Abstract
Spinal injury can be the most devastating of all orthopaedic trauma because of the critical role the spine plays in protecting the neural elements. Geometric changes to the bony foramen designed to accommodate these elements are likely the best predictors of potential neurologic injury [1,2]. Previous experiments have demonstrated poor correlation between post-traumatic and dynamic measurements of spinal canal occlusion taken during impact — with peak transient occlusion levels typically greater than those observed post-injury [3]. Others have hypothesized that mechanical trauma may trigger a cascading sequence of events leading to neurologic damage [4]. Hence, in contrast to post-traumatic measurements, we believe that dynamic measurement of neural-space occlusion during injury may provide better insight into the initiation of these events.
