THE CERVICAL

SPINE X-RAY

By,
MD MUNTASIR HASAN
B. Sc in Medical Radiography & Imaging Technology
School of Allied Heath Science
Sister Nivedita University
INDEX
I. INTRODUCTION
II. WHY C-SPINE X-RAY DONE
III. X-RAY PROJECTIONS
IV. CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
• There are 33 vertebrae present in human
body out of which 7 are cervical vertebrae.
 Those 7 are C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-
7.
• Cervical spine support the weight of our head
(average weight of 10 to 30 pounds.) It also
allows our head and neck to tilt forward
(flexion), backward (extension), turn from side
to side (rotation) or bend to one side (ear-to-
shoulder; lateral flexion).
Why are Cervical Spine X-Rays Done?
• A cervical spine X-ray can help doctors find the cause of neck,
shoulder, upper back, or arm pain as well as tingling, numbness, or
weakness in the arm or hand.
• It can show fracture (breaks) in the cervical vertebrae or dislocation of
the joints between the vertebrae.
X-RAY PROJECTIONS OF CERVICAL
SPINE
STANDARD PROJECTIONS ADDITIONAL PROJECTIONS
i. AP-VIEW i. CERVICOTHORACIC-VIEW
ii. LATERAL-VIEW ii. FLEXION-EXTENSION LATERAL
iii. ODONTOID-VIEW iii. FUCHS VIEW
iv. AP oblique-VIEW
v. PA oblique-VIEW
TYPICALLY THERE ARE THREE STANDERD VIEWS
PROVIDED WHEN C-SPINE X-RAY IS PERFORMED.
• THESE ARE
i. LATERAL-VIEW
ii. ANTERO-POSTERIOR (AP)- VIEW
iii. ODONTOID/OPEN-MOUTH VIEW.
AP-VIEW
• Anteroposterior projection of the cervical spine demonstrating the
vertebral bodies and intervertebral spaces.

C-SPINE AP-VIEW
LATERAL-VIEW
• Often utilized in trauma demonstrated
Zygapophyseal joints
Soft tissue structures around the c spine
Spinous processes
Anterior-posterior relationship of the
vertebral bodies
C-SPINE LATERAL-VIEW
ODONTOID / OPEN-MOUTH VIEW
• Also known as a ‘peg’ projection it demonstrates the C1 (atlas) and C2
(axis).

ODONTOID-VIEW
CONCLUSION
• Overall, the cervical spine x-ray is a useful tool for evaluating the bony
structures and alignment of the neck region, and in this case, it
indicates a normal cervical spine with no evident abnormalities.
THANK YOU