The MRI study reveals the cause of the quadriplegia to be cord haemorrhage (best seen as the dark signal on the axial GRE sequence) and oedema at the level of injury. No cord transection. Mild cord flattening due to canal narrowing. No epidural haematoma. The ALL is torn at the level of the fracture. PLL and posterior portions of the intervertebral discs are intact. There is mild facet capsular injury, low grade C3-4 ligamentum flavum and interspinous ligament injury and C4-5 supraspinous ligament injury.