TY - JOUR
T1 - Subaxial cervical spine trauma
AU - Feuchtbaum, Eric
AU - Buchowski, Jacob
AU - Zebala, Lukas
N1 - Funding Information:
Lukas Zebala reports personal fees from K2M, personal fees from Ulrich Medical USA, personal fees from Broadwater, personal fees from K2M, non-financial support from Scoliosis Research Society, non-financial support from Depuy Synthes Spine, non-financial support from Medtronic, and non-financial support from Nuvasive, outside the submitted work.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
PY - 2016/12/1
Y1 - 2016/12/1
N2 - Subaxial cervical spine trauma is common and an often missed diagnosis. Accurate and efficient diagnosis and management is necessary to avoid devastating complications such as spinal cord injury. Several classification schemes have been devised to help categorize fractures of the subaxial spine and define treatment algorithms. The Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System (SLIC) is widely used and evaluates not only fracture morphology but also considers ligamentous injury and neurological status in surgical decision making. However, interobserver reliability is poor, which proves to be the defining pitfall of this tool. More modern classification systems have been developed, which aim to improve the interobserver reliability; however, further large-scale studies are needed for more definitive evaluation. Overall, treatment of subaxial cervical spine injuries should include a protocol with initial trauma evaluation, leading to expedient operative intervention if indicated. Surgical techniques include both anterior and posterior approaches to the cervical spine depending on fracture classification.
AB - Subaxial cervical spine trauma is common and an often missed diagnosis. Accurate and efficient diagnosis and management is necessary to avoid devastating complications such as spinal cord injury. Several classification schemes have been devised to help categorize fractures of the subaxial spine and define treatment algorithms. The Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System (SLIC) is widely used and evaluates not only fracture morphology but also considers ligamentous injury and neurological status in surgical decision making. However, interobserver reliability is poor, which proves to be the defining pitfall of this tool. More modern classification systems have been developed, which aim to improve the interobserver reliability; however, further large-scale studies are needed for more definitive evaluation. Overall, treatment of subaxial cervical spine injuries should include a protocol with initial trauma evaluation, leading to expedient operative intervention if indicated. Surgical techniques include both anterior and posterior approaches to the cervical spine depending on fracture classification.
KW - Classification system
KW - Fracture
KW - Ligamentous injury
KW - Subaxial cervical spine trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84995812861&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12178-016-9377-0
DO - 10.1007/s12178-016-9377-0
M3 - Review article
C2 - 27864669
AN - SCOPUS:84995812861
SN - 1935-973X
VL - 9
SP - 496
EP - 504
JO - Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine
JF - Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine
IS - 4
ER -