General principles governing radiological examinations in cervical spine injuries

A review of the general principles governing radiological procedures in cases of acute trauma to the cervical spine, depending on the patient's clinical status, and on the location and nature of the injury. Various X-ray techniques are presented that can be used to attain better differentiation of the sequelae of spinal injury, along with a general assessment of the clinical value of certain other examinations, such as computer tomography and magnetic resonance, in terms of their suitability in cases of acute trauma to the cervical spine.