[Cervical spinal injuries in craniocerebral trauma: their x-ray diagnosis on the day of the accident].

To investigate cervical spine injuries and to evaluate cervical radiography 100 patients were reviewed who were referred to computed tomography of the head because of blunt head trauma. 15 sustained cervical injury, 11 were located at the lower level of the cervical spine. Six fractures of the lower cervical spine were detected by additional radiographs. The diagnosis was established by computed tomography in three cases. To rule out cervical injuries in patients with incomplete visualisation of the lower cervical spine, cervical computed tomography should be performed in addition to lateral, anterioposterior, and open-mouth views.