Spine imaging areas that need work Flashcards
How many vertebrae are there in humans?
33
Different regions of vertebral column and how many segments?
- C-spine 7
- T-spine 12
- L-spine 5
- Sacrum 5
- coccyx 4 (tailbone)
in what spinal segment is scoliosis most commonly seen in?
thoracic
what two components are the inter-vertebral discs made of?
- annulus fibrosis (outer region)
- nucleus pulposus (inner region)
Being that the nucleus pulposus is 80% water, what signal intensity should one expect to see on a T2 image?
hyper-intense
The ligamentum flavum is also known as ___ and serves to ___?
- yellow ligament
- Connect the laminae of adjacent vertebrae
How far does the ligamentum flavum stretch S to I?
C1 to S1
- What should the technologist cover on a C-spine study for a patient that has rheumatoid arthritis and has issues with atlanto-axial instability?
- What sequence should be used?
- From foramen magnum down instead of C2
- GRE axial images
what do gradient echo T2* sequences aid in diagnosing in C-spine imaging?
- cord anatomy
- extramedullary disease
- discriminating between osteophyte vs disc herniation
what is center landmark for a L-spine?
1-2 inches above iliac crest or at L3
coverage for sagittal image of L-spine?
inferior body of T11 to body of S2
where is the conus medullaris and cauda equina best visualized and what plane?
- lumbar
- sagittal
terms for condition where the spinal cord is pulled lower than its natural position and generally found in children with spina bifida or chiari malformation
-tethered cord
What vertebrae are fused in an average spine?
S1-5 and Coccygeal 1-4
what refers to a group of neurological disorders related to malformation of the spinal cord?
- tethered spinal cord syndrome
- occult spinal dysraphism sequence
