The assessment of relation of movability of the cervical spine after the odontoid vertebra dens fracture since the time of wearing the orthopedic collar

Abstract

The aim of the article is to evaluate kinetic efficiency of a cervical spine taking into consideration the range of active motion as well as to assess the relation of movability range of the cervical spine since the day of wearing the Philadelphia collar, as well as the level of the strength of pain, and age. Forty-one individuals surgically or conservatively treated at the Neurosurgery Ward and subjected to a post-hospital observation at the Neurosurgery Outpatient Clinic of Provincial Hospital in Tarnów participated in the study. The control group consisted of 41 individuals without a clinically diagnosed cervical spine disease. The study of the range of motion of the spine in the cervical section was performed by means of Multi Cervical Unit (MCU) appliance. The strength of the pain was evaluated by means of VAS - the Visual Analogue Pain Scale. The individuals after the odontoid vertebra fracture are characterised by a limited motion range in case of all types of motion, except for bending and extension. In the study extremely significant differences of the range of motion of the study group in comparison with the control group were discovered. In case of the time of wearing the orthopedic collar, statistically significant negative correlations related to entire motion apart from side bending. The strongest correlation was obtained for rotation ( r = −0.36). The patients after the odontoid vertebra fractures have statistically significant limitations of the range of active motion of the cervical spine. Age, strength of the spine ache as well as the time of wearing the Philadelphia collar are negatively correlated in a significant manner with the movability range of the cervical section of the spine of individuals after the odontoid vertebra fracture.