ABSTRACT
Radiographic assessment of the cervical spine should be performed in all patients who have suffered major trauma as part of a trauma series that includes: lateral radiograph cervical spine; frontal chest X-ray and Frontal radiograph of the pelvis. Cervical spine radiographs should be checked in a logical fashion for radiographic features that may indicate trauma. As well as diagnosing and classifying cervical spine injuries, it is important to decide whether the injury is stable or not. Assessment of plain films of the thoracic and lumbar spine following trauma is similar to that outlined for the cervical spine, with particular attention to the following factors: vertebral alignment; vertebral body height; disc space height and facet joint alignment. Computed tomography (CT) examination of the cervical spine may be performed at the same time as a head CT in the setting of major trauma or an unconscious patient. An initial radiographic examination of the lumbar spine is reasonable in these patients.
