Incidence of vertebral artery injury in fatal non-penetrative cervical spine trauma

Cervical spine injury is commonly seen in road traffic accidents, fall from height and fall of heavy objects on the neck. The fatality of the injury depends on the impact on spinal cord, carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries. Of the three, the incidence of vertebral artery injury in non-penetrative cervical trauma is under studied. In this study, 25 cases of fatal cervical injury are analysed for the associated vertebral artery injury, its incidence and type through gross dissection and histopathological examination. The findings are consistent with that of previous studies made and shows the need for a combined study including live patients and autopsy-based study to determine the actual incidence of vertebral artery injury in cervical spinal injuries