[Physical and biomechanical aspects of cervical vertebrae dislocation syndrome]

In car-accidents forces and torquets influence the cervical vertebra by traction and torsion. Moreover, due to different acceleration of head and body the cervical spine has to absorb and transmit--very often--great additional impulses. These different physical effects might cause damages of the cervical spine, whereby the acceleration (i.e. speed change per time) of the car, its passengers and organs--respectively--gives more physical informations than "speed change" alone. Important technical details influencing the extent of the damage of cervical vertebra are--the kind of collision (frontal, lateral, stern),--presence of belts and/or air-bags and--position of sitting and geometry. Preferentially cervical vertebra is injured at the levels C0/2 and C4/5 in adults and C0/2 and C2/3 in children.

The documentation of physical details concerning the accident might be very important for the judgement of acute cervical spine injury as well as its prognosis, respectively.