Cervical Spine Injury Research Paper

Cervical Spine Injuries are very serious, and should always be treated as a medical emergency. The most common mechanism of this injury, among many, is the axial compression of the vertebrae due to headfirst impact (Ivancic). This mechanism is most commonly seen in American football, but is also very common in rugby, hockey, diving accidents, wrestling, gymnastics, or equestrian sports. Since this injury is so common in American football, many safety requirements have been set into place. Officials have implemented the saying of “see what you hit,” which makes it nearly impossible for axial loading to occur, due to the curvature sustained in the neck (Skovrlj & Qureshi). This has also been made an illegal tackle in some forms of football, falling under the name of “spear tackling,” and calls for penalties. These precautions are all

An ambulance should be called the second this injury is suspected, and a professional physician is needed to correctly determine the plan of action. The physician on duty will then perform similar sensation tests, and employ the use of radiography, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), or Computed Tomography (CT). This is more technologically savvy than an x-ray, as you can see more parts of the body, to determine if everything is in place, other than just the bones. In the event of the diagnosis of this injury, the severity will play a major role. In most cases, surgical intervention is necessary. The cervical spine is so fragile, in itself and it’s surroundings, a physician may need to place things in their rightful locations, with the use of pins and other tools. Following surgery, or without, rehabilitation in the form of physical therapy and more is almost always needed. The use of walking modalities is sometimes needed as well, also depending on where the injury occurred and whether the internal spinal cord was damaged as a