Cervical spine

The object of imaging: the cervical spine – functional MRI.

Have you suffered a whiplash injury in a car crash?

Have you been in a car crash? Did you get a so-called whiplash injury? Have you suffered from headaches, neck pain, dizziness, disturbances of balance, visual disorders or nausea after the crash?

An X-ray examination of the cervical spine reveals possible bone fractures and vertebral displacements, but this is not useful in the diagnosis of injuries to the cervical intervertebral discs and the cervical ligament structures (suspensory and other ligaments)

MRI is an excellent method of visualising the vertebrae, the intervertebral discs and the ligament structures holding the vertebrae in place. The location of vertebrae in relation to each other is an essential part of the interpretation of an MR image. In addition, possible injuries in the small cervical joints can be clearly imaged.

An MRI scan is usually performed with the patient lying on their back. Similar to our other joints, the cervical spine is a mobile structure. Compared with immobile images, anomalies detected by imaging during movement tell us more about the severity of ligamentous injuries, that is, whether they cause significant problems that could be surgically treated.

At Vantaan Magneetti, we have received training in this field. On the basis of our training and in co-operation with physiatrists and manual therapists, we have developed a functional imaging technique for the cervical spine. This technique enables the reliable imaging of possible ligamentous injuries associated with whiplash injuries. We have been conducting studies since 2004 and to date we have produced images for about 700 patients using the functional cervical imaging technique.