Abstract
1. The literature on hyperextension injuries of the spine is briefly reviewed.
2. Such injuries in the cervical spine can be subdivided into five groups based on the pathological anatomy, based on the experience of fifty-one patients in the Spinal Injuries Centre for Victoria over the past five years.
3. Extension injuries of the thoraco-lumbar spine are discussed. They are rare and have a poor prognosis.
4. The importance of treatment based on sound clinical and pathological knowledge is emphasised, particularly in order that stable and unstable lesions may be recognised early and managed correctly.
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