Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Alkadhi H, Feger J, Sharma R, et al. Darth Vader sign. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 11 Oct 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-192578
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Hatem Alkadhi had the following disclosures:
- Siemens, speaker honoraria (past)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to
not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Hatem Alkadhi's current disclosures
The Darth Vader sign refers to a finding that might be seen on axial CT images of the abdomen that indicates lumbar spondylolysis.
The diagnosis of lumbar spondylolysis on routine axial CT images of the abdomen and pelvis covering the spine, and hence the Darth Vader sign, show considerable inter-observer agreement and excellent accuracy 1,2.
Spondylolysis describes a defect in the pars interarticularis of the vertebral arch, which most often occurs in the lumbar spine. It rarely occurs also in other parts of the spine 1-5.
Detecting the Darth Vader sign helps improve the detection rate of spondylolysis in abdominal and pelvic CT, which may be otherwise underreported if performed for other reasons and thus may improve patient care 1.
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1. Huber F, Schmidt C, Alkadhi H. Diagnostic Performance of the Darth Vader Sign for the Diagnosis of Lumbar Spondylolysis in Routinely Acquired Abdominal CT. Diagnostics. 2023;13(15):2616. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13152616 - Pubmed
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2. Teplick J, Laffey P, Berman A, Haskin M. Diagnosis and Evaluation of Spondylolisthesis And/Or Spondylolysis on Axial CT. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1986;7(3):479-91. PMC8331354 - Pubmed
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3. Choi J, Ochoa J, Lubinus A, Timon S, Lee Y, Bhatia N. Management of Lumbar Spondylolysis in the Adolescent Athlete: A Review of over 200 Cases. The Spine Journal. 2022;22(10):1628-33. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2022.04.011 - Pubmed
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4. Cavalier R, Herman M, Cheung E, Pizzutillo P. Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis in Children and Adolescents: I. Diagnosis, Natural History, and Nonsurgical Management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2006;14(7):417-24. doi:10.5435/00124635-200607000-00004 - Pubmed
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5. Ramachandran K, Viswanathan V, Kavishwar R, Shetty A, Shanmuganathan R. Spondylolysis of the Thoracic Spine with Instability. JBJS Case Connector. 2022;12(1). doi:10.2106/jbjs.cc.21.00713 - Pubmed
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