Open AccessPrevertebral hematoma in cervical spine injury: incidence and etiologic significance
Author(s) -
L Penning
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
american journal of roentgenology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1546-3141
pISSN - 0361-803X
DOI - 10.2214/ajr.136.3.553
Subject(s) - medicine , cervical spine injury , incidence (geometry) , cervical spine , hematoma , cervical vertebrae , radiology , surgery , physics , optics
In a consecutive series of 30 hospitalized cervical injury patients, 18 proved to have widening of the prevertebral soft tissue space due to hematoma. The upper limit of normal width in 50 noninjury patients was used as a reference. Hematoma almost exclusively manifested at C1-C4 and proved to be closely related to fractures of anterior elements of the spine. Relatively small hematomas were encountered in odontoid fractures and compression fractures of vertebral bodies; relatively large hematoma in disruptive hyperextension injury. Large hematomas are explained by extensive anterior ligamentous damage with rupture of larger blood vessels. As a rule, most hematomas disappeared within 2 weeks after the injury.