Lumbar Spine- Normal Flashcards
what are the 5 radiographic densities from most lucent to dark
- Air
- fat
- Muscle
- Bone
- Metal
what are the things to keep in mind when looking at film
- The exposure (under/over)
- Centered/ patient pos
- marker placement
what are the ABC’s of searches
A- alignment
B- bone (count, shape, size)
C- cartilage- joints, dislocations
S- soft tissue- swelling, calcifications, organs
what is the interpediculate distance and what is min/max for L1 and L5
distance between pedicals on a AP/PA view
L1- min; 21 max; 29
L5- min;23 max;36
why are PA view prefered in the lumbar spine
- reduces radiation exposure to the patient
- can see disk and si better
- iliac will be taller/narrower, sps harder to see tho
what is georges line
post vertebral body line, should be smooth and unbroken
what is normal lumbosacral disk angle
10-15 degrees
what is eisensteins measurement; what measurement suggests stenosis and what is a definite stenosis
sagittal diameter of the spinal cord, from Tps of articular process to midpoint of vert body
suggests- <15
deffinate- <12
what is a normal lumbar lordosis angle and how should it be measured
50-60 degrees
-draw line from sup L1 and inf L5
what is normal sacral base angle and how should it be measured
26-57 degrees
-draw line along sacral base and along horizontal
what is the lumbar gravity line
vertical line from center of l3 vert body that should pass thru ant 1/3 of sacral base
what are the indications for a AP lumbosacral spot viewq
SI pain
lumbosacral pain
bowel gas covering l5-s1 region
what is Hibbs view
lumbosacral spot view that is angulated up in order to see SI joints
what are the indication of lumbar oblique views (what can they visualize)
-visualization of the pars interarticularis, post elements and facet joints
how are lumbar obliques named (r/l, ant/post)
-Check for marker placement as it will tell you what type it is
If spine is ant to marker then it is an ant
if spine is post to marker then it is a post
