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Cervical collar
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Cervical collar
A cervical collar, also known as a neck brace, is a medical device used to support and immobilize a person's neck. It is also applied by emergency personnel to those who have had traumatic head or neck injuries, although they should not be routinely used in prehospital care. They can also be used to treat chronic medical conditions.[citation needed]
Whenever people have a traumatic head or neck injury, they may have a cervical fracture. This makes them at high risk for spinal cord injury, which could be exacerbated by movement of the person and could lead to paralysis or death. A common scenario for this injury would be a person suspected of having whiplash because of a car accident. In order to prevent further injury, such people may have a collar placed by medical professionals until X-rays can be taken to determine if a cervical spine fracture exists. Medical professionals will often use the NEXUS criteria and/or the Canadian C-spine rules to clear a cervical collar and determine the need for imaging.
The routine use of a cervical collar is not recommended.
Cervical collars are also used therapeutically to help realign the spinal cord and relieve pain, although they are usually not worn for long periods of time. Another use of the cervical collar is for strains, sprains, or whiplash. If pain is persistent, the collar might be required to remain attached to help in the healing process. A person may also need a cervical collar, or may require a halo fixation device to support the neck during recovery after surgery such as cervical spinal fusion.
A soft collar is fairly flexible and is the least limiting but can carry a high risk of further breakage, especially in people with osteoporosis. They are usually made of felt. It can be used for minor injuries or after healing has allowed the neck to become more stable.[citation needed]
A range of manufactured rigid collars are also used, usually comprising (a) a firm plastic bi-valved shell secured with Velcro straps and (b) removable padded liners. The also contain a back pad, back panel, front pad, front panel, and chin pad. There are air holes throughout the device to provide ventilation to the area but also to allow access for a tracheostomy if needed. The rigidness is provided by plexiglass in some models. The most frequently prescribed are the Aspen, Malibu, Miami J, and Philadelphia collars. All these can be used with additional chest and head extension pieces to increase stability.[citation needed]
Cervical collars are incorporated into rigid braces that constrain the head and chest together. Examples include the Sterno-Occipital Mandibular Immobilization Device (SOMI), Lerman Minerva and Yale types. Special cases, such as very young children or non-cooperative adults, are sometimes still immobilized in medical plaster of paris casts, such as the Minerva cast.
Rigid collars are most restrictive when flexing the neck and least restrictive with lateral rotation when compared to soft collars. Despite this, subjects have similar range of motion when asked to perform activities of daily living. It is thought that these collars provide a proprioceptive guide on how much to move one's neck and when patients are preoccupied with performing an activity they are able to move their neck more. This is why in more minor injuries, cervical collars are still placed to remind patients of their injury so they can restrict any activities that may worsen their condition.
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Cervical collar
A cervical collar, also known as a neck brace, is a medical device used to support and immobilize a person's neck. It is also applied by emergency personnel to those who have had traumatic head or neck injuries, although they should not be routinely used in prehospital care. They can also be used to treat chronic medical conditions.[citation needed]
Whenever people have a traumatic head or neck injury, they may have a cervical fracture. This makes them at high risk for spinal cord injury, which could be exacerbated by movement of the person and could lead to paralysis or death. A common scenario for this injury would be a person suspected of having whiplash because of a car accident. In order to prevent further injury, such people may have a collar placed by medical professionals until X-rays can be taken to determine if a cervical spine fracture exists. Medical professionals will often use the NEXUS criteria and/or the Canadian C-spine rules to clear a cervical collar and determine the need for imaging.
The routine use of a cervical collar is not recommended.
Cervical collars are also used therapeutically to help realign the spinal cord and relieve pain, although they are usually not worn for long periods of time. Another use of the cervical collar is for strains, sprains, or whiplash. If pain is persistent, the collar might be required to remain attached to help in the healing process. A person may also need a cervical collar, or may require a halo fixation device to support the neck during recovery after surgery such as cervical spinal fusion.
A soft collar is fairly flexible and is the least limiting but can carry a high risk of further breakage, especially in people with osteoporosis. They are usually made of felt. It can be used for minor injuries or after healing has allowed the neck to become more stable.[citation needed]
A range of manufactured rigid collars are also used, usually comprising (a) a firm plastic bi-valved shell secured with Velcro straps and (b) removable padded liners. The also contain a back pad, back panel, front pad, front panel, and chin pad. There are air holes throughout the device to provide ventilation to the area but also to allow access for a tracheostomy if needed. The rigidness is provided by plexiglass in some models. The most frequently prescribed are the Aspen, Malibu, Miami J, and Philadelphia collars. All these can be used with additional chest and head extension pieces to increase stability.[citation needed]
Cervical collars are incorporated into rigid braces that constrain the head and chest together. Examples include the Sterno-Occipital Mandibular Immobilization Device (SOMI), Lerman Minerva and Yale types. Special cases, such as very young children or non-cooperative adults, are sometimes still immobilized in medical plaster of paris casts, such as the Minerva cast.
Rigid collars are most restrictive when flexing the neck and least restrictive with lateral rotation when compared to soft collars. Despite this, subjects have similar range of motion when asked to perform activities of daily living. It is thought that these collars provide a proprioceptive guide on how much to move one's neck and when patients are preoccupied with performing an activity they are able to move their neck more. This is why in more minor injuries, cervical collars are still placed to remind patients of their injury so they can restrict any activities that may worsen their condition.
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