Vertebral injuries: detection and implications.

Vertebral injuries occur in a predictable and reproducible manner that is dependent upon the mechanism of injury. Each mechanism of injury leaves distinct imaging 'fingerprints' regardless of the location in the spine. This chapter will discuss four areas: the mechanisms of injury and their imaging 'fingerprints'; abnormalities of alignment and anatomy, bony integrity, cartilage or joint space, and soft tissues-the ABCS of injury; the imaging features that will indicate stability of the spine following injury; and the classification of spine injuries into two categories-'major' or 'minor'. The imaging features described in this chapter apply to both radiography as well as to computed tomography (CT). Although helical CT is being used more commonly for the evaluation of suspected cervical injuries, radiography of the entire spine remains the standard.