of movement is different in children than adults, C2/3 compared to C5/6, respectively; hence, in children, cervical fractures are more common in upper vertebrae. There are also other anatomical differences of the cervical spine between children and adults which are worth bearing in mind while interpreting paediatric studies. These include more horizontal orientation of the facet joints in children, underdeveloped uncovertebral joints, mild physiological anterior wedging of the vertebral bodies, and incomplete ossification of the odontoid process.
Mechanism
The four major mechanisms are flexion, extension, rotational and shearing, each associated with certain fracture patterns 3,4:
- flexion: most common mechanism
- anterior atlantoaxial subluxation
- anterior subluxation (hyperflexion sprain)
- anterior wedge fracture
- clay-shoveler fracture
- flexion teardrop fracture
- bilateral facet dislocation
- hyperflexion fracture-dislocation
- lateral flexion
- unilateral occipital condyle fracture
- lateral mass C1 fracture
- flexion-rotation
- extension
- hangman fracture
- extension teardrop fracture
- posterior arch C1 fracture
- posterior atlantoaxial subluxation
- extension-rotation
- axial loading/compression
- burst fracture (with axial loading)
- Jefferson fracture
- complex injuries
-<p><strong>Cervical spine fractures</strong> can occur secondary to exaggerated flexion or extension, or because of direct trauma or axial loading.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>The <a href="/articles/cervical-spine">cervical spine</a> is susceptible to injury because it is highly mobile with relatively small <a href="/articles/vertebral-bodies">vertebral bodies</a> and supports the head which is both heavy and acts as a lever. Fulcrum of movement is different in children than adults, C2/3 compared to C5/6, respectively; hence, in children, cervical fractures are more common in upper vertebrae.</p><p>There are also other anatomical differences of the cervical spine between children and adults which are worth bearing in mind while interpreting paediatric studies. These include more horizontal orientation of the facet joints in children, underdeveloped uncal joints, mild physiological anterior wedging of the vertebral bodies, and incomplete ossification of the odontoid process.</p><p>There are many types of cervical spine fracture, some of which are unstable; general indicators of instability include:</p><ul>- +<p><strong>Cervical spine fractures</strong> can occur secondary to exaggerated flexion or extension, or because of direct trauma or axial loading.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Males are affected more commonly than females with the median age of injury being 56 years. Falls, motor vehicle collisions, pedestrian accidents, cycling and diving are common causes of injury <sup>6,7</sup>.</p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>The <a href="/articles/cervical-spine">cervical spine</a> is susceptible to injury because it is highly mobile with relatively small <a href="/articles/vertebral-bodies">vertebral bodies</a> and supports the head which is both heavy and acts as a lever. C2 (~30%) and C7 (~20%) are the most commonly fractured levels <sup>7</sup>.</p><p>There are many types of cervical spine fracture, some of which are unstable; general indicators of instability include:</p><ul>
-<a href="/articles/vertebral-compression">vertebral compression</a> greater than 25%</li>-</ul><p>Some fractures are associated with <a title="Blunt cerebrovascular injury" href="/articles/blunt-cerebrovascular-injury">blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI)</a> such as high (C1-C3) fractures, those associated with subluxation and of course, those fractures involving the transverse foramen.</p><h5>Mechanism</h5><p>The four major mechanisms are flexion, extension, rotational and shearing, each associated with certain fracture patterns <sup>3,4</sup>: </p><ul>- +<a href="/articles/vertebral-compression">vertebral compression</a> >25%</li>
- +</ul><h5>Associations</h5><p>Associated injuries are present in ~67% of patients <sup>7</sup>:</p><ul>
- +<li>
- +<a href="/articles/blunt-cerebrovascular-injury">blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI)</a> especially in high cervical fractures, those associated with subluxation and fractures involving the transverse foramen</li>
- +<li>
- +<a title="Rib fractures" href="/articles/rib-fractures">rib</a> and/or <a title="Sternal fractures" href="/articles/sternal-fracture">sternal fractures</a>
- +</li>
- +<li><a title="base of skull fractures" href="/articles/base-of-skull-fractures">base of skull fractures</a></li>
- +<li><a title="Facial fractures" href="/articles/facial-fractures">facial fractures</a></li>
- +</ul><h5>Paediatric</h5><p>The fulcrum of movement is different in children than adults, C2/3 compared to C5/6, respectively; hence, in children, cervical fractures are more common in upper vertebrae. There are also other anatomical differences of the cervical spine between children and adults which are worth bearing in mind while interpreting paediatric studies. These include more horizontal orientation of the facet joints in children, underdeveloped uncovertebral joints, mild physiological anterior wedging of the vertebral bodies, and incomplete ossification of the odontoid process.</p><h5>Mechanism</h5><p>The four major mechanisms are flexion, extension, rotational and shearing, each associated with certain fracture patterns <sup>3,4</sup>: </p><ul>
References changed:
- 6. Fredø HL, Rizvi SA, Lied B, Rønning P, Helseth E. The epidemiology of traumatic cervical spine fractures: a prospective population study from Norway. (2012) Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine. 20: 85. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/1757-7241-20-85">doi:10.1186/1757-7241-20-85</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23259662">Pubmed</a> <span class="ref_v4"></span>
- 7. Passias PG, Poorman GW, Segreto FA, Jalai CM, Horn SR, Bortz CA, Vasquez-Montes D, Diebo BG, Vira S, Bono OJ, De La Garza-Ramos R, Moon JY, Wang C, Hirsch BP, Zhou PL, Gerling M, Koller H, Lafage V. Traumatic Fractures of the Cervical Spine: Analysis of Changes in Incidence, Cause, Concurrent Injuries, and Complications Among 488,262 Patients from 2005 to 2013. (2018) World neurosurgery. 110: e427-e437. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2017.11.011">doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2017.11.011</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29138069">Pubmed</a> <span class="ref_v4"></span>