Most types of spinal fracture confer a significant risk of spinal cord injury. After the immediate trauma, there's a risk of medulla spinalis injury (or worsening of an already injured spine) if the fracture is unstable, that is, likely to vary alignment without internal or external fixation.
A medical record and physical examination are often sufficient in clearing the cervical spine. Notable clinical prediction rules to work out which patients need medical imaging are Canadian C-spine rule and therefore the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS). The AO Foundation has developed a descriptive system for cervical fractures, the AOSpine subaxial cervical spine fracture arrangement. The indication to surgically stabilize a cervical fracture is often estimated from the Subaxial Injury Classification (SLIC).