Forensic assessment of injuries to the subaxial part of the cervical spine column

An analysis of the treatment outcomes of 65 patients with non-fatal subaxial cervical spine (CS) injuries was conducted. Injuries were classified according to the four-column biomechanical classification model for injuries to these structures (STSG, 2006). It was established that the most frequently injured structures are the anterior column of the C4—C7 vertebrae, where complicated compression, burst fractures, fracture-dislocations, and subluxations are most often observed. Uncomplicated fractures of the transverse processes, arches, and articular processes are commonly observed in the lateral column structures, while fractures of the spinous processes and arches, which often involve spinal cord compression and contusion, are common in the posterior column structures. Medical criteria for the severity of injury from non-fatal subaxial vertebral injuries may include life-threatening consequences (cervical spine fractures, vertebral dislocations, spinal cord contusion, traumatic spinal shock), as well as the extent of permanent disability in isolated process injuries, or the duration of impairment in isolated ligament injuries. Certain uncomplicated injuries to subaxial vertebral structures are caused by excessive movement beyond the permissible displacement limit in a given segment under high-energy force, while combined force in two or more directions can lead to complicated and severe injuries.