In brief: Cervical spine injuries are difficult to diagnose accurately with standard x-rays because the bony structures overlap one another. However, computerized axial tomography (CAT scanning) clearly shows the vertebral relationships. A CAT scan of the C-6 region of a 16-year-old high school running back who sustained an injury to the cervical spine revealed a fracture of the right vertebral arch that could not be seen on plain x-rays. The author says that because cervical and intracranial injuries can result in death or paralysis, players who experience numbness, tingling, paresthesia, and/or paralysis should be removed from sports activity.