Don’t flexion-extension X-Rays show all ligamentous injuries?
We are taught in school that cervical flexion/extension x-rays were all we needed to rule out ligamentous injury. The truth is, these x-rays are taken during one arc of motion, at end points. This evaluates only 2 of the 22 major ligaments of the cervical spine. DMX allows us to evaluate all 22 major ligaments of the cervical spine with 2,700 x-ray images. The only two ligaments the flexion/extension x-rays may detect if patient positioning is proper, are the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments.
