Abstract
Axial loading of the head-neck complex in a head first collision is a major cause of traumatic cervical spine and spinal cord injuries. It has been suggested that cervical spine fracture is not observed when the head and neck are forced into extension. To evaluate this posture as an injury risk reducing strategy and to estimate the loading imposed on the structures of each cervical segment a quasi-static analytical sagittal plane model of the cervical spine in extension and compression was developed in conjunction with an instrumented physical test model.