infant spine Flashcards
sono examination if useful for spint unless sonogrpahy is limited to?
- infants under the age of 6 month (posterior spinous processes are not yet ossified)
- surgical procedures
- known spinal defects where an acoustic window is available
Clinical Indications for spine ultrasound?
- evaluation of spinal dystaphism and any associated mass
- patients with lumbosacral skin anomalies
- spinal tumors, masses, cysts, syrinx
- ## aquired lesions
Evaluation of spinal dysraphism and any associated mass includes? (4)
anomalies associated with incomplete fusion of neural tube
Meningoceles
Myelomeningoceles (MMCs)
Lipomyelomeningoceles
Lipomas
Patients with lumbosacral skin anomalies inclue? (5)
Pigmented spots Hairy nevus Dermal sinuses - a scaly, multi-layered channel of tissue Dimples Hemangiomas.
what is a syrinx?
rare, fluid filled cavity within spinal cord
Acquired lesions include> (3)
cord birth trauma
subarachnoid and epidural hemorrhage
epidural abscess
Intraoperative sonography is helpful in ?
localizing intramedullary lesions, including tumors, cysts, hydrosyrinx, and vascular malformations
Patient position for spine??
- Place the patient in the prone position with a towel or pillow under them
- this will round out the back, creating a slight kyphosis - splaying the spinous processes
- Decubitus positon also used, ‘fetal position’
spinal canal is bordered by?
anteriorly by echogenic vert. bodies with hypoechoic intervert. disks
posteriorly by the hypoechoic spinous processes
the spinal canal is surrounded by?
a thin brightly echogenic layer which represents the arachnoid-dural layer
where is the epidural space?
Just posterior to the arachnoid-dural layer and anterior to the spinous process
CSF surround?
the spinal cord and occupies the subarachnoid space
spinal cord on us?
- Spinal cord is hypoechoic
- defined by two parallel echogenic lines anteriorly and posteriorly with an echogenic central canal
- The cord tapers to the conus medullaris
- At L1 and L2
- Echogenic nerve roots are seen extending distally (arrowheads).
where is the filum terminale?
extends from the conus and floats among the echogenic nerve roots (cauda equina) in the anechoic cerebrospinal fluid
Filum terminale vs. spinal cord?
more echogenic and thicker ≤ 2 mm
Cauda equina roots move freely with?
changes in patient position
Thecal sac contains?
spinal cord cloating in CSF
Spinal Cord – Axial plane?
A slightly more prominent echogenic round filum terminale floats among echogenic nerve roots
Nerve roots can appear as?
small echogenic dots or clump together, sometimes obscuring the filum terminale.
Cord is larger in what region?
cervical
Locating the level of vertebral column allows determination of abnormal position of?
conus medullaris and location of intraspinal abnormalities
the spinal cord should terminate where?
between L1 and L2
An objective method of determining the level of the conus is to count vertebrae ?
up from the sacrum (last echogenic structure in sacrum)
5 Sacral vertebrae to LSJ
5 Lumbar vertebrae to TLJ (T12/L1)
down from the thoracolumbar junction (T12 with rib)
Confirming with x-ray – locate conus with US, mark and take x-ray.
what does ectroderm form?
neural plate
- crease appears on a plate that becomes a groove
Groove deepens and neural folds join to form a?
neural tube
Each end of neural tube has ?
neuropores