We now understand whiplash injuries a lot better than we did ten years ago when the initial detailed analysis of spinal mechanics was performed. Through countless research studies, we have determined that a human being's neck experiences excessive motion with a rear-end car crash, and we also are aware that those joints of the spine known as facet joints are sometimes sprained during these crashes.

By taking a closer look at the anterior spinal ligaments, a more recent study examined what specifically happens to the neck. Prior studies have proved that injuries, after whiplash, were experienced with the anterior longitudinal ligament by some patients. To determine the effects of a car crash on the anterior longitudinal ligament, researchers used sophisticated mathematical analysis that was based on crash data from experimental anatomical results.

An anterior longitudinal ligament is located in front of the neck, giving support to the spine's vertebrae. When the collision is from the rear, this ligament could end up strained, causing pain and even bad degeneration of the spine.

The human back model went through three collisions rates at 5.3, 6.7, and 8 mph. There was an analysis of the displacement, or the distraction amount at each segment of the vertebra.

Scientists discovered that, with increased speed, the level of strain also increased, and the event referred to as peak distraction took place at an earlier point in the motion.

Here are a few findings that are important to bear in mind when considering whiplash cases:

• In all cases, the ligament was stretched to very near the point of failure rate, even when the collision speed was as low as eight miles per hour.
• If injuries don't lead to failure, it can be extremely hard to diagnose them as they will not appear on the usual radiographs.
• The anterior ligaments of the spine have been proven to have pain receptors.
• Referred pain, which can affect the areas of the spine that are adjacent, can be caused by tears or sprains of the ALL.

The authors provide an outline of some of the serious, long-term problems that these injuries can lead to:

“A possible clinical implication associated with ALL injury is cervical instability. Catastrophic injury of EVERYTHING can end up with a bad disability but a sub-catastrophic injury could cause bad pathology. The biggest reasons for extension instability are injuries to the ALL. A relationship with ALL injury and anterior column injury to lateral bending instability and a strong correlation to axial rotation instability was revealed by the study. Experimentally induced injuries in this study looked very much the same as injuries seen clinically. Frontal neck or cervical injuries received as a result of whiplash are usually characterized as distractive extension stage one injuries, and are not usually associated with any neurologic deficits.

These injuries, resulting in cervical instability, are often not visible using standard radiographic techniques. The ALL is deeply related to the annular fibers in the intervertebral disc. If all parts of the intervertebral motion segment were normal before the injury, a subcatastrophic stretching of the ALL will probably cause chronic changes in the disc because of a decrease in extension stability. You may develop early degeneration of the connected intervertebral disc or vertebrae due to the added hypermobility. Additionally, long-term instability is led to by hypermobility that is segmental. When the ALL sustains a whiplash injury that causes catastrophic failure, it can also cause damage to the intervertebral disc."

This often needs to be treated surgically. According to this study, this kind of damage to the spine's anterior ligaments can result in long-term disability. Persons who have been the victims of rear-end collisions should have a complete diagnosis so that the stability of their cervical spines, as well as their likelihood of experiencing degeneration of the spin in years to come, can be evaluated.

Ligament Damage After Whiplash Injury