Winking owl sign (spine)

Last revised by Leonardo Lustosa ◉ on 27 Jan 2023

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Schubert R, Lustosa L, Elfeky M, et al. Winking owl sign (spine). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 23 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-14693

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-14693

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/14693?embed_domain=fkgfeaby.ebecbve.dbz%255850%25588c3%25588e

rID:

14693

Article created:

22 Aug 2011, Roberto Schubert

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Roberto Schubert had no recorded disclosures.

View Roberto Schubert's current disclosures

Last revised:

27 Jan 2023, Leonardo Lustosa ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Leonardo Lustosa had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Leonardo Lustosa's current disclosures

Revisions:

18 times, by 13 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Musculoskeletal, Spine

Sections:

Signs, Gamuts

Tags:

spine

Synonyms:

Absent pedicle sign
Winking owl's sign
Winking eye sign
Pedicle sign
The winking owl sign

The (absent) pedicle sign, also called the winking owl sign, occurs on plain radiograph of the spine when a pedicle is absent ⁵.

The term, winking owl sign, where the missing pedicle corresponds to the closed eye, the contralateral pedicle to the other round open eye, and the spinous process to the beak of the owl on AP views of the thoracic or lumbar spine ^1,2.

Pathology

Aetiology

There is a wide aetiology ^3,4:

destroyed pedicle
- spinal metastases
- intraspinal malignancies
- tuberculosis and other infections
- uncommon: primary bone lesion; lymphoma
congenital absence/hypoplasia of a pedicle
neurofibromatosis
poorly-visualised
radiation therapy