Technique and use of supine oblique views in acute cervical spine trauma

Abstract

Study objective: To determine whether the addition of the supine oblique view of the cervical spine can detect fractures or ligamentous injury not seen on the standard three-view examination.

Design: Radiographs of patients with documented cervical spine injury were reviewed retrospectively by three neuroradiologists. Patients were included in the study if the initial interpretation of the three-view series was normal and the abnormal supine oblique view enabled a correct diagnosis to be established.

Setting: The emergency department of a university-affiliated hospital with Level I trauma center status.

Type of participants: Eighty-three consecutive patients with documented cervical spine injury evaluated during a 20-month period.

Results: Eight patients demonstrated abnormality to best advantage on the supine oblique view. These included six fractures and two ligamentous injuries. Five patients had abnormalities confined to the supine oblique view, and the remaining three had subtle abnormalities on the cross-table lateral view.

Conclusion: The supine oblique view may detect fractures or ligamentous injury not identifiable on the standard three-view examination. We recommend the routine use of a five-view cervical spine series with the inclusion of 30-degree supine oblique views in the evaluation of acute cervical spine injury.