What is a cervical spine injury?

Cervical spine injuries are the result of deformation to the cervical spinal column that can cause damage to the spinal cord. Injury to the C5 vertebrae and higher can be fatal because it may inhibit ventilation controlled by the central nervous system.

What is SCI diagnosis?

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is caused by a trauma to the cervical or thoracic spine, where the spinal cord is located. SCI can disrupt movement, sensation, and body organ function below the level of the injury.

What does C5 injury mean?

C5 injury. Person can raise his or her arms and bend elbows. Likely to have some or total paralysis of wrists, hands, trunk and legs. Can speak and use diaphragm, but breathing will be weakened.

What is the most common cervical spine injury?

Trauma is the most common cause of cervical injury, and this can include motor vehicle accidents, falls, penetrating or blunt trauma, sports-related or diving injuries. [4][5] Nontraumatic causes can include compression fractures from osteoporosis, arthritis, or cancer and inflammation of the spinal cord.

What are Nexus and C spine criteria?

Clears patients from cervical spine fracture clinically, without imaging. The NEXUS Criteria represent a well-validated clinical decision aid that can be used to safely rule out cervical spine injury in alert, stable trauma patients without the need to obtain radiographic images.

What does Nexus stand for spinal?

Abstract. The National Emergency X-ray Utilisation Study (NEXUS) criteria and the Canadian cervical spine rules are validated clinical decision-making tools used to facilitate selective cervical spine (C-spine) radiography.

What is the difference between Asia C and D?

Grade C: The impairment is incomplete. Motor function is preserved below the neurologic level, but more than half of the key muscles below the neurologic level have a muscle grade less than 3 (i.e., they are not strong enough to move against gravity). Grade D: The impairment is incomplete.

What is AIS grade of injury?

The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) is a five-grade scale used to identify the severity of a spinal cord injury: A = Complete: No sensory or motor function is preserved in the sacral segments S4–S5.

What is C3 C7?

C3-C7 Vertebrae At the back of the vertebral body are bony arches that project outward to form the facet joints and spinous processes. These bony elements naturally create a hollow opening in the center of the cervical spinal column—a canal that houses and protects the spinal cord.

What is C3 C4 C5-C6/C7 of the spine?

The C3,C4, and C5 vertebrae are part of the cervical spinal column. There are seven vertebral levels in total in this region, known as C1-C7. These vertebrae protect the spinal cord running through the cervical region of the spine, as well as provide support for the neck and head.

What are Nexus guidelines?

The NEXUS criteria state that a patient with suspected c-spine injury can be cleared providing the following:

• No posterior midline cervical spine tenderness is present.
• No evidence of intoxication is present.
• The patient has a normal level of alertness.
• No focal neurologic deficit is present.