抄録
A hundred and sixty patients with whiplash injuries were evaluated clinically for 3 years. Eighty-three per cent (133 cases) of all patients were free from symptoms within 3 months. However, seventeen per cent (27 cases) had many symptoms including headache, numbness in extremities, vertigo, and accommodative disturbances for more than 3 months. These 27 patients with long term effects tended to be in their fifties and have Barrè-Lieou and radiculopathy type injuries. Clinical results in all patients were not related to the presence of degenerative changes, A-P diameter of the spinal canal, nor alignment of cervical spine on the x-p findings. MRI showed disc or bony abnormalities with dural compression in some patients with poor outcome. MRI evaluation may be useful for predicting final outcome.