Spinal Cord Injury Archives - Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation

Thoraco-Lumbar X-ray Interpretation

Check it’s an adequate view
Know your anatomy
Check the alignment
Look for loss of vertebral height
Look for widened inter-spinous or inter-pedicle distance and check the processes
Check for translation/rotation or distraction
Know the common types of fractures

There is no high-level evidence that prehospital spinal immobilization positively impacts patient-oriented outcomes
- Spinal Immobilization Does NOT Help Immobilize the Cervical Spine
- Spinal Immobilization Does NOT Decrease Rates of Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Immobilization Increases the Difficulty of Airway Management
- Spinal Immobilization Can Cause Pressure Ulcers
- Spinal Immobilization Changes the Physical Exam
- Spinal Immobilization Worsens Pulmonary Function
- Spinal Immobilization Increases Intracranial Pressure
There is no evidence that immobilizing awake, alert patients without deficits/complaints provides benefit
Selective spinal immobilization protocols can help identify patients at low risk for injury and avoid immobilization