Abstract: Objective To study the characteristics of the relationship between injury and disease in forensic identification cases of cervical trauma with cervical vertebra degeneration, and to explore the problems about how to identify the participation rates of injury and disease using the clinical information, forensic examination and imaging examination. Methods Seventeen forensic identification cases of cervical trauma with cervical vertebra degeneration were collected. The age distributions, injury formations, injury severities and imaging findings of these cases were analyzed and the relationship between injury and disease was evaluated comprehensively. Results Middle-aged and elderly were common in 17 cases and every case was involved with intervertebral disc herniation. The main reasons of injuries were hyperextension. The degree of injury severity and vertebra degeneration were graded according to the imaging findings. The participation rates of injury and disease were also calculated comprehensively. Conclusion The forensic identification cases of cervical trauma with cervical vertebra degeneration should be evaluated with clinical information, forensic examination and imaging finding.

Key words: forensic medicine, wounds and injuries, cervical vertebrae, protrusion of intervertebral disc;relationship between injury and disease, disability degree, cases analysis