The upper cervical spine accounts for the largest proportion of cervical range of motion afforded by a complex system of bony morphology and ligamentous stability. Its unique anatomy, however, also makes it particularly vulnerable during both low and high energy trauma. Trauma to this area, referred to as upper cervical spine trauma, can disrupt the stability of the upper cervical spine and result in a wide spectrum of injury. Numerous upper cervical injury classification systems have been proposed, each of which have distinct limitations and drawbacks that have prevented their universal adoption. In this article, we provide an overview of previous classifications, with an emphasis on the development of the new AO Spine Upper Cervical Classification System (AO Spine UCCS).

上颈椎在颈椎活动范围中所占比例最大，由复杂的骨形态和韧带稳定性系统提供。然而，其独特的解剖结构也使其在低能量和高能量创伤期间特别脆弱。该区域的创伤（称为上颈椎创伤）会破坏上颈椎的稳定性并导致广泛的损伤。已经提出了许多上颈椎损伤分类系统，每个系统都有明显的局限性和缺点，阻碍了其普遍采用。在本文中，我们概述了以前的分类，重点介绍了新的 AO Spine 上颈椎分类系统 (AO Spine UCCS) 的开发。