Thoracic and cervical spine test review
Summary of distinguishing features of C
1. AP cervical + lateral cervical
2. Oblique RPO cervical spine
3. AP thoracic spine
4. Lateral thoracic spine
5.
and T spine
6. Which pedicles are better visualized on
AP thoracic view? Why?
 The right pedicles better
visualized
 Due to superimposition of the
cardiac and aortic soft tissues
on the left pedicles
 Technical difficulties also hinder
this process
7. Lateral thoracic, 2 structures might
obscure the upper thoracic segment
 By shoulder mass and the upper
arms
8. If structures can’t adequately be
visualized, what projection to use?
 Swim lateral projection
9. Why spinous process difficult to
visualize on lateral thoracic
 Due to overlap of the medial
ribs
10. AP thoracic spine done to access
 Pathologies
 Fractures
 Arthritis (make movement
painful)
 Stenosis (joints pace narrowing)
 16. oblique thoracic
 rarely done
17. Thoracolumbar fractures
 Compression fracture
 Burst fracture
 Seat belt injury
 Fracture dislocation
18. Compression fracture
 Occur when bone is pressed
11. Scoliosis together itself
 Done in PA  Force that pushes/squeeze
 Patient standing  Common in anterior column of
12. Lateral thoracic done to access vert body
19. Burst fracture
 Compression
 Characterized by multiple
 Subluxation
bones
 Extreme kyphosis
 Often happened at bone ends
13. Subluxation
or in vert
 Slight misalignment of
20. Fracture dislocation
vertebrae/partial dislocation
 On T5-T6
21. Tuberculosis spondylitis
 Pott’s disease
 Chronic inflammatory disorder
joint
22. Scheuermann’s disease
 Self-limiting skeletal disorder of
14. Kyphosis
childhood
 Exaggerated posterior
 Irregular development of
curvature of thoracic spine that
thoracic spine (wedging
cause significant back pain and
appearance)
limited mobility
 At least 3 vert involved
 humpback
 Will result in kyphosis (>40
degree thoracic)
 Uneven grow of bone (5 degree
wedging of anterior vert)
23. Schmorl’s nodes
 Abnormal appearance of vert
end plate-jagged edge to end
plate
 Will lead to kyphosis
15. swimmer’s lateral done to access
24. Arthritic change
 if upper thoracic vert is not
 Calcification
visualized on lateral
 Osteophytes
 if unable to visualize T1 or T2
25. Oblique thoracic
  Demonstrate zygapophyseal
joints
 AP: spaces away
 PA: closest to

26. Osteoporosis
 Increased radiolucency of vert
(decreased radiodensity)
 Wedge/ other deformities
 End plate deformities
27.