What causes a cervical spinal cord injury?
Most cervical spinal cord injuries are the result of axial loading (force directed through the top of the head and through the spine) forcing the head into hyperflexion and/or rotation. This type of mechanism may result in a fracture of dislocation of one or more of the cervical vertebrae. A fracture of one or more of the cervical vertebrae does not necessarily result in a spinal cord injury unless the fracture or dislocation results in damage to the spinal cord. The spinal cord is housed deep inside the vertebrae in a protective space called the foramen. The spinal cord is protected by bone on all sides, followed by ligaments, and then muscles. In many neck injuries, the spinal cord is protected because it is housed safely within the foramen. However, if a force is great enough to fracture the surrounding bone of the vertebrae or dislocate one of the vertebrae; the spinal cord can suffer irreparable damage. The actual mechanism of spinal cord injury may be compression of the head and
