1. INTRODUCTION Injuries of the lower cervical spine can be among the most devastating injuries of the musculoskeletal system because of the increased risk of the injury to the spinal cord, and also because they so often occur to the younger members of the population (Jones A.A.M. et al., 2003; Sekhon H.S.L. et al., 2001; Ball P.A., 2001). The cervical spine is the most vulnerable spinal segment (Sekhon H.S.L. et al., 2001). The mechanism of cervical spine trauma is defined by the direction and magnitude of the forces that have been applied externally to the head and neck complex resulting in injury (Allen B.L.Jr., 1982). Common injury vectors include flexion, compression, rotation and extension (Allen B.L.Jr., 1982). The pattern of injury is related not only to the external applied force, but also to the initial position or posture of the head and neck at the time of injury (Allen B.L.Jr., 1982). One pattern of these injuries of the lower cervical spine is a facet dislocations (Allen B.L.Jr., 1982). The facet dislocation of the cervical spine result from a hyperflexion injury of the neck (Allen B.L.Jr., 1982). These injuries are characterized radiographically by anterolisthesis of one cervical vertebrae over the other and include the slide anteriorly of the inferior facet of the upper dislocated vertebra over the superior facet of the vertebra below (Allen B.L.Jr., 1982; Razack N. et al., 2000). The facet dislocations of the lower cervical spine represent from 4% to 50% of... [to full text]