April 2005, Vol. 15, Iss. 2

Table of Contents

Altered Cervical Lordosis and DJD • Chiropractor Invents Car Seat Headpiece • DACBRs Cause Professional Embarrassment at RAC • Eight Major Aberrant Forms of the Lumbo-Pelvic Spine • European Spine Journal to Publish 6th CBP® Clinical Control Trial • Evidence Based or Not • Glutamate/Aspartame - Pain and Your Brain • Greg Buchanan Donates $30,000 to CBP® Nonprofit • Inappropriate Characterization of CBP® Technique • Missed Appointments and Patient Education • Money, Taxes, Life and Practice • Palmer College Takes Alumni Group to Court • PosturePrint™ Research with ICA • Presenting Defendable Care Options to Patients • Published Papers Near 81 • Resign or be Terminated • Thermography: Renewed Interest • Using Silence to Communicate • Whiplash Injuries: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Medical Management and Prognosis

back to front page

Chiropractor Invents Car Seat Headpiece

               Cervigard Inc. was founded by Ronald P. Dellanno, DC.  He has followed the work taught by  Don Harrison, DC since 1985.  CBP® was the foundation used by Dr. Dellanno to invent and developed the Cervigard Head-Neck Restraint.  The spinal curve straightens by a rear impact collision. In  mechanism of injury during whiplash, the cervical spine is forced into a double harmonic curve in less than one hundred msec. 

The lower cervical vertebrae C5 through T1 are rapidly accelerated into hyperextension by the seat back and upper cervical vertebrae C0 through C4 remain in a flexion position due to the inertia of the head.  The thoracic spine also straightens on impact producing axial compressive forces to the cervical facet joints as well as the lumbar vertebrae. 

              Whiplash results in an abnormal physiological relative motion between the cervical vertebrae.  This results in permanent paraspinal ligament damage especially to the cervical facet joints. 

              The Cervigard Head-Neck Restraint has a neck bolster that protects the cervical lordosis on a rear impact.  This was proven effective at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.  A full body finite element model was verified by high speed xray analysis of cadaver crash tests.  This makes this model a very accurate spinal kinematic surrogate of a true human response.  These fem crash simulations proved the Cervigard neck bolster protected the cervical lordosis and prevented the abnormal relative motions between the cervical vertebrae. 

              Cervigard patents support all spinal curves and decelerate them together as a unit, thereby reducing the relative motions of all spinal curves.  Drs. Don Harrison and Arthur Croft have published a paper regarding the benefits of this neck-bolstering concept and are supporters of Cervigard technology.                Researchers from the following institutions are also on record in support of Cervigard neck bolstering:

     The Mayo Clinic

     Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation

     The Chicago Institute of Rehabilitation

     University of Cal Davis

     University of Pennsylvania

     NYU

     New Jersey Medical School

     Wayne State University

     Johns Hopkins University

     The International Chiropractic Association

              The Center for Disease Control has contacted Dr. Dellanno.  After reviewing the test data to date about Cervigard technologies,  the C.D.C. suggested the company apply for a special grant provided by the Agency’s Injury Prevention Division.

              Dr. Dellanno along with Michael Kleinberger, Phd., who is a director of John’s Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL) have devised a test matrix and made application to the C.D.C. for this grant of approximately $800,000.00.  This will provide prototype seats and Cervigrd Head-Neck Restraints to be tested using a new rear impact test dummy called the Bio-Rid II.  This dummy, unlike the older Hybrid III dummy has humanlike spinal curves that can straighten or flatten out on a rear impact collision.  This is an ideal situation for Cervigard for several reasons.          

              First, Dr. Kleinberger and John’s Hopkins University applied physics lab already does the automotive rear impact sled tests for N.H.T.S.A. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).  This will ensure the test matrix is in compliance with government test protocols.

              Secondly, the C.D.C. may be providing the money with this grant, so it will also be involved in the public and governmental release of the results of this test matrix.  The company believes JHU/APL by itself has tremendous respect in public, governmental, clinical and automotive engineering circles to influence all related areas of society.

              This project, whether funded by the C.D.C. or investor groups will provide several seats and Cervigard Head-Neck Restraints with complete engineering drawings to automotive manufacturers and government agencies concerned with public safety.

              The company believes this is an excellent way to attract the interest of government authorities and automotive manufacturers for manufacturing and/or licensing-royalty opportunities.  This information, along with the aforementioned finite element computer model test simulations completed at Wayne State University, Detroit,MI is an extremely significant body of testing that verifies the necessity of using a neck bolster like Cervigard, in a head-neck restraint to prevent or reduce serious permanent impairment injuries to the spine of motorist in rear end collision.

              If you would like to help, Cervigard is accepting experienced investors to purchase stock.  The proceeds will enable the company to finish the testing at John’s Hopkins University, make prototypes and deliver them to automotive manufacturers, auto trade shows, and research centers.