[Muscle-tendon echography in acute cervical sprain traumas. Preliminary results]

Acute cervical sprain traumas can be divided into simple and severe, depending on the presence of organic lesions which can be documented by conventional radiologic techniques. Persistent painful symptomatology of the nape and the precise localization of pain, led us to suspect the presence of organic lesions due to tearing of the neck muscles in 94 patients who had suffered a simple cervical sprain. To demonstrate these post-traumatic lesions, the patients were subjected to US examinations of both the nape and the muscles at the base of the neck. In 13 cases (13.8%) muscular tearing lesions were demonstrated, which were characterized by hypoechoic lacunae (6 cases), by hyperechoic stripes (5 cases), and by muscular hernia (1 case); in 1 case, partial disconnection of a muscular insertion was demonstrated. Thus, we believe muscle-tendon US to be a valuable technique for both diagnostic and nosologic purposes, for the method allows simple cervical sprain to be discriminated from sprains which are complicated by organic muscular lesions. We suggest that the cervical sprain traumas where a muscular lesion due to tearing can be demonstrated be defined as "complex" traumas.