Osteomyelitis of the cervical spine: reversible quadraplegia resulting from Philadelphia collar placement.

Pyogenic osteomyelitis of the vertebrae accounts for 4% of all osteomyelitis, and is believed to be increasing in incidence. Pyogenic osteomyelitis of the cervical spine is even more uncommon, accounting for 10% of all spinal pyogenic osteomyelitis. Presented is a case of pyogenic osteomyelitis of the cervical spine in which appropriate methods of immobilization of the cervical spine resulted in a surgically reversible acute deterioration of the patient's neurologic status. While immobilization of the cervical spine remains the initial treatment of choice in most patients with suspected disease of the cervical spine, it is not without potential complications.