The cervical spine in fatal motor vehicle accidents
Leditschke, J.; Anderson, R.M.; Hare, W.S.
Clinical and Experimental Neurology 29: 263-271
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0196-6383 PMID: 1343868 Document Number: 404680
Of 100 fatal accident cases involving motor vehicles, 60 showed damage to the cervical spine, involving bony or disc damage in 31 and focal haemorrhages in another 29. In 8 cases, pre-autopsy radiology failed to detect lesions which were found by radiology and pathological examination of the post-autopsy specimen. Most of the lesions missed were at the C6-7 region. In some cases, the initial pathological examination 'missed' laterally placed fractures and small chip fractures. Narrow cervical canals in the elderly indicated advanced spondylosis.