Technique and use in supine oblique views in acute cervical spine trauma

Study objective: To determine whether the addition of the supine oblique view of the cervical spine can detect fractures or ligamentous injury not seen on the standard three-view examination. Design: Radiographs of patients with documented cervical spine injury were reviewed retrospectively by three neuroradiologists. Patients were included in the study if the initial interpretation of the three-view series was normal and the abnormal supine oblique view enabled a correct diagnosis to be established. Setting: The emergency department of a university-affiliated hospital with Level I trauma center status