[Atypical symptoms of cervical luxation in an elderly woman].

A 77-year-old woman had a total luxation of C5-C6 after falling 1 m down a staircase. She presented with atypical symptoms, i.e. shoulder- and back pain, and later pareses of the left arm. The initial clinical findings did not warrant radiography, which delayed the correct diagnosis of her serious condition. When diagnosed she received surgical stabilization of her fractures. We recommend the use of a validated set of rules for radiography, e.g. Canadian C-spine Rule or National Emergency X-radiography Utilization Study low-risk criteria on all elderly patients admitted after fall-trauma to rule out cervical injury even with no typical symptoms.