REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurorehabilitation
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Regeneration and Intervention of Neurological Tissue after Acute and Chronic Injuries: from Benchside to BedsideView all 6 articles
The Evolution of Cervical Spine Trauma Classification: A Paradigm Shift from Morphological Description to Clinical Decision-Making
Provisionally accepted
- Peking University Third Hospital Department of Orthopaedics, Beijing, China
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Objective: This review systematically traces the evolution of subaxial cervical spine classification, highlighting the paradigm shift from morphological description to decision-oriented functional assessment and exploring future technological directions. Methods: A comprehensive narrative literature review was conducted, analyzing key classification systems, their underlying principles, and the technological advancements shaping the field. Results: Early mechanistic classifications were limited by poor interobserver reliability. The Subaxial Injury Classification (SLIC) system was a pivotal advance, integrating morphology, disco-ligamentous complex (DLC) integrity, and neurological status into a treatment-guiding score. However, its inconsistent reliability, particularly in DLC assessment, limited its adoption. The subsequent AO Spine classification resolved these issues by introducing a more rigorous, hierarchical framework that achieved excellent, validated interobserver reliability. Crucially, the AO Spine system also provides significant prognostic value by correlating morphological subtypes with long-term neurological recovery. Conclusion: The classification of cervical trauma has transitioned from a descriptive to an applied science. Future developments promise to resolve remaining challenges: artificial intelligence (AI) offers a definitive solution to interobserver variability, advanced imaging like Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) will refine prognostication, and brain-computer interfaces (BCI) provide new hope for functional reconstruction in severe injuries, heralding an era of precision medicine.
Keywords: Cervical spine trauma, spinal cord injury, classification system, Spinal stability, Subaxial Injury Classification (SLIC), AO spine classification, paradigm shift
Received: 20 Oct 2025; Accepted: 27 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Huang, Zhang, Xiao, Chen and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yu Jiang
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