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Scotty dog appearance: oblique view

Case contributed by Mohammad Taghi Niknejad
Diagnosis not applicable
Annotated image

Scotty dog appearance. 

Case Discussion

On oblique views of the lumbar spine, the posterior elements form the figure of a Scottie dog with the transverse process being the nose, the pedicle forming the eye, the inferior articular facet being the front leg, the superior articular facet representing the ear, and the pars interarticularis (the portion of the lamina that lies between the facets) equivalent to the neck of the dog. If a spondylolysis is present, the pars interarticularis, or the neck of the dog, will have a defect or break. It often looks as if the dog has a collar around the neck.

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