Imaging the Spine Flashcards
what MSK features do x rays show?
bone outlines only
what MSK features do CTs show?
bone outlines in detail
some soft tissue structures eg lumbar discs
what MSK features do MRIs show?
bone outlines bone marrow discs ligaments spinal cord nerves (all soft tissue structures)
are lumbar or cervical vertebrae bigger?
lumbar
what is in the posterior arch of vertebrae?
2 pedicles
2 laminae
1 spinous process
2 transverse processes
where does the neural foramen lie?
inferior to the pedicle
what does the neural foramen contain?
spinal nerves
how are facet joints formed?
articular processes project superiorly and inferiorly between the pedicles and laminae
should consecutive vertebrae be the same size?
yes
what structures cross over the transverse processes of the thoracic vertebrae?
ribs
which vertebra has no vertebral body?
C1
what do the anterior and posterior arches of C1 articulate with?
occipital bone
C2
which vertebra contains the odontoid process?
C2
what does the odontoid process form and how does it do this?
forms a joint with C1’s anterior arch by projecting superiorly into it
when would you do CT straight away in a suspected fracture patient?
if it was a high energy injury eg car crash and involves a head injury
