“…The routine use of a cervical collar could cause detrimental side effects, such as airway obstruction or masking life-threatening wounds on patients with penetrating injury to the neck. 6,7 In our series, the use of external bracing was influenced by individual surgeon preference. However, in retrospect, we found that the factors having a statistically significant association with physician's recommendation to brace were the same factors that were significant on the incidence of paralysis (that is, multiple vertebral levels of damage and presence of a fragment in the canal).…”