Cervical Spine Trauma 10 - Clinical Case Summary
Cervical Spine Trauma 10 - Clinical Case Summary
Cervical Spine Trauma 10 - Clinical Case Summary
SummaryHistory
76 yo female MVC with syncope following accident
Exams Performed
Cervical spine CT; Cervical spine MR
Prior available imaging reports
Plain film cervical radiographs are not available
Cervical CT
1. An acute compressive fracture of T1 is present with 20% loss of vertebral body height. There is no translational or rotary subluxation. The fracture is stable.
2. There is a healed C4 avulsion fracture.
3. There is age-related osteopenia, spondylosis, and facet osteoarthropathy.
Cervical spine MR
1. There is generalized cervical spondylosis narrowing the spinal canal C5-T1, but this is insufficient to cause deformity of the spinal cord nor cause edema or myelomalacia.
2. The healed C4 anterior osteoligamentous avulsion fracture site demonstrates no acute post traumatic injury.
3. There is an acute compression fracture of T1, with trabecular edema and 20% loss of anterior vertebral height. There are no retropulsed bone fragments into the spinal canal or neural foramina.
Cervical CT
1. An acute compressive fracture of T1 is present with 20% loss of vertebral body height. There is no translational or rotary subluxation. The fracture is stable.
2. There is a healed C4 avulsion fracture.
3. There is age-related osteopenia, spondylosis, and facet osteoarthropathy.
Cervical spine MR
1. There is generalized cervical spondylosis narrowing the spinal canal C5-T1, but this is insufficient to cause deformity of the spinal cord nor cause edema or myelomalacia.
2. The healed C4 anterior osteoligamentous avulsion fracture site demonstrates no acute post traumatic injury.
3. There is an acute compression fracture of T1, with trabecular edema and 20% loss of anterior vertebral height. There are no retropulsed bone fragments into the spinal canal or neural foramina.
Lessons to be Learned
1. There is inherent functional motion restriction at the cervico-thoracic junction produced by the rib. In the context of diffuse spondylosis and osteopenia upper thoracic fractures are common.
2. Healed fractures are corticated on CT. They exhibit no edema on MR. They produce no edema in the surrounding soft tissue
2. Healed fractures are corticated on CT. They exhibit no edema on MR. They produce no edema in the surrounding soft tissue
