Unrecognised fractures and dislocations of the cervical spine

Failure to diagnose a fracture of the spine may lead to spinal cord damage due to incorrect handling of the patient. The three most common causes of failure to radiologically diagnose a fracture of the cervical spine after injury are: (1)inadequate demonstration of the entire cervical spine on the lateral view; (2) Failure to X-ray the cervical spine after head injury; (3) Incorrect interpretation of the radiological appearances. The relevant radiological features are discussed.