Adult Spine Trauma

Western Health Orthopaedic Registrar presentation – Spinal Cord Injuries By Dr Jack Pang

Clinical Assessment

• History
• Examination
• Investigations
• Emergency department management

Cervical Spine Fractures

• Classification of cervical spine fractures
  
• Injuries to the upper cervical spine (occiput to C2)
  
  • Dislocations of the atlantooccipital joint
    
  • Atlas fractures
    
  • Rupture of the transverse ligament
    
  • Rotary subluxation of C1 on C2
    
  • Occipital condyle fractures
    
  • Dens fracture
    
  • Internal fixation of the upper cervical spine
    
  • Traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis (hangman’s fractures)
• Injuries to the lower cervical spine (C3-7)
  
  • Posterior ligamentous injury
    
  • Unilateral facet dislocation
    
  • Fractures of the vertebral body
    
  • Posterior and anterior cervical fusion with rigid internal fixation
• Instability
  
• Treatment
  

Thoracic and Lumbosacral Fractures

Western Health Orthopaedic Registrar presentation – Thoracolumbar Spine Trauma by Dr Amy Gibbens

• Classification of thoracolumbar fractures
  
• Treatment
  

Sacral Fractures and Lumbosacral Dislocation

Reviewed by Professor Phong Tran, Head of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western Health. Last updated 10 October 2026.