C spine Flashcards
importance imaging the spinal cord
Images are debilitating if not picked up and have serious consequences
Can cause injury to the spinal cord.
spinous processes
Attachment for back muscles
Transverse processes-
ligamentous and muscular attachments
Vertebral foramen-
contains spinal column
Mechanism of injury
axial loading, hyperextension, hyperflexion
AP C spine evaluation
- ## C3 to T1
Lateral C spine evaluation
c1-T1
- base of skull to demonstrate the cervical - occipito junction
Peg view C spine evaluation
- the peg
- C2 vertebral body
- lateral borders of C1-C2
Additional views
Swimmers view- to demonstrate C7-T1
oblique view – look at stability and facet joints
flexion and extension - check stability or pre-operative purposes
lateral view
Alignment of spinous processses
adequate bone density
equal disc spaces
soft tissue
alignment lines lateral
Anterior vertebral body line
posterior vertebral liagment line
spinolaminar line
AP
Spinous processes should form a straight line
Measure distance between spinous process- increase may suggest subluxation or dislocation
alignment lines AP
lateral vertebral body lines
Peg view
c2 vertebral body
lateral masses border
joint spaces between inferior and superior borders of c2 equal
Distance between lateral mass of C1 and peg should be equal
3-column model of denis
Anterior column - if injury only affects the anterior half of the vertebral body, it is classed as stable
middle column - involves intervertebral discs, posterior vertebral line, posterior half of vertebral body
posterior column - posterior elements, facets, spinous and transverse processes, laminar
