1. Introduction
2. History
2.1. Ancient history
2.2. The Middle Ages
2.3. Renaissance
2.4. Major discoveries
2.5. Evolution of treatment
2.6. Posterior cervical spine fixation
2.7. Anterior cervical spine fixation
2.8. Atlantoaxial fusion
2.9. Direct osteosynthesis of the dens
3. Evolution of the cervical spine
3.1. Prenatal development
3.2. Postnatal development
3.3. Congenital anomalies and developmental defects
4. Anatomy of the cervical spine
4.1. Anatomy of the vertebra
4.2. Cervical spine junctions
4.3. Muscles and fasciae of the cervical spine
4.4. Blood supply to the spine and spinal cord
4.5. Vertebromedullary topography
4.6. Topographical anatomy of the cervical spine
5. Biomechanics of the cervical spine
5.1. Kinematics of the functional spinal unit
5.2. Spinal cord and its physical properties
5.3. Stability of the spine
6. Diagnostics of cervical spine injuries
6.1. Clinical examination of patients with a cervical spine injury
6.2. Neurophysiological examinations
6.3. Imaging methods
7. Classifications of cervical spine injuries
7.1. Classifications of injuries to the upper cervical spine and the craniocervical junction
7.2. Classifications of injuries to the lower cervical spine and the cervicothoracic junction
8. Surgical approaches to the cervical spine
8.1. Anterior surgical approaches
8.2. Lateral approaches
8.3. Posterior approaches
9. Implants used in the region of the cervical spine
9.1. Wires, cables
9.2. Screws
9.3. Anterior cervical plates
9.4. Cages
9.5. Posterior cervical plates and clamps
9.6. Rod-screw fixation systems
10. Injuries to the upper cervical spine
10.1. Occipital condyle fractures (C0)
10.2. Atlanto-occipital dislocation of C0–C1 (AOD)
10.3. Injury to the atlas (C1)
10.4. Atlantoaxial dislocation of C1–C2 (AAD)
10.5. Injury to epistropheus (C2)
10.6. Combined C1–C2 fractures
10.7. Occipitocervical fixation
11. Injuries to the middle and lower cervical spine
11.1. Treatment of the lower cervical spine injuries
11.2. Injuries to the middle and lower cervical spine treated with a monocortical plate system
11.3. Hyperextension injury
12. Injuries to C7–T3 cervicothoracic junction
12.1. Our own group of patients with internal fixation of the cervicothoracic junction
13. Cervical spine injuries in children and adolescents
13.1. Anatomical and biomechanical specific features
13.2. Types of injuries
13.3. Neurological lesions as part of the injury
13.4. Lethal consequences of spinal injuries
13.5. Posttraumatic deformities of the spine
13.6. Methods and treatment results
13.7. Our own group of pediatric patiens with spinal injuries
14. Cervical spine injuries in patients older than 65 years
14.1. The authors’ own group of patients over the age of 65 years with a cervical spine injury
15. Kyphotic deformities of the cervical spine
15.1. Etiology, mechanism of the development and clinical finding
15.2. Diagnostics
15.3. Treatment
15.4. Our own group of patients with cervical spine kyphosis
16. Conclusion and acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Index