• Rob Schuster, Kenneth Waxman, Barry Sanchez, Salvador Becerra, Richard Chung, Scott Conner, and Thomas Jones.
• Department of Surgery, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara, CA 93102, USA.
• Arch Surg Chicago. 2005 Aug 1;140(8):762-6.

HypothesisTrauma patients with normal motor examination results and normal cervical spine helical computed tomographic (CT) scans with sagittal reconstructions do not have significant cervical spine injury.DesignProspectively collected registry data.SettingLevel II community-based trauma center.PatientsAll patients admitted to the trauma service from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2003.Main Outcome MeasuresInjury detected by CT and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine. Neurologic examination and need for surgery were secondary outcomes.ResultsDuring the study period, 2854 trauma patients were admitted, of whom 91.2% had blunt trauma. Of these patients, 56.2% had a closed head injury. One hundred patients had cervical spine and/or spinal cord injuries. Eighty-five patients had a cervical spine injury diagnosed by CT. Fifteen patients had admission neurologic deficits not seen on CT, and 7 of these patients had non-bony abnormalities on MRI. Ninety-three patients had a normal admission motor examination result, a CT result negative for trauma, and persistent cervical spine pain, and were examined with MRI. All MRI examination results were negative for clinically significant injury. Seventeen patients had MRIs that showed degenerative disc disease, and 6 had spinal canal stenosis secondary to ossification. Twelve comatose patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score, <9), moving all 4 extremities on arrival, with normal CT results of the cervical spine, were examined with MRI. All of these MRI examination results were negative for injury. None of the patients experienced neurologic deterioration. No patient required operative management of spinal injury.ConclusionBlunt trauma patients with normal motor examination results and normal CT results of the cervical spine do not require further radiologic examination before clearing the cervical spine.

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