[Distortion of the cervical spine : Pathophysiology, diagnostics, treatment and assessment]

Distortion or whiplash trauma of the cervical spine is an injury pattern associated with motor vehicle collisions and typically occurs after rear impact collisions, but is not limited to this type of collision and accident. The vast majority of these injuries are low-grade injuries according to the Quebec Task Force (QTF) classification, whereby no objective morphological correlates can be determined in clinical and radiological examinations. The prognosis is predominantly favorable and the condition is self-limiting; however, care must be taken with respect to complex courses with chronic pain and the manifestation of neuropsychiatric complaints. Due to the mechanism of the accident this injury pattern is particularly frequent in accidents associated with third party liability insurance claims. The discrepancy between subjective complaints and the presence of objective findings is a particular challenge for the assessment by the medical expert.