Spinal fractures
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Mous A, Roberts D, Weerakkody Y, et al. Spinal fractures. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 22 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-2069
Permalink:
rID:
2069
Article created:
2 May 2008,
Anon Ny Mous
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Anon Ny Mous had no recorded disclosures.
View Anon Ny Mous's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Dai Roberts had no recorded disclosures.
View Dai Roberts's current disclosures
Revisions:
18 times, by
13 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Synonyms:
- Spinal fractures
- Vertebral fractures
Spinal fractures are usually the result of significant trauma to a normally formed skeleton or the result of trauma to a weakened spinal column. Examples include:
- Jefferson fracture: ring fracture of C1
- hangman fracture: bilateral pedicle or pars fracture of C2
- dens fracture
- flexion teardrop fracture: unstable flexion fracture
- extension teardrop fracture: stable injury
- clay-shoveler fracture: spinal process avulsion injury
- Chance fracture: horizontal fracture through the thoracolumbar spine
- burst fracture: always involves the posterior vertebral body cortex
- wedge fracture: single column anterior vertebral fracture
- vertebra plana: vertebra has lost almost its entire height both anteriorly and posteriorly
- chalk-stick fracture: most frequently in ankylosing spondylitis
- limbus fracture: fracture of the apophyseal ring
Further information about specific fractures can be found by anatomic site:
- cervical spine fracture
- thoracic spine fracture
- lumbar spine fracture
- sacral fracture
- coccygeal fracture
Differential diagnoses
These may mimic a fracture
See also
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Clavicular fracture
- Vertebra plana
- Spinal fusion (overview)
- Low back pain
- Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis
- Posterior cervical fusion
- RANZCR key conditions assessment
- Complications of spinal surgery
- In situ contouring
- Seatbelt syndrome
- Spinal cord compression
- Scapular fracture
- Adynamic ileus (mnemonic)
- Osteoporotic vs pathological vertebral fractures
- Named fractures
- Empty vertebral body sign
- High bone mineral density
Cases:
- Normal cervical spine (CT)
- Thoracic vertebral fractures and dislocation
- Bladder haematoma
- Vertebral insufficiency fracture
- Vertebral compression fracture
- Unilateral facet dislocation
- Vertebral body compression fracture - L2
- Vertebral body compression fracture - T12
- Wedge fracture
- Flexion teardrop fracture (illustration)
- L3 anterior column fracture
- Two-column thoracic spine fracture
- Wedge compression fracture
- Spinal fracture with cauda equina syndrome
- Multiple myeloma - with disseminated lytic skeletal lesions
- Bulging of paraspinal line in traumatic thoracal spinal compression fracture
- Thoracic spine fracture
- Chance fracture of T12
- Redo lumbar spine kyphoplasty
- Jefferson fracture in DISH
Related articles: Spinal trauma
-
spinal fractures
- morphology
- fractures by location
- cervical spine fracture
- thoracolumbar spine fracture
- sacral fracture
- classifications
- AO spine classification systems
- three column concept of spinal fractures (Denis classification)
-
cervical spine fracture classification systems
- upper cervical spine
- AO Spine classification of upper cervical injuries
- occipital condyle and occipital cervical junction
- atlas (C1) and C1-2 joint
- axis (C2) and C2-3 joint
- Roy-Camille classification (dens)
- Anderson and D'Alonzo classification (dens)
- Levine and Edwards classification (pars interarticularis)
- subaxial cervical spine
- upper cervical spine
- thoracolumbar spinal fracture classification systems
- classifications of sacral fractures
- facet dislocation
- listhesis
Related articles: Fractures
-
fracture
- terminology
- fracture location
- diaphyseal fracture
- metaphyseal fracture
- physeal fracture
- epiphyseal fracture
- fracture types
- avulsion fracture
- articular surface injuries
- complete fracture
- incomplete fracture
- infraction
- compound fracture
- pathological fracture
- stress fracture
- fracture displacement
- fracture location
- fracture healing
- skull fractures
-
facial fractures
- fractures involving a single facial buttress
- alveolar process fractures
- frontal sinus fracture
- isolated zygomatic arch fractures
- mandibular fracture
- nasal bone fracture
- orbital blow-out fracture
- paranasal sinus fractures
- complex fractures
- dental fractures
- fractures involving a single facial buttress
-
spinal fractures
- classification (AO Spine classification systems)
-
cervical spine fracture classification systems
- AO classification of upper cervical injuries
- AO classification of subaxial injuries
- Anderson and D'Alonzo classification (odontoid fracture)
- Roy-Camille classification (odontoid process fracture)
- Gehweiler classifcation (atlas fractures)
- Levine and Edwards classification (hangman fracture)
- Allen and Ferguson classification (subaxial spine injuries)
- subaxial cervical spine injury classification (SLIC)
- thoracolumbar spinal fracture classification systems
- three column concept of spinal fractures (Denis classification)
- classification of sacral fractures
-
cervical spine fracture classification systems
- spinal fractures by region
- spinal fracture types
- classification (AO Spine classification systems)
- rib fractures
- sternal fractures
-
upper limb fractures
- classification
- Rockwood classification (acromioclavicular joint injury)
- AO classification (clavicle fracture)
- Neer classification (clavicle fracture)
- Neer classification (proximal humeral fracture)
- AO classification (proximal humeral fracture)
- AO/OTA classification of distal humeral fractures
- Milch classification (lateral humeral condyle fracture)
- Weiss classification (lateral humeral condyle fracture)
- Bado classification of Monteggia fracture-dislocations (radius-ulna)
- Mason classification (radial head fracture)
- Frykman classification (distal radial fracture)
- Mayo classification (scaphoid fracture)
- Hintermann classification (gamekeeper's thumb)
- Eaton classification (volar plate avulsion injury)
- Keifhaber-Stern classification (volar plate avulsion injury)
- upper limb fractures by region
- shoulder
- clavicular fracture
-
scapular fracture
- acromion fracture
- coracoid process fracture
- glenoid fracture
- humeral head fracture
- proximal humeral fracture
- humeral neck fracture
- arm
- elbow
- forearm
- wrist
-
carpal bones
- scaphoid fracture
- lunate fracture
- capitate fracture
- triquetral fracture
- pisiform fracture
- hamate fracture
- trapezoid fracture
- trapezium fracture
- hand
- shoulder
- classification
- lower limb fractures
- classification by region
- pelvic fractures
- hip fractures
- Pipkin classification (femoral head fracture)
- Garden classification (hip fracture)
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons classification (periprosthetic hip fracture)
- Cooke and Newman classification (periprosthetic hip fracture)
- Johansson classification (periprosthetic hip fracture)
- Vancouver classification (periprosthetic hip fracture)
- femoral
- knee
- Schatzker classification (tibial plateau fracture)
- AO classification of distal femur fractures
- Meyers and McKeevers classification (anterior cruciate ligament avulsion fracture)
- tibia/fibula
- Watson-Jones classification (tibial tuberosity avulsion fracture)
- ankle
- foot
- Berndt and Harty classification (osteochondral lesions of the talus)
- Sanders CT classification (calcaneal fracture)
- Hawkins classification (talar neck fracture)
- Myerson classification (Lisfranc injury)
- Nunley-Vertullo classification (Lisfranc injury)
- pelvis and lower limb fractures by region
- pelvic fracture
- sacral fracture
- coccygeal fracture
-
hip
- acetabular fracture
- femoral head fracture
-
femoral neck fracture
- subcapital fracture
- transcervical fracture
- basicervical fracture
-
trochanteric fracture
- pertrochanteric fracture
- intertrochanteric fracture
- subtrochanteric fracture
- femur
- mid-shaft fracture
- bisphosphonate-related fracture
- distal femoral fracture
- knee
- avulsion fractures
- Segond fracture
- reverse Segond fracture
- anterior cruciate ligament avulsion fracture
- posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fracture
- arcuate complex avulsion fracture (arcuate sign)
- biceps femoris avulsion fracture
- iliotibial band avulsion fracture
- semimembranosus tendon avulsion fracture
- Stieda fracture (MCL avulsion fracture)
- patellar fracture
- tibial plateau fracture
- avulsion fractures
- leg
- tibial tuberosity avulsion fracture
- tibial shaft fracture
- fibular shaft fracture
- Maisonneuve fracture
- ankle
- foot
- tarsal bones
- metatarsal bones
- phalanges
- classification by region
- terminology
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.