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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
A Contusive Model of Unilateral Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Using the Infinite Horizon Impactor
Published on: July 24, 2012
[Cervical collars: a clinical and biomechanical study]
W Bruns1, G Von Salis-Soglio, W Plitz
1Orthopädische Klinik und Poliklinik am Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR.
Aim:
Cervical collars have been used for years in the non-operative and postoperative management of cervical spine problems. They offer considerable differences in design, stability, bearing comfort and costs. In the background of controversies about the indication and in view of the limited number of scientific publications on the topic we have conceived this paper as a biomechanical and clinical investigation.
Methods:
During the biomechanical investigations a defined load was exerted on 10 cervical collars of 4 producers. The clinical part was the measurement of the limitation of movement due to the 10 cervical collars in 30 healthy subjects aged 20 to 60 years.
Results:
The biomechanical investigations showed differences of stiffness which were obvious during axial load, sideward and backward bending and less obvious in forward bending. The clinical study in 30 subjects indicated, on the other hand, only small differences in the limitation of movement. Softer cervical collars were slightly better accepted in the subjective judgment.
Conclusion:
For the aimed limitation of movement, a minimum of stiffness is obviously necessary, which is common with every tested collar. Higher degrees of stiffness do not result in further limitation of movement but only in a reduction of bearing comfort.
