Cervical Spine Radiographs

Description: Radiology Cases in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Volume 5, Case 2 Tai-Chuen Lin, Medical Student Loren G. Yamamoto, MD, MPH
Most spinal cord injuries are attributed to trauma. Absence of radiographic findings does not exclude a spinal cord injury. A substantial portion of spinal cord injuries in children (25% to 50%) have no radiographic abnormalities--SCIWORA (spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormalities). Some patients with cervical spine injury may also have thoracolumbar lesions. In the younger child, injuries to the cervical spine often involve the upper three vertebrae.