Do X-ray-occult fractures play a role in chronic pain following a whiplash injury?

Abstract

Occult fractures do not seem to play a role for development of chronic pain after whiplash.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the neck disability index, comparing patients with whiplash associated disorders to a control group with non-specific neck pain

“…This study supports the quantification, or score of the patient's functional status on the NDI, representing a single dimension and equally for males and females, as well as WAD and non-WAD populations. This finding would also be independent of the presence of any occult fractures as these have been shown to be present up to 36 % of the time but did not affect the development of persistent pain after whiplash [47]. The score can then be compared to previous measures made at baseline prior to the rehabilitation or earlier in the course of the disability for all types of patients, including those involved in a compensation process.…”

Letter to the Editor regarding “Do X-ray-occult fractures play a role in chronic pain following a whiplash injury?” by Hertzum-Larsen R, Petersen H, Kasch H, Bendix T. Eur Spine J. 2014; DOI 10.1007/s00586-014-3362-3

“…The authors described a study of imaging occult fractures after whiplash injury in which they performed SPECT scanning of 88 acutely injured whiplash patients, and repeated the scanning at 6 months on 49 available subjects [1]. The normal versus abnormal SPECT findings were compared to other variables indicative of chronicity (e.g., neck pain and headache).…”