Cervical spine injuries

Cervical dislocation

Mechanism: Same as fracture

Signs: Neck tilted toward side of dislocation

Laceration

Means cut or slice

Cause by boney fragments or movement of one vertebra over another

Paralysis below point of injury

Hemorrhage

Caused by fractures, dislocations, sprains, strains

Irreparable damage in spinal cord-blood brain barrier interruption

Contusion

From compression on cord or nerve

Cord swelling

Temporary or permanent damage

Spinal Cord Shock

Mild cord contusion, symptoms go away after a while

From severe snap or twist of neck

Same signs as spinal cord injury

Cervical nerve stretch syndrome (“Burner stinger”, “pinched nerve”)

Severe forced lateral flexion

Numbness, burning tingling down arm

May have slipped disc