Chapter 30: The Neck and Spine

A patient involved in a high-speed road traffic accident has a severe lower limb injury. He is complaining of pain in the thoracic spine. Which initial spinal imaging is appropriate?

The AO and Denis classifications are commonly used to assess spinal stability. Both divide the spine into columns. How many columns are described

A 55-year-old man known to have ankylosing spondylitis tripped on the carpet. He is seen in the Emergency Department, where he complains of neck pain with numbness in the left arm. His cervical radiograph is reported as normal. Does he need any further imaging?

Fracture displacement in the spinal column commonly results in injury to neural tissue. At what spinal level is there the most space for the spinal cord?

A 21-year-old woman is seen in the Emergency Department having fallen from a horse. She has no power in her legs. She has normal power in her arms. Her blood pressure is low and she is bradycardic. What spinal level could her injury be?