Fig. 5.

Summarization of the hypothesized mechanism of the injury. (A) During the initial short moment of the collision, the airbag is just in contact with the torso, but not with the face of the patient. As a result, compressive flexion force interacts at the cervical spine, resulting in C5, C6 vertebral body fractures. (B) In the late stage, the patient override the airbag, which causes him to hit his head on the roof and windshield of the vehicle, resulting in acute cervical hyperextension. The spinal cord transection occurs by posterior displacement of the C5 vertebral body against the cord in this powerful distractive extension injury.