In a motor vehicle accident with hyperflexion and hyperextension, all cervical structures can be damaged except:

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Multiple Choice

In a motor vehicle accident with hyperflexion and hyperextension, all cervical structures can be damaged except:

In injuries from extreme neck bending, the damage tends to involve cervical structures. The atlas (C1) sits at the top of the spine and can be fractured or displaced in neck trauma; the C2 dens is the peg on which the atlas rotates and can also be fractured; the transverse ligament keeps that peg pressed against C1 and can be torn, leading to instability. The L4 disc, however, is in the lumbar region far below the neck and is not part of cervical anatomy. A cervical hyperflexion/hyperextension mechanism wouldn’t typically injure the L4 disc, making it the exception among the options.

In injuries from extreme neck bending, the damage tends to involve cervical structures. The atlas (C1) sits at the top of the spine and can be fractured or displaced in neck trauma; the C2 dens is the peg on which the atlas rotates and can also be fractured; the transverse ligament keeps that peg pressed against C1 and can be torn, leading to instability. The L4 disc, however, is in the lumbar region far below the neck and is not part of cervical anatomy. A cervical hyperflexion/hyperextension mechanism wouldn’t typically injure the L4 disc, making it the exception among the options.

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