• AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jun 2000

    Radiography of cervical spine injury in children: are flexion-extension radiographs useful for acute trauma?

    • J R Dwek and C B Chung.
    • Children's Radiologic Institute, Children's Hospital of Columbus, OH 43205, USA.
    • AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2000 Jun 1;174(6):1617-9.

    ObjectiveWe assessed the role of cervical spine flexion-extension radiographs in the acute evaluation of pediatric trauma patients.Material And MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of all pediatric trauma patients who underwent static cervical spine radiography followed by flexion-extension radiography during a 22-month period. We reviewed the mechanism of injury, physical examination findings, and patient age, and tabulated the results of initial and follow-up imaging studies.ResultsTwo hundred forty seven children (age range, 1.6-18 years; mean age, 11.5 years) with a history of trauma underwent cervical spine radiography followed by flexion-extension radiography. Static cervical spine radiographs revealed normal findings in 224 patients (91%). Flexion-extension radiographs revealed normal findings for all patients with normal findings on cervical spine radiographs. Of 23 children (9%) with abnormal findings on static cervical spine radiographs, seven (30%) had congenital abnormalities visible on flexion-extension radiographs; 10 (43%) had traumatic injuries including fracture, subluxation, or soft-tissue swelling; two (9%) had instability; and six (26%) had questionable abnormalities that were noted on static cervical spine radiographs. In four patients (66%) with abnormal findings on static cervical spine radiographs, flexion-extension radiographs were helpful in ruling out abnormality.ConclusionIn children with a history of trauma and normal findings on static cervical spine radiographs, additional flexion-extension radiographs are of questionable use.

      Pubmed     Full text   Copy Citation  

      Add institutional full text...

    Notes

    hide…

What will the 'Medical Journal of You' look like?

Start your free 21 day trial now.

We guarantee your privacy. Your email address will not be shared.