Cervical spine injuries in patients with facial fractures: a 1-year prospective study.

A total of 582 consecutive patients with facial fractures were investigated prospectively for evidence of a concomitant cervical spine injury. Of them, 1.04% (6) were found to have a cervical spine injury, all having occurred in road traffic accidents. Only two of the injuries were diagnosable on standard, three-view, plain cervical spine radiographs. Four were diagnosable from computerized tomography scan, while the remaining two required stress views under radiographic screening for definitive diagnosis.