High-resolution computed tomography in injuries to the cervical spine

Correct orthopedic therapy for traumas of the cervical rachis requires perfect knowledge of the spatial balance of the fracture focus. The authors believe Computed Tomography (CT) to be the most suitable, and often indispensable, method for this purpose. Twenty-four patients were examined for traumatic pathology of the cervical rachis. In 7 cases with clinically minor traumas, the negative outcome of the traditional exam was considered reliable and sufficient for therapeutic purposes. The extant 17 patients were examined also by means of CT, either to better determine the characteristics of skeletal lesions already ascertained with traditional techniques or to assess the presence of clinically-suspected osteo-articular lesions, even with negative conventional X-rays. For 9 of these patients orthopedic treatment was considered sufficient, whereas 8 patients underwent surgery and were subsequently examined with CT, which allowed correct evaluation of postoperative pictures even in the presence of metal prostheses. In 10 cases CT demonstrated the presence of lesions which had not been diagnosed with traditional X-ray techniques.