WAD injury to the cervical mm-tendon unit involves injury to which tissue type?

• A. Bones
• B. Nerves
• C. Soft Tissues
• D. Cartilage

Answer: (C)

Whiplash injuries in the neck typically damage soft tissues—the muscles and their tendons in the cervical region. The cervical mm-tendon unit encompasses these muscle fibers and their tendinous attachments, which are the tissues most affected by rapid acceleration-deceleration forces in whiplash, leading to strains and micro-tears, muscle soreness, and swelling. Bones would be involved only if there were fractures, and nerves would indicate nerve involvement rather than a primary mm-tendon tissue injury. Cartilage damage would point to joint surface pathology, not the muscle-tendon unit. So, the tissue type involved is soft tissues.