How To Read Cervical Spine X Rays
The density should be appropriate with soft tissues and bony structures well visualized. This is because normal C-spine X-rays cannot exclude significant injury and because a missed C-spine fracture can lead to.
When reading any radiograph the clinician should establish a process or order they follow each time.
How to read cervical spine x rays. During the examination an X-ray machine sends a beam of radiation through the neck and an image is recorded on special film or a. Make sure the atlantodens interval ADI. You require all three views lateral AP and odontoidopen mouth view for an adequate study.
The cervical spine series is a set of radiographs taken to investigate the bony structures of the cervical spine albeit commonly replaced by the CT the cervical spine series is an essential trauma radiograph for all radiographers to understand. Varun Wasil- MPTOrthopaedics from Sukoon Physical Therapy Jalandhar exp. The ABCs of the cervical spine provide a helpful mnemonic to guide the systematic assessment of these x-rays.
Soft tissue appears as a light grey opacity on cervical spine X-rays located between the vertebral bodies and the darker-grey area that represents the trachea. Make sure the lateral masses of C1 atlas are symmetrically aligned with lateral masses of C2. Cervical Spine PA or AP.
The C7T1 junction must be visible. Purpose and Structures Shown A basic view of the cervical spine. Or pre-dental space is 3 mm in adults or 5 mm in children.
Radiologists consider a cervical spine X-ray to be of good quality when the lateral view shows all 7 cervical vertebrae plus the C7-T1 junction. These videos have been cre. Any widening of this space may represent a pre-vertebral haematoma and should significantly raise suspicion of a cervical fracture.
The video describes the cervical spine anatomy and the approach to reading a cervical spine MRI by Dr. Ensure all 4 lines are contiguousuninterrupted 1. Make sure the C2 ring is smooth and continuous and that C2 does not appear fat ie vertebral body that is wider than C3 Scan the mandible and base of the skull.
This is a orthopedic teaching video from orthopedic medical students on trauma or elective orthopedic surgery and relevant topics. Cervical spine radiographs are indicated for a variety of settings including 1-3. Clinical considerations are particularly important in the context of Cervical spine C-spine injury.
Cervicothoracic Region Lateral Twinning Method. It should be noted that this area naturally gets wider around the level of C4 so two different acceptable. Cervical Spine Lateral Supine.
Adequacy Alignment AADI anterior atlantodental interval BDI bsion dental interval Base of dens Bony abnormalities Cartilage disks Cartliage facets Soft tissues Scan the periphery. Start by evaluating the vertebral bodies. While in no particular order consider evaluating the following.
One way to remember these steps is AAABBBCs. Bones - Cortical outlineVertebral body height. A cervical spine X-ray is a safe and painless test that uses a small amount of radiation to take a picture of the bones in the back of the neck cervical vertebrae.
Cervical Spine X-Ray Imaging Evaluation. Below we will review the ten steps to reading a c-spine xray. Numbering starts with C2 characteristic with its unique shape with the peg of the dens rising high from the body penetrating the ring of C1.
Ahhhh the workhorse of the cervical x-rays. Make sure there is no overlap of the dens odontoid process by the teeth. Learn to read X ray of Cervical Spine C1-C7 Neck x ray readingIn this video Dr.
Alignment - AnteriorPosteriorSpinolaminar. Spacing - DiscsSpinous processes. Look here for vertebral fracture subluxation jumped facets and prevertebral swelling.
Soft tissues - Pre-vertebral. Make sure the basion-dens space is 12 mm.
