Imaging appearance and clinical significance of the hyperextension injury at cervical spine / 中国矫形外科杂志

ABSTRACT

[Objective]To investigate imaginological evidences of hyperxtensive injury of cervical spine and to evaluate its use in clinics.[Method]Seventy-eight patients with hyperextension injury at cervical spine by different cause were estimated by radiograph、CT and MRI.Fifty-seven cases(73.1%) appeared with widen of soft tissue of anteriorspine,including focal type(17.5%) and diffused type(82.5%). Thirty-six cases showed avulsion fracture of anterior edge in the cervical spine. Sixty-three cases showed degeneration and developmental spinal stenosis,twenty-one cases appeared integral vertebral canal. No contrast CT scan showed osteophyte of thirty-seven cases and intervertebral discs degeneration and protrusion of twenty-one cases.Sixty-one cases(78.2%) with both disc and anterior-longitudinal-ligament injury showed by MRI,fifty-seven cases showed haematoma and oedema at the anterior of the vertebral body. Sixty-four cases accompanied with different spinal cord injury.[Result]Obvious imaging feature for hyperextension injury of cervical spine,including anterior longitudinal ligament,intervertebral disc and spinal cord were found.There exists good relationship between spinal cord injury and imaging appearance. Clinically it showed typical central syndrome,but mostly showed us neuron-functional disturbance of different degree.[Conclusion]Combining of imaginological apperarance including radiograph,CT,MRI can provide evidences for diagnosis of hyperextension and help to treat acute hyperextension cervical injury.