Whiplash (thesaurus synonyms: Atlantoaxial distortion; Atlantoaxial sprain; Atlantoaxial strain; Atlantooccipital distortion; Atlantooccipital sprain; Atlantooccipital strain; Atlas distortion; Cervical spine distortion; Cervical ligamentum longitudinale anterius distortion; Fresh traumatic torticollis a.n.k. ; Cervical spine whiplash; Cervical spine injury; Cervical spine distortion; Cervical spine whiplash; Cervical spine sprain; Cervical spine strain; Neck strain with block; Whiplash syndrome; Whiplash; Cervical spine sprain; Atlantoaxial joint sprain; Atlantooccipital joint sprain; Sprain of cervical longitudinal anterior ligament; Whiplash injury; Windshield syndrome; Strain of atlantoaxial joint; Strain of atlantooccipital joint; Strain of cervical longitudinal anterior ligament; Cervical distortion; Cervicodorsal distortion; Cervicothoracic distortion; ICD-10 S13. 4: Sprain and strain of the cervical spine) refers to a distortion (sprain/strain) of the cervical spine (C-spine).
Whiplash often occurs in traffic accidents. Here, acceleration and hyperextension of the head occur, usually in rear- or side-impact traffic accidents. However, jumping from a great height into shallow water or injuries sustained in martial arts can also cause whiplash.
One can classify cervical spine trauma as follows:
- Grade 1 – cervical spine distortion without neurological symptoms.
- Grade 2 – muscle strains, joint capsule tears, retropharyngeal hematoma (bruise located behind the throat (pharynx)); no neurological symptoms
- Grade 3 – fractures (bone fractures), dislocations (dislocations), rupture of intervertebral discs, rupture of ligaments (ligament ruptures) with neurological symptoms.
The incidence (frequency of new cases) is about 200 diseases per 100,000 inhabitants per year (in Germany).
Course and prognosis: As a rule, a whiplash injury heals without consequences. Treatment is almost always conservative, at most immobilizing for a few days, then already activating. The patient should be actively involved in the therapy. Approximately 90 to 95% of whiplash injuries are classified as mild to moderate. However, the number of those who still suffer from the consequences 6 months after the accident is increasing. In approximately 15-25% of cases, chronic whiplash disease develops. Those affected usually had pre-existing spinal conditions, such as osteoarthritis (joint wear and tear), before the accident.
