MRI for Patients with Traumatic Cervical Spine Injury Without CT Abnormality

Among trauma patients with midline cervical tenderness, those with advanced degenerative disease on computed tomography were at highest risk for discoligamentous injuries, some of which required surgery.

Controversy exists regarding whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is indicated for patients with persistent midline cervical tenderness after blunt trauma but no injury identified on computed tomography (CT). In a prospective cross-sectional study at a single trauma center in Australia, researchers studied cervical spine injuries detected only on MRI in neurologically intact patients with midline C-spine tenderness and negative CT for acute injury. All patients underwent MRI per institutional protocol.

Of 741 patients, 76% were excluded for reasons including distracting injuries and prior spine surgery. Of 178 patients included in the study, 78 (44%) had discoligamentous injuries that were detected by MRI but not by CT. Risk factors for …

Reviewing Author

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education

Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education