Coll. Antropol. 24 (2000) 1: 197–204
UDC 616-001:616.13-073
Original scientific paper
Haemodynamic Changes in Patients
with Whiplash Injury Measured by
Transcranial Doppler Sonography
(TCD)
V. [eri}, N. Bla`i}-^op and V. Demarin
Department of Neurology, »Sestre Milosrdnice« University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
A B S T R A C T
The daily increasing number of cervical whiplash injuries presents ever-greater re-
quirement for vertebrobasilar diagnostics. A cervical spine injury, which is quite fre-
quent injury, may occur during a fall, or industrial, traffic, sport or war injury. Trans-
cranial Doppler (TCD) sonography with Transcan 3-D EME device and 2 MHz probe
was used for the assessment of vertebrobasilar circulation in patients with a whiplash
injury of the cervical spine, that occurred mostly in car accident. This study includes 47
patients with clinically verified cervical spine trauma with x-ray evidence of no bone le-
sion. The patients were examined by TCD within a month, and then six months follow-
ing the accident. The obtained values were compared to normal blood flow velocities
and correlated with the severity of clinical picture. During the first month after the in-
jury, statistically significant disturbances in the vertebrobasilar circulation were recor-
ded, such as the increase in mean blood flow velocities in AVL (68%), AVR (62%) and BA
(51%) (mostly as spasam). Six months later, normal findings were obtained in about
50% of the vessels, whereas in rest of the patients vasospasam persisted in one, two or all
examined blood vessels. TCD of the vertebrobasilar circulation was found to be a very
useful method in the diagnostics and follow–up of patients with a whiplash injury.
Introduction
A cervical spine injury is a serious
problem that results from a fall, or an in-
dustrial, traffic, sport or war injury. Spi-
nal cord may suffer directly by penetrat-
ing wounds, for example by stabs or gun-
shot wounds or it may be penetrated by a
shell or by fragments of a bone. In civil
life, however, indirect