Cervical Spine Immobilization Device for Emergency Response1

Abstract

Cervical spine injuries are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality each year in the United States [1]. In motor vehicle accidents requiring the vehicle to be towed, 33% of passengers will sustain a severe neck injury [2]. In the current standard of care, a cervical collar (c-collar) is used to stabilize a patient’s cervical spine and head in a neutral position. However, in many cases, additional stabilization is required to properly constrain head and neck movement. These supplementary constraints include strapping the patient to a rigid plastic backboard and placing foam blocks on either side of the head. The noncompliant nature of the backboard can create localized pressure points on the patient’s back, causing a variety of problems, such as tissue ischemia and ulcers [3]. The pressure exerted by the c-collar on the carotid arteries can lead to raised intracranial pressure [4]. Most importantly, since the c-collar is not fully adjustable to fit all patients, the neck can be overextended, leading to vertebral separation [5]. The emergency response device presented in this paper easily, safely, and comfortably stabilizes the upper cervical spine of a patient while allowing for maximum conformability and versatility to prevent further injuries. Experimental results show that compared to the currently used cervical collars, the new device reduces neck movement by more than 56% in the three rotational degrees of freedom of the neck.