Spine Flashcards
How do you compensate for beam divergence on spinal radiographs?
make multiple exposures
What are the reasons for spinal radiography?
Spinal pain
Limb pain
Spinal neuropathy
What are the common spinal abnormalities seen?
Disc Disease
Spondylosis
Articular process DJD
What are the less common spinal abnormalities seen?
Discospondylitis
Vertebral malformations
Vertebral tumors
What is the most common cause of spinal pain/neuropathy?
Disc Disease
Type I Disc Disease
Acute herniation of degenerate nuclear material into vertebral canal with cord compression
Type II Disc Disease
Chronic annulus/nucleus protrusion into vertebral canal with spinal cord compression
What are the radiographic signs of Disc Disease?
Narrowed disc space
narrow foramen
narrow dorsal joint space
Material in the vertebral canal
Transitional T13
T13 with a rib on one side but not that other
What are the layers of the spinal cord?
Dura Mater
Arachnoid
Pia Mater
What are the classic spinal lesion locations?
Extradural
Intradural-extramedullary
Intramedullary
What do Osteophyte articular processes cause?
extradural spinal cord compression
What sign is present with Intradural-Extramedullary lesion?
“Golf-tee” sign
What are the problems with Myelography?
Invasive
Time consuming
Technical errors
Subarachnoid space is too small to hold enough contrast medium
No information about spinal cord parenchyma
What is the best test for Disc Herniation?
MRI
ANNPE
Acute Non-compressive Nucleus Pulposus Extrusion
Acute Non-compressive Nucleus Pulposus Extrusion (ANNPE)
Acute herniation of hydrate nucleus
What pathology accompanies Type I and ANNPE?
Necrosis
Hemorrhage
Inflammation
Edema
What is the treatment for Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)
Medical management: Cage rest, etc.
Surgery
Spondylosis
New bone proliferation originating from ventral aspect of vertebral body, near endplate
Where does Cauda Equine Syndrome occur?
L7-S1
What are the clinical signs of Cauda Equina syndrome?
Lumbosacral pain
Decreased willingness to jump and climb stairs
Low tail carriage
Reduced tail wagging
Difficulty posturing for defecation
Weakness or lameness in one or both hind limbs secondary to compression of nerve roots supplying sciatic nerve
Fecal or urinary incontinence
What predisposes patients to Cauda equine syndrome?
Lumbosacral transitional vertebra
What is the treatment for Cauda Equina Syndrome?
NSAIDs
Weight Reduction
epidural steroid injections
surgery
What is the radiographic sign of discospondylitis?
Endplate lysis
Discospondylitis
Infection of disc with involvement of adjacent endplates
What are the vertebral malformations?
Wobbler Disease
A-A subluxation
Hemivertebra
What are the two forms of Cervical Spondylomyelopathy?
Disc-associated compression
Osseous associated compression
Wobbler Disease
Progressive cervical myelopathy
What are the radiographic signs of Cervical Spondylomyelopathy?
Vertebral canal stenosis
Articular process hyperostosis
Cervical malalignment
What breed is Hemivertebra common in?
Brachycephalic
