Imaging the Spine Flashcards
What do XRays show
Bone outlines only
What do CTs show
Bone outlines in more detail and some soft tissue structures e.g. lumbar discs
What do MRI scans show
Bone outlines in less detail but shows bone marrow, discs, ligaments and the spinal cord and nerves (Ie. all the soft tissue structures
Describe the curves of the spine in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions
Cervical lordosis
Thoracic kyphosis
Lumbar lordosis
What do the cervical vertebraes from C3-7 all have
A vertebral body
posterior arch containing 2 pedicles, 2 laminae, 1 spinous process and 2 transverse processes
Where does the neural foramen lie
Inferior to the pedicle
What view are normal anatomical features depicted on
The lateral view and the AP view
Why is the thoracic region often more difficult to interpret
The presence of ribs makes it unclear
C1 or C2 has no vertebral body
C1
What does C2 have that no other vertebra has
Odontoid process
When is a CT scan used to image spinal trauma
When the X ray shows a fracture but more detail is needed
or
When the Xray is normal but there is a high clinical suspicion of a fracture
What are responsible for spinal stability
Ligaments - the theres vertebrae together and are responsible for spinal stability
How can we tell if the ligaments are normal without an MRI
By seeing normal vertebral alignment on Xray and CT
What colour are a) normal ligaments and b) damaged ligaments on MRI
a) black
b) light
When is MRI used in spinal trauma
In patients with neurological deficit, which is not explained by Cray or CT, to show soft tissue abnormality such as:
