Clinical and radiological evaluation of Vertebrace extrication collars.

An aid for prehospital cervical immobilization was studied radiographically. We applied the Vertebrace Extrication Collar to ten volunteers and measured cervical movement in the sagittal plane. Results of mean degrees of flexion-extension and mean percentage of restricted motion at each level compared favorably with results of earlier studies using rigid orthoses (the four-poster brace, Cervicothoracic, Somi Brace, and Yale collar). A second method of analysis, measuring relative motion of vertebral segments by level, found no flexion displacement in 70% and no extension displacement in 60% at C5-C6. The Vertebrace Collar proved to be effective in restricting movement of the cervical vertebrae most often injured following serious trauma.