title: [Cervical spine trauma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the emergency department 65 % of spinal injuries and 2-5 % of blunt force injuries involve the cervical spine. Of these injuries approximately 50 % involve C5 and/or C6 and 30 % involve C2. Older patients tend to have higher spinal injuries and younger patients tend to have lower injuries. The anatomical and development-related characteristics of the pediatric spine as well as degenerative and comorbid pathological changes of the spine in the elderly can make the radiological evaluation of spinal injuries difficult with respect to possible trauma sequelae in young and old patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two different North American studies have investigated clinical criteria to rule out cervical spine injuries with sufficient certainty and without using imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Imaging of cervical trauma should be performed when injuries cannot be clinically excluded according to evidence-based criteria. Degenerative changes and anatomical differences have to be taken into account in the evaluation of imaging of elderly and pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Kirrberger Straße, 66424, Homburg-Saar, Deutschland. Umut.Yilmaz@uniklinikum-saarland.de.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hellen
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000592:standards*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Blunt injuries; Fractures; Imaging; Spinal injuries; Trauma sequelae