Cervical spine injuries 1 What sports are associated with the highest risk of head and neck injuries? The organized sports with the highest risk of head and neck injuries are football, gymnastics, wrestling, and ice hockey. Football is associated with…
1 Describe the important anatomic features and functions of the sacrum. The sacrum is located at the junction between the pelvis and spinal column and functions as a keystone between the iliac crests. The sacrum is formed by the coalescence…
General 1 How does regional spinal anatomy influence the characteristics and distribution of thoracic and lumbar spine fractures? The thoracic and lumbar spinal fractures occur in three distinct anatomic regions: the thoracic (T1–T9), thoracolumbar (T10–L2), and low lumbar (L3–L5) regions.…
Injury classification 1 What are some criteria used to classify subaxial cervical spine injuries? Many different classification systems have been proposed for subaxial cervical spine injuries based on a range of criteria, including radiographic instability, mechanism of injury, and injury…
1 What are the major types of injuries involving the upper cervical (occiput–C2) region? The major types of injuries can be classified based on anatomic location as: 1. Occipitocervical articulation Occipital condyle fractures Craniocervical dissociation 2. Atlas (C1) and atlantoaxial…
1 Which of the following terms are currently favored to describe impairment or loss of motor and/or sensory function due to damage of neural elements within the spinal canal: (1) tetraplegia, (2) paraplegia, (3) quadriplegia, (4) quadriparesis, and/or (5) paraparesis?…
1 How many traumatic spinal column and spinal cord injuries occur in the united states each year? It is estimated that over 50,000 traumatic spinal column fractures occur per year in the United States. (1) According to the National Spinal…
1 What are the different types of spondylolisthesis and how are they classified? Spondylolisthesis refers to ventral displacement of the proximal spinal column in relation to the distal spinal column. The degree of slip is determined by measuring the amount…
General principles 1 What is the “cone of economy” concept? The concept of the “cone of economy” was introduced by Dr. Jean Dubousset and describes a cone-shaped region extending from the feet upward around the trunk. When the body’s center…
1 Define adult scoliosis and describe the prevalence and incidence of this condition. Adult scoliosis is a spinal deformity characterized by a Cobb angle in excess of 10° in the coronal plane that is present in a skeletally mature patient.…