In the cervical spine, ligaments and facet joint capsules are critical in providing stability. Comparatively, in the thoracic and lumbar spine, bony articulations are responsible for stability. As a result, ligamentous distraction injury at the craniocervical junction and subaxial cervical spine can be unstable and associated with significant morbidity if missed. 12 Urgent decompression is generally recommended for cervical spine injury with evidence of SCI.