Screening Method Can Rule Out Spinal Injuries Without X-Rays

Spinal cord injuries can be ruled out without using X-rays by looking for simple neurological signs, UCLA researchers report in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. In a study of 34,069 people suffering blunt-trauma injuries, Dr. William Mower and his colleagues found that spinal injuries most likely were not present if the patient met five conditions: no tenderness at the back of the neck; no neurological problems, such as tingling or numbness; normal alertness; no drug or alcohol intoxication; and no other painful injury that could distract from spinal problems. Patients failing one or more of these conditions required X-rays, they found.

--Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II