Cervical Plain Film Radiograph
Cervical Plain Film Radiograph
Search Pattern Assist ?Exam
Purpose
2. Assess for developmental hyposegmentation anomalies
3. Assess for evidence of chronic arthropathy disorders affecting the spinal canal width (PLL traction spurs, OPLL, DISH, CPPD)
4. Assess for evidence of concurrent inflammatory arthropathy disorders (ankylosing spondylitis, RA, JRA, psoriatic)
5. Assess for malposition of the spinal canal vs the foramen magnum
6. Assess for upper cervical malalignment using the X-line relationship (usually abnormal from displaced dens fracture or cruciform ligament tears)
7. Assess for occipitocervical (craniocervical) dislocation
8. Assess for occipital condylar and occipital calvarial fractures
9. Assess for axial-load fractures (i.e. C1 ring & lateral mass fractures)
10. Assess for dens fractures (3 types)
11. Assess for C2 vertebral body and pars intermedia fractures
12. Assess for upper cervical avulsion fractures (i.e. Type 3 condylar, Type 1 dens, clival tip fractures, but not often detected on plain films)
13. Assess for avulsion fractures C3 and below (i.e. distractive vertebral body corner fractures)
14. Assess for major (C2 and above) upper cervical ligamentous injuries of atlanto-axial joint, ALL, PLL, or tectorial membrane based on widened atlanto-axial joint width or increased interbody widths
15. Assess for major (C3 and below) ligamentous injuries of atlanto-axial joint, ALL, PLL, or spinolaminar ligament based on widened interbody widths
16. Assess for offset (listhesis) or malalignment of the cervical vertebral bodies (C3-T2)
17. Assess for vertebral (C3/T2) fractures including cortical/medullary (trabecular)/buckled vertebral body/pedicle/posterior arch)
18. Assess for articular pillar fractures and/or widened articular joint space with possible capsular disruption
19. Assess for locked or perched (nearly locked) facets
20. Assess for hyperflexion complex cervical injuries based on combination of fractures, disc, and ligamentous injuries
21. Assess for hyperextension complex cervical injuries based on combination of fractures, disc, and ligamentous injuries
22. Assess for hyper-rotation complex cervical injuries based on combination of fractures, disc, and ligamentous injuries
23. Assess for axial-loaded vertebral body fractures (including lateroflexion compressive fractures)
24. Assess for cervical shear injuries
25. Assess for displaced bone fragments into the spinal canal with risk of spinal cord injury
26. Assess for displaced bone fragments into the spinal foramen with risk of vascular injury or nerve compression
27. Assess for spinal instability (2 or 3 column injury)
Prior Study
Findings
Underlying conditions increasing vulnerability to post traumatic injury
There are levels of restricted motion (hyposegmentation anomalies, operative fusions or acquired autofusions) [Yes/No]
There are abnormal developmental anomalies affecting the C1 ring, C2 pars, and the dens [Yes/No]
There is evidence of chronic arthropathy disorders affecting the spinal canal width (PLL traction spurs, OPLL, DISH, CPPD) [Yes/No]
There is evidence of underlying inflammatory arthropathy possibly increasing or decreasing spine mobility (JRA, RA, psoriatic arthritis, etc.) [Yes/No]
There is underlying bone pathology not related to trauma, but which could have a pathologic fracture [Yes/No]
Injuries to the upper cervical spine (C2 and above) plus the occipital cervical junction
[Yes/No]
Ligamentous injuries
There is abnormal widening of dens tip to basion distance (or avulsion fracture of the clival tip) indicating apical ligament disruption [Yes/No]
There is abnormal malalignment of the cervical canal with the foramen magnum [Yes/No]
There is an abnormal X-lines indicating the dens is abnormally displaced [Yes/No]
There is abnormal widening of the atlanto-axial distance indicating transverse ligament disruption [Yes/No]
There is lilting of dens relative to C2 and/or avulsion fracture off the C1 ring indicating alar ligament disruption [Yes/No]
There is widening of one or both occipital condyles to C1-lateral mass joint space widths indicating occip-cervical injury (2x average width = ligamentous injury) [Yes/No]
There is widening of the width of C1-2 facet spaces indicating capsular injury (2x average width = ligamentous injury) [Yes/No]
There is widening of the width of one or more uncovertebral joints indicating disc injury [Yes/No]
There is widening of the width of C2-3 facet spaces consistent with facet capsular injury (2x average=injury) [Yes/No]
Bone fractures and/or other injuries
There is fracture of either occipital condyles; include assessment of an occipital bone fracture extending into the condyle [Yes/No]
There is a fracture of the C1 ring, or there is bilateral translational offset of the lateral masses of C1 relative to C2 (in AP plane) also consistent with a C1 ring fracture (or Jefferson's Fx) even if the fracture line is not discernible [Yes/No]
There is fracture of the dens (3 types) [Yes/No]
There is abnormal cortical rim fracture or medullary buckle or compression in the C2 body indicating fracture, especially at subdental synchondrosis [Yes/No]
Hyperflexion injuries (below C2): Compressive side anterior to the fulcrum
There is compressive buckle or fracture of the anterior vertebral body beginning at the fulcrum [Yes/No]
There is compressive fracture of one side of the vertebral body indicating a lateroflexion vector [Yes/No]
Hyperflexion injuries (below C2): Distractive side posterior to the fulcrum
There is widening of posterior disc space width (PLL tear) [Yes/No]
There is a posterior vertebral body corner avulsion fracture (Sharpey fiber insertion site) [Yes/No]
There is malalignment & widening of the facet joint(s) [Yes/No]
There is fracture(s) of the articular processes [Yes/No]
There is widening of the interlaminar & interspinous distances (2x average width = ligamentous injury) [Yes/No]
Hyperextension injuries (below C2): Compressive side posterior to the fulcrum
There is compressive buckle or fracture of the posterior vertebral arch or pedicle(s) beginning at the fulcrum [Yes/No]
There is displacement of bone fragments into the spinal canal or foramen transversarium [Yes/No]
There is a compressive articular body fracture(s) (compression or burst) [Yes/No]
There is malalignment of the facet joint(s) surfaces [Yes/No]
Hyperextension injuries (below C2): Distractive side anterior to the fulcrum
There is widening of anterior disc space width (ALL tear) [Yes/No]
There is a anterior vertebral body corner avulsion fracture (Sharpey fiber insertion site) [Yes/No]
There is narrowing of the interlaminar & interspinous distances [Yes/No]
Rotational injuries
There is evidence of a vertebral body spiral fracture consistent with a rotary injury [Yes/No]
There is significant change in the degree of spine rotation at one motion segment based on the position of the articular pillars [Yes/No]
There is significant change in the degree of spine rotation at one motion segment based on the width of the "interlaminar clear zone" [Yes/No]
There is increased width of one or more unilateral uncovertebral joints to suggest a rotary discal injury [Yes/No]
There is unilateral articular pillar injury on the same side as the widened uncovertebral joint [Yes/No]
Axial-loading injuries
There is compression injury to the vertebral bodies with buckling, comminuted fractures or actually burst fractures [Yes/No]
There is compression injury to the central portion of one or more vertebral end-plates [Yes/No]
There is compressive hyperdensity in the medullary trabecular bone [Yes/No]
There is compression on one side of one or more vertebral bodies indicating a lateroflexion mechanism [Yes/No]
Shear injuries
There is a single level transsection injury to the spine causing a combination of fractures, disc,/articular capsular ligament tears [Yes/No]
There is underlying spinal fusion predisposing to shear injuries (i.e. ankylosing spondylitis, JRA, long segment spinal operative fusion) [Yes/No]
Additional injury observations
There abnormal translational spinal alignment (anterolisthesis, posterolisthesis, or lateral listhesis) [Yes/No]
There is focal spinal angulation (focal kyphosis-gibbus deformity) [Yes/No]
There are injuries at more than one level [Yes/No]
There is evidence of injury vectors with more than one mechanism [Yes/No]
The columns of stability exceed more than one, indicating the spine is potentially unstable [Yes/No]
Bone fragments are retropulsed into one or more neural foramina, indicating the nerve root or nerve root sleeve may be at risk [Yes/No]
Bone and/or disc fragments are retropulsed into the spinal canal, indicating the spinal cord is at risk [Yes/No]
Bone and/or disc fragments are retropulsed into the foramen transversaria raising the risk of vertebral arterial injury [Yes/No]
There is swelling in the carotid sheath raising the risk of cartoid arterial injury [Yes/No]
Other
No other significant additional imaging findings are present. [Yes/No]