AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Feb 1995
Vertebral artery injury after acute cervical spine trauma: rate of occurrence as detected by MR angiography and assessment of clinical consequences.
The purposes of this study were to assess prospectively the frequency of vertebral artery injuries after major acute cervical spine trauma as determined by MR angiography and to assess the clinical consequences of these injuries. ⋯ In our experience, vertebral artery injuries due to major cervical spine trauma as determined by MR angiography are common. Although these vascular abnormalities usually remain clinically occult, a small percentage of patients may suffer devastating neurologic complications of posterior fossa infarction. Noninvasive assessment of the vertebral arteries by means of MR imaging should be an integral part of the evaluation of the acutely injured cervical spine.