Cervical spine injuries

The spine - load-bearing column of the human body

Approximately 6,000 severe spinal injuries occur in Germany each year

Approximately 6,000 severe spinal injuries occur in Germany each year

The spine is the supporting column of the human body and transfers forces and loads from the head and trunk to the pelvis and legs. For it to perform this function, the spine is positioned almost centrally in the body and has powerful muscles covering it to the rear side. With its frontmost segments, the vertebral bodies, the spine is embedded in the soft tissue of the neck, as well as in the chest and abdominal cavities. The spinal cord runs through a bony canal formed from the vertebral bodies at the front and the vertebral arches at the back. This ends at about the level of the transition between the thoracic and lumbar spine and there passes into the network of nerves supplying the legs.

Frequency of injuries to the cervical spine

Only considerable traumatic impacts will cause a fractured spine in a person with a healthy bone structure or tears in the discs and ligaments located between the vertebral bodies. Not counting sprains and strains, approximately 6,000 severe spinal injuries occur in Germany each year. The comparatively small proportion of spinal injuries (0.5 - 1 % of all human injuries), contrasts to a certain extent with the significance of the injury and the consequences of the victim themselves.

Fractures/acute, traumatic instability of the cervical spine

As the structure connecting the head and trunk, the cervical spine has a particular functional significance. The cervical spine not only supports the head, but also carries all nerve tracts running from the head to the body, as well as the nerve tracts carrying signals from the body to the brain. Therefore, an injury to the cervical spine may not just affect the mobility and stability of the head and neck but may also cause direct damage to important nerve tracts. This may in turn have effects on the entire body. There are two transitional zones in the cervical spine area, the transition from the head to the upper cervical spine and the transition from the lower cervical spine to the thoracic spine. Injuries are more common in these regions because they represent a transition from a mobile segment of the spine to a more rigid spinal segment. In infants and the elderly in particular, injuries in the upper cervical spine area are more common.

The symptoms. What are the symptoms?

In the case of cervical spine injuries involving neural deficits, these deficits will initially be the most obvious symptoms. If conscious, victims will report a loss of sensation or an inability to move their arms and legs; these are clear indicators of the segment of the spine which has been affected by the injury.

If there are no neural deficits, the following symptoms will be reported in most cases:

  • Pain in the cervical spine and in the neck when inactive and/or during movement
  • A poorly positioned or tilted head
  • Patients feeling that they can no longer hold their head up on their own

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