![]() ![]() Older individuals are more likely to have low-velocity mechanisms, with falls being the most common cause of cervical spine injury. Therefore, it is not surprising that the most common cervical spine injury seen in geriatric patients is an injury at C2, followed by injury at C1.Įlderly patients may have other pathologies increasing the risk of cervical spine injury, including ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cervical canal stenosis. It has also been noted that low-velocity mechanisms of injury (such as fall, as compared to motor vehicle crashes) are more likely to result in upper cervical spine injury than lower cervical spine injury, regardless of age. As the cervical spine ages, it is believed that degenerative changes result in decreased mobility in the lower cervical spine, making C1 to C2 the most mobile segment, and therefore, the most prone to injury. ![]() ![]() In the young cervical spine, the most mobile segment, and therefore the segment most prone to injury, is C4 to C7. Spinal injuries are considered unstable if both the anterior and the posterior column are disrupted at the same level. This makes the cervical spine prone to injury. The cervical column has considerable mobility, allowing flexion, extension, and rotation. The spinal column is made of 2 columns: (1) an anterior column comprising vertebral bodies, discs, the stabilizing anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments, and (2) a posterior column, composed of the pedicles, laminae, facets, spinous processes, and stabilizing ligamentum flavum, capsular ligaments, and nuchal ligament complex. The cervical spinal column is composed of seven stacked vertebrae with intervening intervertebral disks. ![]()
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