Watanabe K, Daimon K Fujiwara H, et al. - This research was intended to verify the long-term impact of whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) on patient symptoms and on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the cervical spine, in comparison with asymptomatic volunteers. Researchers performed a cross-sectional comparative study of 508 acute WAD patients and 497 asymptomatic volunteers between 1993 and 1996, all of whom had undergone MRI on the cervical spine and physical examinations. Seventy-five WAD patients and 181 control individuals aged < 60 years were recruited from the original cohort in this 20-year follow-up comparative study. In comparison with initially asymptomatic volunteers. whiplash injuries significantly impacted the residual symptoms of shoulder stiffness, headache, and arm pain after 20 years. After 20 years, the progression of degenerative changes in the cervical intervertebral discs revealed no relationship with existing whiplash injuries, nor did the residual cervical-related symptoms.