Clinical evaluation and history have been proven effective in guiding the need for radiography to further evaluate patients with possible clinically significant cervical spine injury.[1] The National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) Low-Risk Criteria (NLC) were first described in 1992 and state that cervical-spine radiography is indicated for patients with trauma unless they meet all of the following 5 criteria[2, 3, 4] :
No posterior midline cervical-spine tenderness
No evidence of intoxication
A normal level of alertness
No focal neurologic deficit
No painful distracting injuries