OVERVIEW

Special Tests: Upper Cervical Spine Instability and Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency (VBI) Course is organized by Brookbush Institute.

Course Description:
Special Tests Covered in this Lesson:
• Upper Cervical Spine Stability Tests
• Modified Sharp Purser Test
• Alar Ligament Stability Test
• Tectorial Membrane and Posterior Atlanto-occipital Membrane Test
• Anterior Stability Test of the Atlanto-Occipital Joint
• Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency Testing
• Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency (VBI) Test and Wallenberg's Position

Upper cervical spine instability and vertebrobasilar ischemia (VBI) are potentially serious issues that most commonly result from injury, some congenital disorders, and rarely, the degeneration of relevant tissues with the aging process. For example, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a connective tissue disorder that can result in laxity of the transverse ligament, tectororial membrane, or alar ligament, resulting in craniocervical instability and an increase in the risk symptoms like nerve root compression with axial rotation. Additionally, a fall that involves landing "on the neck", or a fall that involves a concussive force to the head, in rare cases can result in cervical spine injury that disrupts the connective tissue structures of the upper cervical spine or the dens of the axis. Unfortunately, this may initially result in…

Behavioral Objectives
List the 6 tests available for upper cervical spine stability and vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI)
Justify whether each of the 6 tests covered is a better "screen" or "better diagnostic tool," based on research regarding specificity, sensitivity and accuracy
Based on a case study, the participant will be able to use the 6 special tests to successfully justify the most likely diagnosis
Recall the joint actions involved for performing each of 6 special tests included in this course
Based on available evidence, the participant will be able to evaluate the concerns regarding using these 6 tests as pre-manipulative screen