Causes

How do fractures of the cervical spine commonly happen?

The complexity of the bone shapes and the various different ways that the neck may be stressed means that there are a large number of fracture patterns. These patterns are recognized and classified by the doctors to help with the treatment plan. This level of detail is not needed here but the fractures will be grouped according to mechanism of injury.

One important concept to understand about spine fractures is the stability of the injury. A stable fracture is one in which the broken pieces are not likely to move further out of position. The deformity seen on the initial X-rays will likely remain after healing. The critical aspect of stability is that damage or further damage to nerves or the spinal cord is unlikely in a stable fracture.

An unstable fracture is more dangerous. An unstable fracture carries the risk that the bone fragments may shift further out of position. The alignment of an unstable fracture may actually get worse over time. This can cause spinal cord or spinal nerve injury.